Hello from the Heartland. My name is Jenna and this is Smarter News, news when it matters and why it matters.

Our Smarter series features unique people who help us think and live smarter.

Brandon, many news stories over the last year have really focused on law enforcement in the United States.

How would you describe policing in America?

Well, I think in the reality sense, policing in America is probably the most heroic job.

You can ever do the most honorable, integrity, a job with, you know, what most people have to have an

extensive amount of integrity. So it's a great profession, you know, good retirement, good

benefits, and you have a chance to save people's lives on a day-to-day basis. Now, what's

portrayed in the media and the lies that are told by politicians is that, you know, it's the

worst profession ever, which have created an

environment that good people are feeling the pressure, feeling not unwanted, feeling, you know,

like they're being betrayed by their own city. So these politicians and people mostly on the

left are creating an environment where it doesn't feel like a heroic profession. It doesn't feel

like, you know, you're going out doing the right thing every day. It feels like, you know,

the people in the community hate you and everybody's ready to turn on you and a lot of good

people and veterans are retiring and they're not wanting to be a part of policing in America. So I think it's a

great profession and it should be treated as such, but unfortunately, it's taking a bad turn.

I want to speak to you a little bit about we're going to unpack a little bit of all of that.

You have a really unique background to bring to this conversation because you actually were a

police officer.

And that's a voice that sometimes is missing from this conversation we're having about policing in America.

So let me give you a little bit of a more of a proper introduction, Brandon.

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