LAPD Gang Unit Veteran Secrets: Trauma, Resilience, And The Truth About South LA Streets
Things Police See: Firsthand Accounts
Steven D Gould
4.9 • 1.3K Ratings
🗓️ 27 May 2026
⏱️ 84 minutes
🧾️ Download transcript
Summary
In this powerful episode, hosts Steve and Ken Roybal sit down with Andrew Gonzalez, a 20-year veteran of the Los Angeles Police Department (LAPD) who spent the majority of his career working the intense 77th Street Division and specialized gang units.
Andrew pulls back the curtain on the evolution of modern street gangs, revealing how social media and encrypted applications have shifted criminal enterprises into highly sophisticated, clandestine corporate-style structures. He drops hard-hitting truths about the daily realities of policing in South Central, what it feels like to face a loaded gun in a split-second shootout, and the harrowing side of responding to violent crime scenes.
Beyond the tactical talk, this interview explores the heavy mental health toll of law enforcement. Andrew opens up about his personal battles with PTSD, depression, and human suffering, sparking an important conversation with Ken (himself a retired LAPD veteran) on the critical importance of modern police resiliency programs, mental health resources, and catching trauma before it overflows.
Tune in to hear an authentic, raw perspective on the human being behind the badge, the undeniable power of a strong family unit, and how Andrew is now giving back through his first-responder business, Battle Cry Gear.
Check out Andrew's high-quality first responder EDC gear: https://battlecrygear.com
Contact Steve - steve@thingspolicesee.com
Support the TPS show by joining the Patreon community today! https://www.patreon.com/user?u=27353055
Sergeant Steve YouTube Channel https://www.youtube.com/@TheSergeantSteve
Transcript
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| 0:00.0 | This is Things Police See, first-hand accounts, with your host, Steve Gold. |
| 0:15.2 | Hey, guys, it's Steve. |
| 0:16.9 | Welcome to the podcast. |
| 0:18.3 | With me, as always, it's Ken Roybal. |
| 0:20.0 | Ken, good morning. |
| 0:23.3 | Good morning to you from wet and soggy washington state yes yes it's actually wet and soggy in southern california as well |
| 0:30.7 | i'm in the high desert so they didn't tell me when i moved up here it's a lot like uh it's not |
| 0:36.2 | much different than new england up here it It's a lot like it's not much different than New England up here. |
| 0:38.1 | It's a little chilly. |
| 0:40.0 | I got, we have flood warnings out here because the river is sometimes overflow. |
| 0:44.2 | We're in an area that we won't get flooded, but the roads that could go into town could be flooded. |
| 0:50.8 | But I got this property I have. |
| 0:53.5 | I have a big swath of land right in the front I can easily |
| 0:57.1 | build an arc so just call me Noah I'll take it yeah we're getting slammed out here with |
| 1:04.0 | with rain but I love it I think it's the greatest thing ever now your property is beautiful I've |
| 1:08.5 | seen many pictures and it looks absolutely amazing. |
| 1:11.9 | That's a goal of my wife and I is to make our way to the Pacific Northwest at some point before we are deed. |
| 1:18.5 | Your kindness is appreciated. |
| 1:20.5 | We'll impose on you, of course. |
| 1:23.3 | And today we have someone from your Alamada, LAPD, 20 year veteran, Andrew Gonzalez, |
| 1:31.8 | and he's also worked gangs a long time. |
| 1:34.8 | So I'm really excited to talk to him. |
... |
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