I Was a Milwaukee Cop For 25 Years — This Is The Dark Side Of The Job | Patrick O'Donnell

Locked In with Ian Bick

Ian Bick

Society & Culture

4.8 • 745 Ratings

🗓️ 16 December 2025

⏱️ 108 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

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Summary

Patrick O’Donnell spent 25 years inside the Milwaukee Police Department, rising from patrol officer to sergeant, and today he sits down for an honest conversation about the real world behind the badge. In this interview, Patrick breaks down what it was like policing one of the most dangerous cities in Wisconsin, the cases that shaped his career, the mistakes he learned from, and the realities the public never sees. From high-risk calls, street violence, and officer burnout to leadership challenges, community tension, and the dark side of police work, Patrick brings decades of experience to this deep look at modern law enforcement. _____________________________________________ #PoliceInterview #FormerCop #MilwaukeePolice #WisconsinStories #TrueCrimePodcast #LawEnforcementLife #PoliceExperience #lockedinwithianbick _____________________________________________ Thanks to AURA FRAMES & BLUECHEW for sponsoring this episode: Aura Frames: Exclusive $35 off Carver Mat at https://on.auraframes.com/LOCKEDIN. Promo Code LOCKEDIN BlueChew: Get 10% off your first month of BlueChew Gold with code LOCKEDIN. Visit https://bluechew.com/ for more details and important safety information _____________________________________________ Connect with Patrick O'donnell: Website: https://copsandwriters.com Apple: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/cops-and-writers-podcast/id1553717643 / Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/7LIkW87ZQL34n3vXXrIOKK?si=15ff218ac36f408c Twitter/X: https://x.com/Patrick80094998 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/odauthor Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/patrick.odonnell.526438/ / https://www.facebook.com/groups/copsandwriters YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@patrickodonnell7928 TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@piddyod _____________________________________________ Hosted, Executive Produced & Edited By Ian Bick: https://www.instagram.com/ian_bick/?hl=en https://ianbick.com/ Shop Locked In Merch: http://www.ianbick.com/shop _____________________________________________ Timestamps: 00:00 Policing Then vs. Now — How the Job Has Changed 02:00 Guest Introduction, Networking & Career Paths 04:30 Police K-9 Stories, Dogs & Giving Back 07:45 Writing Books, Podcasting & Finding a Voice 13:00 Growing Up in Chicago: Family, Streets & Influence 19:00 Strict Upbringing, Early Jobs & Discipline 24:00 Teenage Rebellion, Mistakes & Turning Points 29:00 College Years, Direction & Life Choices 36:00 Jail Internship & First Exposure to Policing 44:00 First Day as a Police Officer 52:00 First Crime Scenes & Field Training Reality 01:00:00 Neighborhoods, Crime & Community Policing 01:10:00 Promoted to Sergeant: Leadership & Responsibility 01:19:00 High-Stress Nights, Major Incidents & Split-Second Decisions 01:26:00 Police Rank Structure, Politics & Administration 01:33:00 Modern Policing, Politics & Social Media Pressure 01:39:00 Retirement, Burnout & Officer Mental Health 01:42:00 Advice for New Police Officers & Life Lessons 01:44:00 Final Thoughts, Reflections & Gratitude Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Transcript

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0:29.6	And I'm like, holy, this is all happening in seconds. I'm going to have to kill this guy. He's
0:34.5	literally running right at me with this knife like this. So if you had to sum it up,
0:38.2	say, in a couple sentences, what do you think is the biggest difference between policing back then
0:42.4	and now? I just lost my faith in humanity after that. How do they even react when you tell them,
0:48.1	hey, your kid just, you know, killed someone. They're 10 years old. Do they care? Patrick O'Donnell
0:53.5	spent two decades policing one of the toughest cities in Wisconsin,
0:57.0	and the stories he shares here will change the way you think about the job.
1:04.1	Patrick, welcome to Lockton.
1:05.3	Thanks so much for coming out here today.
1:06.8	I'm excited to do your show after.
1:08.6	And, you know, big thanks to Steve Murphy for connecting us.
1:12.5	I was just going to say, thank you, Steve.
1:14.5	Yeah, that is genuinely one of the nicest guys I've ever met.
1:19.5	You know, he could be all full of ego.
1:22.2	I mean, look at the cool stuff that he's done in his lifetime.
1:25.3	And he's the most humble, down-to-earth guy.
1:28.3	I had lunch with him maybe three weeks ago. And, you know, we could call each other, bounce ideas off each other. He was like, hey, I saw you had that guy on your podcast. Would you mind? Yeah, absolutely. Whatever I can do to help you. That's just the way he is. Yeah. Bringing Steve on our show this year was the best thing that could ever happen to us
	...

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