Curious About Police

PODCAST 244: CURIOUS ABOUT POLICE

RELEASE DATE: SUNDAY, JUNE 4TH, 2023

D:  HELLO, AND WELCOME BACK TO THE CURIOUS KID PODCAST.  BACK ON NEW YEARS DAY THIS YEAR, WE RELEASED AN EPISODE ON LAWS.  TO PUT IT SIMPLY, LAWS ARE JUST A LIST OF RULES THAT NEED TO BE FOLLOWED BY PEOPLE THAT LIVE IN AN AREA.  FOR EXAMPLE, OLIVIA AND I LIVE IN THE TOWN OF VOORHEES, WHICH IS IN NEW JERSEY, WHICH IS IN THE UNITED STATES.  VOORHEES HAS A SET OF LAWS, AS DOES THE STATE OF NEW JERSEY AND THE COUNTRY OF THE UNITED STATES.  AS A NEW JERSEY CITIZEN, I NEED TO FOLLOW THE LAWS OF VOORHEES, NEW JERSEY, AND THE UNITED STATES.  BUT, WHO ENFORCES THE LAWS?  IN OTHER WORDS, WHOSE JOB IS IT TO MAKE SURE THAT ALL OF US FOLLOW THE LAWS WHEREVER WE LIVE?  LET’S FIND OUT!

O:  DOUBLE-MAILBAG!

D:  DOUBLE-MAILBAG!

“GOOD EVENING, CURIOUS KID PODCAST!  MY NAME IS BILLY AND I AM 6 YEARS OLD AND LIVE IN BRISBANE, AUSTRALIA.  I WOULD LIKE TO DO AN EPISODE ON PANTHERS, BECAUSE I AM INTERESTED IN PANTHERS.  GOOD EVENING, CURIOUS KID PODCAST!  MY NAME IS TEDDY, AND I AM BILLY’S LITTLE 4 YEAR OLD BROTHER.  CAN YOU PLEASE HAVE A POLICE CURIOUS KID PODCAST?  DO POLICE EVER USE THEIR GUNS?

BILLY AND TEDDY OF BRISBANE, AUSTRALIA”  

“HI CURIOUS KID PODCAST!  MY NAME IS CONSTANTIN AND I COME FROM BERLIN, GERMANY, BUT I WAS ACTUALLY BORN IN LOS ANGELES.  I LOVE TO LISTEN TO THE PODCAST IN THE CAR WHEN I GO ON ADVENTURES WITH MY BABYSITTER, NATALIE.  WE LOVE TO LEARN NEW THINGS AND I AM VERY CURIOUS ABOUT POACHERS, KNIGHTS, POLICE, THE NORTHERN LIGHTS, DIAMONDS, AND COWBOYS.  WE HOPE YOU HAVE TIME TO INVESTIGATE ONE OF THESE TOPICS.  THANKS!

“FROM CONSTANTIN OF GERMANY”

O:  GOODNESS!  THOSE WERE TWO AMAZING EMAILS WE RECEIVED FROM SUPER LISTENERS IN AUSTRALIA AND GERMANY.  WE CAN’T WAIT TO LEARN MORE ABOUT POLICE FOR BILLY, TEDDY, AND CONSTANTIN.  

D:  WE ARE GOING TO LEARN A WHOLE LOT ABOUT POLICE AND WHAT THEY DO, SO LET’S GET THINGS STARTED WITH THE QUESTION OF THE WEEK.

O:  THE QUESTION OF THE WEEK IS, WHAT IS THE MOST COMMON DOG BREED FOR POLICE DOGS?

D:  POLICE DOGS ARE AMAZING, AND WE ARE GOING TO LEARN ABOUT THEM IN JUST A FEW MINUTES.  LET’S START BY LEARNING ALL OF THE DIFFERENT THINGS THAT POLICE OFFICERS DO.

O:  POLICE OFFICERS DO SO MANY THINGS TO HELP AND PROTECT US.  SOME OF THOSE THINGS INCLUDE HELPING PEOPLE THAT ARE IN TROUBLE, PROVIDING CARE TO SOMEONE WHO IS HURT BY THINGS LIKE FIRES OR CAR ACCIDENTS, FINDING PEOPLE THAT ARE MISSING, MAKING SURE THAT PEOPLE FOLLOW THE LAW, LOOKING FOR AND CATCHING PEOPLE WHO BREAK THE LAW, AND OBSERVING PUBLIC AREAS TO MAKE SURE EVERYONE IS SAFE.  

D:  THE POLICE HAVE A LOT OF POWER, BUT THEIR POWERS VARY FROM PLACE TO PLACE.  THE AREA WHERE A POLICE CAN USE THEIR POWERS IS CALLED THEIR JURISDICTION.  THE WORD JURISDICTION COMES FROM LATIN, AND TRANSLATES TO MEAN “TELLING THE LAW”.  WITHIN THEIR JURISDICTION, A POLICE OFFICER IS ABLE TO DO THINGS LIKE GIVE TICKETS OR ARREST PEOPLE FOR COMMITTING CRIMES.  

O:  THERE ARE SO MANY DIFFERENT TYPES OF POLICE OFFICERS THAT DO DIFFERENT THINGS.  WHEN WE THINK OF POLICE, WE ARE OFTEN THINKING OF UNIFORMED OFFICERS.  THEIR JOB IS  PATROLLING NEIGHBORHOODS AND TRAFFIC, RESPONDING TO 911 CALLS, AND PROVIDING SECURITY FOR LARGE EVENTS. 

D:  BUT, THERE ARE ALSO OTHER POLICE OFFICERS, LIKE POLICE DETECTIVES, WHO USE EVIDENCE TO SOLVE CRIMES.  IN ORDER TO FIND THE ANSWERS TO THEIR QUESTIONS, THEY OFTEN TALK TO WITNESSES, WHO ARE PEOPLE THAT SAW THE CRIME HAPPEN, AND POTENTIAL SUSPECTS, WHO ARE PEOPLE THAT MAY HAVE COMMITTED THE CRIME.

O:  THERE ARE ALSO PRISON OFFICERS, THAT WORK IN PRISONS, KEEPING PRISONERS SAFE AND MAKING SURE THAT THERE IS ORDER IN THE PRISONS.

D:  THERE ARE AIR MARSHALS THAT KEEP PASSENGERS AND THE CREW SAFE DURING AIRPLANE FLIGHTS.

O:  THOSE ARE JUST A FEW OF THE MANY DIFFERENT ROLES THAT POLICE OFFICERS CAN FILL.  

D:  POLICE OFFICERS ARE OFTEN VERY EASY TO IDENTIFY BECAUSE THEY WEAR A SPECIAL UNIFORM.

O:  THE UNIFORM INCLUDES A BADGE, THAT HELPS EVERYONE IDENTIFY THE PERSON AS A POLICE OFFICER.  A POLICE OFFICER ALSO HAS HANDCUFFS, TO HELP CONTAIN SOMEONE THEY ARE ARRESTING.  POLICE OFFICERS ALSO CARRY FLASHLIGHTS, TO HELP THEM SEE IN THE DARK, IF NECESSARY.  POLICE OFFICERS MAY ALSO HAVE A GUN TO HELP MAINTAIN ORDER AND PROTECT PEOPLE IN HARM.  

D:  POLICE OFFICERS HAVE LOTS OF TRAINING ON HOW TO PROPERLY USE THEIR GUNS, AND ON WHICH SITUATIONS ARE SUITABLE FOR USING THEIR GUNS.  POLICE OFFICERS OCCASIONALLY FIND THE NEED TO USE A GUN, BUT THEY ARE GENERALLY ABLE TO RESOLVE ALMOST ANY SITUATION WITHOUT THE NEED FOR A GUN.  

O:  EVEN THOUGH THERE ARE LOTS OF POLICE OFFICERS WORLDWIDE, THEY STILL MAKE UP A VERY SMALL PERCENTAGE OF THE OVERALL POPULATION.  FOR EVERY 100,000 PEOPLE, THERE ARE ABOUT 303 POLICE OFFICERS.  THAT MEANS THAT EACH OFFICER IS RESPONSIBLE FOR LOOKING OUT FOR THE WELLBEING OF ABOUT 330 PEOPLE.  

D:  POLICE FORCES HAVE BEEN USED FOR THOUSANDS OF YEARS, ALTHOUGH THE EARLIEST POLICE FORCES WERE A LOT DIFFERENT THAN THE ONES WE HAVE TODAY.  FOR EXAMPLE, THE ANCIENT SUMERIANS, BABYLONIANS, AND EGYPTIANS ALL HAD POLICE FORCES.  THOSE FORCES WERE TASKED WITH MAKING SURE THAT EVERYONE FOLLOWED THE RULER’S ORDERS.  

O:  POLICE FORCES STARTED BECOMING MORE ADVANCED IN THE 1800s.  FOR EXAMPLE, POLICE FIRST STARTED USING TELEPHONES IN WASHINGTON D.C. BACK IN 1878.  IN THE 1890’S THEY ALSO STARTED USING FINGERPRINTS.  BY THE YEAR 1900, THEY WERE ALSO PATROLLING PARTS OF THE UNITED STATES BY CAR.  

D:  IN THE 1920’S POLICE STARTED USING BALLISTICS, WHICH IS A STUDY OF BULLETS AND HOW TO IDENTIFY WHICH GUN FIRED A BULLET.  IN THE 1930’S THEY STARTED USING TWO WAY RADIOS, OFTEN CALLED WALKIE TALKIES, TO COMMUNICATE WITH EACH OTHER.  

O:  TODAY, POLICE RELY ON COMPUTERS TO KEEP THE INFORMATION THEY’VE STORED WHILE TRYING TO SOLVE CRIMES.  

D:  EVEN THOUGH POLICE OFFICERS ARE WELL TRAINED AT THEIR PARTICULAR TASK, THEY SOMETIMES RELY ON THE HELP OF SOME K-9 FRIENDS.

O:  POLICE DOGS ARE DOGS THAT ARE TRAINED TO HELP THE POLICE AND OTHER LAW ENFORCEMENT.  THEY SOMETIMES EVEN GET THEIR OWN POLICE ID AND BADGES.

D:  BECAUSE OF THEIR EXCELLENT SENSE OF SMELL, POLICE DOGS ARE VERY GOOD AT SEARCHING FOR THINGS, LIKE DRUGS, EXPLOSIVES, OR CRIME SCENE EVIDENCE.  

O:  THEY CAN EVEN BE TRAINED TO CHASE AND HOLD SUSPECTS, OR EVEN JUST SCARE THE SUSPECT, SO THAT HE OR SHE DOESN’T RESIST THE POLICE.  POLICE DOGS ALSO HELP PROTECT THE POLICE OFFICERS THAT THEY SERVE WITH.  

D:  JUST LIKE POLICEMEN AND POLICEWOMEN, POLICE DOGS CAN DO SO MANY DIFFERENT THINGS.

O:  THERE ARE SEARCH AND RESCUE DOGS THAT HELP FIND MISSING PEOPLE, MISSING OBJECTS, OR PEOPLE RUNNING FROM THE POLICE.  THE MOST POPULAR DOG BREED FOR SEARCH AND RESCUE DOGS IS THE BLOODHOUND, BECAUSE OF THEIR INCREDIBLE SENSE OF SMELL.  ACCORDING TO RESEARCH, A BLOODHOUND’S SENSE OF SMELL IS AT LEAST 1,000 TIMES STRONGER THAN A HUMAN’S.  

D:  LET ME GIVE YOU AN EXAMPLE OF HOW A BLOODHOUND MIGHT HELP LOOK FOR SOMEONE.  A BLOODHOUND WOULD SNIFF A SCENT ARTICLE.  SO, LET’S SAY THE BLOODHOUND NEEDS TO HELP SEARCH FOR A MISSING PERSON, THE BLOODHOUND MIGHT SNIFF SOME CLOTHING THAT THE PERSON RECENTLY WORE.  THIS HELPS THE BLOODHOUND CREATE AN ODOR IMAGE IN IT’S BRAIN.  

O:  IT WOULD BE SIMILAR TO SHOWING A HUMAN A PHOTOGRAPH SO THAT IT WOULD BE EASIER TO FIND THE PERSON IN THE PHOTOGRAPH.

D:  THAT’S EXACTLY RIGHT.  SOMEHOW, A BLOODHOUND IS ABLE TO STORE DETAILS ABOUT THE SMELL IT’S LOOKING FOR IN IT’S BRAIN, THE SAME WAY WE CAN REMEMBER WHAT A PERSON LOOKS LIKE.  

O:  GET READY FOR THE MOST INCREDIBLE FACT OF THE EPISODE.  YOU KNOW HOW YOU MIGHT SMELL THE PERFUME OF SOMEONE WALKING BY YOU?  WITHIN A FEW SECONDS, OR MAYBE EVEN A MINUTE OR TWO, THE SMELL IS COMPLETELY GONE, RIGHT?  WELL, A BLOODHOUND IS ABLE TO SMELL A SCENT TRAIL UP TO 300 HOURS OLD.  THAT MEANS THAT A BLOODHOUND’S SENSE OF SMELL IS SO GOOD, IT CAN SMELL THE PERFUME OF SOMEONE THAT WALKED BY ABOUT 13 DAYS LATER.  MIND BLOWN!

D:  BEAGLES ALSO MAKE FOR GREAT POLICE DOGS.  YOU MAY FIND BEAGLES HELPING POLICE DETECT THINGS LIKE EXPLOSIVES OR ILLEGAL DRUGS.  BECAUSE THEY ARE SHORT, AND NOT VERY THREATENING, BEAGLES CAN BE FOUND IN MANY AIRPORTS, HELPING TO SNIFF THE LUGGAGE OF PASSENGERS AS THEY WALK BY.  WHEN IT COMES TO POLICE DOGS, THERE IS ONE BREED THAT IS MORE POPULAR THAN THE REST, AND THE BREED IS ALSO THE ANSWER TO OUR QUESTION OF THE WEEK.  OLIVIA, WHAT IS THE MOST COMMON DOG BREED FOR POLICE DOGS?

O:  THE MOST COMMON POLICE DOG BREED IS GERMAN SHEPPARDS.  THERE ARE SO MANY THINGS THAT MAKE GERMAN SHEPPARDS PERFECT FOR HELPING POLICE.  THEY ARE CONSIDERED TO BE ONE OF THE SMARTEST DOG BREEDS, THEY TRAIN QUICKLY, THEY FOLLOW ORDERS, THEY DON’T ACT OUT (EVEN WHEN STRESSED), AND THEY ARE ATHLETIC AND HAVE LOTS OF ENERGY.

D:  GERMAN SHEPPARDS LOVE WORKING, AND DON’T WANT TO FINISH A JOB UNTIL IT’S DONE.  THEY ARE PROTECTORS, AND WILL ALWAYS PROTECT THEIR PACK.  IN THE CASE OF A TRAINED GERMAN SHEPPARD, THEY CONSIDER POLICE OFFICERS TO BE IN THEIR PACK.  IF A CRIMINAL BECOMES AGGRESSIVE, GERMAN SHEPPARD POLICE DOGS ARE VERY EFFECTIVE AT ACTING IN A WAY TO SUBDUE THE CRIMINAL AND PROTECT THE POLICE.  

O:  BLOODHOUNDS, BEAGLES, AND GERMAN SHEPPARDS ARE A FEW DOG BREEDS THAT ARE PAWSOME AT HELPING THE POLICE.

D:  WELL, THAT’S A WRAP FOR THIS WEEK’S EPISODE.

O:  244 - POLICE

D:  GREAT JOB OLIVIA, AND GREAT JOB BILLY, TEDDY, AND CONSTANTIN FOR THE ARRESTING EPISODE TOPIC SUGGESTION.  BEFORE WE GET GOING, WE HAVE SOME AMAZING PEOPLE TO THANK.

O:  THANK YOU TO OUR NEWEST PATREON SUPPORTERS, DAVID F, CILLIAN, AND KIERAN M.  

D:  A BIG THANKS TO DAVID, CILLIAN, AND KIERAN FOR THE SUPPORT.  IT REALLY MEANS SO MUCH TO US.  JOIN US NEXT WEEK WHEN WE GET CURIOUS ABOUT FLOODS FOR LISTENERS IN OREGON.  AS ALWAYS, THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR LISTENING AND GETTING CURIOUS WITH US.