APD Pod Squad

Latest Episodes:

Season 2, Episode 7; Interim Chief Jackie Stepp, Lt. Tyler Radford, SPO Justin Lewis, and the History Minute with Hannah Silberman Dec 04, 2025

Show notes

Send us Fan Mail

Following the retirement of Chief Lamb, Deputy Chief Jackie Stepp was appointed Interim Chief of Police. She’ll join us to talk about that and her priorities in the new role.

Getting to know Lt. Tyler Radford, who, it turns out, is related to a baseball legend.

From Community Engagement, Senior Police Officer Justin Lewis, with all their holiday happenings.

And, in the History Minute with Hannah Silberman, we look back at the line-of-duty death of Chief Harold Enloe in 1951.

Plus, everyone will play the APD Pod Squad Holiday Pop Quiz! Is Die Hard a Christmas Movie? Is it turkey “dressing” or “stuffing”? What does the ‘W’ in Clark W. Griswold stand for?

Listen and subscribe now wherever you get your podcasts, or here https://www.buzzsprout.com/2387956/episodes/18298536 #APDPodsquad

Season 2, Episode 6; The Roast of Chief Lamb, with Deputy Chief Jackie Stepp, Deputy Chief Sean Aardema, Captain Jonathan Brown, Captain Joe Silberman, and Lt Geoffrey Rollins Nov 20, 2025

Show notes

Send us Fan Mail

Welcome to a very special episode! The Roast of Chief Lamb; Stories, and a salute to 28 years of service.

Chief Mike Lamb will be in the hot seat, and joined by some of his longtime co-workers: Deputy Chief Jackie Stepp, Deputy Chief Sean Aardema, Captain Jonathan Brown, Captain Joe Silberman, and Lieutenant Geoffrey Rollins. After almost three decades with the Asheville Police Department, there are a lot of stories, and you’ll hear some of the most memorable. Including:

Capt Brown- “Batman and Andy Griffith”

Deputy Chief Aardema- “Bike School Bruises”

Capt Silberman- “The Protest”

Lt Geoffrey Rollins- “Are You Mike Lamb?”

Deputy Chief Stepp- “Lamb Chops”

And more!

Season 2, Episode 5; Detective Jacob Kielson, SPO Debbie LeCroy, Technology Specialist Albert Eastwood, and the History Minute with Hannah Silberman Nov 06, 2025

Show notes

Send us Fan Mail

In this episode, who is Albert Eastwood? His friends call him Bert. Technology Specialist by day, rock n' roll star by night! When he’s not on the 4th floor at APD headquarters, Bert is on stage as the lead singer of a band called Aces & Eights.

Also, getting to know Jacob Kielson, the WNC native who was recently promoted to Detective, and Senior Police Officer Debbie LeCroy shares the latest from the Community Engagement Division.

In The History Minute with Hannah Silberman, the story of the outlaw, Will Harris. His 1906 rampage claimed the lives of 5 people, including 2 APD officers.

Season 2, Episode 4; Chief Mike Lamb, Sgt Scott Fry, Sgt Jesse Ramirez, SPO Dennis Pace, and The History Minute with Hannah Silberman Oct 23, 2025

Show notes

Send us Fan Mail

October 29th, 2013, is a day many of you in the APD remember. It’s the day we lost Senior Police Officer Rob Bingaman. In this episode, Chief Mike Lamb and Sgt Scott Fry look back at that tragic day and reflect in this deeply personal conversation.

Also, getting to know Detective Jesse Ramirez, who will soon be Sergeant Ramirez of the Community Engagement Division. We’ll talk about his promotion and, with November being Native American Heritage Month, his connection to the Cherokee Nation. (Spoiler alert, it’s his wife and kids)

One of the officers Ramirez will be leading, soon, is Senior Police Officer Dennis Pace from the Community Engagement Division. He’ll let us know what’s coming up from that group.

And, in The History Minute with Hannah Silberman, we go back to 1902 to the controversial hiring of a Dog Catcher, and the 12-year-old boy they put on trial for helping him.

Season 2, Episode 3; Lt. Diana Loveland, Doug Oeser, SPO Carrie Lee, and the History Minute with Hannah Silberman Oct 09, 2025

Show notes

Send us Fan Mail

October is Domestic Violence Awareness Month, and in this episode, Lt. Diana Loveland from the Criminal Investigations Division, who works closely with the Family Justice Center. We’ll hear all about the great work they’re doing for survivors.

Doug Oeser, the Director of Data Accountability and Crime Analysis, discusses the large role data plays in APD’s approach to community policing.

Senior Police Officer Carrie Lee from the Community Engagement Division tells us about a busy October that includes the Boo Bash at Tanger Outlets.

And in The History Minute with Hannah Silberman, we look back at a line-of-duty death that occurred in October of 1933.

Season 2, Episode 2; Lifesaving Stories From Helene, also Lt. Brian Hogan, and the History Minute with Hannah Silberman Sep 18, 2025

Show notes

Send us Fan Mail

One year ago, our lives were turned upside down courtesy of Hurricane Helene, the aftereffects of which we’ll be feeling for years to come. But along with horrible tragedy came stories of bravery and heroism by Officers and Detectives of the APD. We’ll be hearing some of those firsthand stories in this episode, as I’m joined by Senior Police Officers Beau Baley, Jose Amaya, and William Woods, and Detectives Sam DeGrave, Albert Ball, and Phil Allen…all recipients of Lifesaving Awards for their efforts at this year’s Asheville Police Department Awards Banquet.
In The History Minute with Hannah Silberman, a different Asheville flooding event, this one on Memorial Day weekend in 1976, and the heroism of Officer Porter Fowler.
And Lt. Brian Hogan from the Community Engagement Division looks back at his first week as a Lieutenant in 2024, which happened to coincide with the arrival of Helene. His memories of that difficult time, bad and good.

Season 2, Episode 1; Chief Mike Lamb, Deputy Chief Sean Aardema, Deputy Chief Jackie Stepp, SPO Isaiah Senyak, and the History Minute with Hannah Silberman Sep 04, 2025

Show notes

Send us Fan Mail

Welcome to Season 2! The APD Pod Squad launched on August 24th, 2024, just over one year ago. In this episode, the first of Season 2, we look back at the past year with Chief of Police Mike Lamb, Deputy Chief Sean Aardema, and Deputy Chief Jackie Stepp. Hurricane Helene dominated the headlines, of course, but the past year was so much more than that. We moved forward in many ways, and experienced wins to go with the losses, and we'll discuss those.

In The History Minute with Hannah Silberman, we highlight some of the more colorful characters who have held the title of Asheville Chief of Police, like Ambrose Augustus Featherston, Herschel Springfield Harkins, and Alfred Hunter Baird.

And Senior Police Officer Isaiah Senyak from the Community Engagement Division shares all the happenings in the busy month of September, from the Retirees Cookout to the next Coffee with a Cop

Episode 26; SPO Robert Crume, Det. Shawn Parker, Capt. Jonathan Brown, and the History Minute with Hannah Silberman Aug 21, 2025

Show notes

Send us Fan Mail

In this episode, Getting To Know Senior Police Officer Robert Crume, who recently saved a dog from drowning in a backyard pool. We'll learn what happened that day and the latest on the rescued dog.

August is National Black Business Month, and Detective Shawn Parker will tell us how his love for cigars led to his new business venture, which celebrated its grand opening on July 4th.

Captain Jonathan Brown has an update on the massive response to the Fall edition of the Citizens Police Academy, and he'll share the date, time, and location for the next Coffee With a Cop event.

And, in the History Minute with Hannah Silberman, America's Pastime, how baseball played a part in the history of the APD, including "donkey baseball."

Episode 25; Chief Mike Lamb, Sgt. Ricardo Martinez, SPO Preston Grondahl, Sgt. Lucas Lovelace, and The History Minute with Hannah Silberman Aug 07, 2025

Show notes

Send us Fan Mail

On this episode, getting to know Sgt. Ricardo Martinez of Recruitment and Career Development. His hard work is a big reason that staffing numbers are looking up.

Also, Senior Police Officer Preston Grondahl, who happens to be left-handed. With International Left-Handers Day on August 13th, he seemed like an obvious choice to be a guest. SPO Grondahl began his law enforcement journey with APD, left to explore another opportunity, and recently returned as a lateral transfer.

Chief Mike Lamb will chime in on recruitment, the in-house police academy, and the newly unveiled career ladder.

In The History Minute with Hannah Silberman, a Police Chief with a resume that includes World War I veteran and renowned wrestler who saved people from drowning in the Great Flood of 1916.

And with the Fall edition of the Citizens’ Police Academy just around the corner, Sgt. Lucas Lovelace from the Community Engagement Division shares everything you need to know, including when it starts and how to sign up.

Episode 24; SPO Madison Johnson, SPO Angelica LaFemina, SPO Justin Lewis, and The History Minute with Hannah Silberman Jul 25, 2025

Show notes

Send us Fan Mail

August 1st is National Girlfriend's Day, which celebrates the special bond of friendship between girls, whether sisters or mothers, classmates or co-workers. In this episode, coworkers Senior Police Officer Madison Johnson and Senior Police Officer Angelica LaFemina discuss their close friendship and what it means, both on the job and off.

In Asheville, there are history tours, coffee tours, beer tours, ghost tours, mural tours, and even APD tours! Yep, it's one of the many ways we connect with the community. Senior Police Officer Justin Lewis from the Community Engagement Division joins us, along with some young people from the Buncombe County Youth Internship, taking a tour! We'll put them on the spot with a pop quiz.

In the History Minute with Hannah Silberman, we'll go back to 1943 for a chase that began with a police officer, a cab driver, and the phrase, "follow that car", and ended with the bad guy behind bars.

Our TOPPODCAST Picks

Follow Us

Stay Connected

Related Podcasts

Links

Stay Connected