In this episode, PERF Executive Director Chuck Wexler speaks with Tucson Police Chief Chad Kasmar.

Joining the Tucson Police Department in 2000, Kasmar was sworn in as the city's police chief in December 2021. Chief Kasmar received PERF's 2019 Gary P. Hayes Award, which honors a mid-career leader in the policing profession, in recognition of his work implementing Tucson's Critical Incident Review Board.

Here he discusses creating a culture that produces strong leaders, his agency's wellness program, his experience leading Tucson's emergency communications department, efforts to address staffing shortages, and why Chief Kasmar loves being the police chief in Tucson.

Thanks for listening to PERFcast, the official podcast of the Police Executive Research Forum. For more information on PERF, visit www.policeforum.org.

In this episode, PERF Executive Director Chuck Wexler speaks with Al Baker, who currently serves as the director of communications for the New York State Unified Court System.

The son of a lieutenant in the NYPD Emergency Service Unit, Al initially pursued journalism instead of following his father into policing. After three years with the New York Daily News and four with Newsday, Al spent nearly two decades reporting for the New York Times, including more than 10 years as the police bureau chief.

In 2019, Al joined the NYPD as the executive director of media relations. Last October, he moved to the New York State Unified Court System. In that role, Al was responsible for navigating press access to the six-week criminal trial for former President Donald Trump.

Thanks for listening to PERFcast, the official podcast of the Police Executive Research Forum. For more information on PERF, visit www.policeforum.org.

The PERF-HBCU Internship Program podcast series wraps up with three students who spent their summers inside police departments in the Midwest.

We hear from:
Thomas Barnes, Morehouse College (GA), Chicago Police Department (IL)
Ayiana Newcombe, Howard University (DC), Elgin Police Department (IL)
Jayla Hall, Alabama A&M University, Minneapolis Police Department (MN)

Thanks for listening to PERFcast, the official podcast of the Police Executive Research Forum. For more information on PERF, visit www.policeforum.org.