Writer's Detective Bureau - TopPodcast.com

AI Bots and Ghost Guns Jan 07, 2025

Adam talks about AI bots, the future of the Writer's Detective Bureau, and ghost guns.

Bunco Crimes, Investigator Associations, Retired Cops, and POVs Oct 18, 2024

Adam talks about bunco crime investigations, the value of belonging to investigator associations, the trope of retired cops being forced back to work for one last case, and a different kind of POV. Submit a question: writersdetective.com/ask

Cybercrime, Trap and Trace, and Concealed Carry Sep 21, 2024

Adam talks about cybercrime investigations, how wiretap investigations involve "trap and trace" and "pen registers" tools, and how undercover detectives conceal their firearms. Submit your own question to the podcast: writersdetective.com/ask

Core Character Question, Celebrities, and An Unnoticed Serial Killer Sep 09, 2024

The Writer's Detective Bureau podcast is BACK and now ad-free! Adam has retired from law enforcement and is back answering writers' questions. Adam shares a core character question that he contemplated at the end of his career that could inform how you plot a character arc. Adam then answers questions about celebrity-related investigations and an unnoticed serial killer. Submit a question for next week's episode: writersdetective.com/ask

Alcoholic Beverage Control, Military Murder Investigations, and Tribal Police Oct 01, 2023

Adam answers questions about: California’s Alcoholic Beverage Control agency, who investigates murders involving the military, and the surprising limitation on Tribal Police law enforcement powers.

International Crime Rings, FBI Legal Attaches, INTERPOL, Proactive Investigations, and Transnational RICO Cases Aug 02, 2023

In this episode, Adam answers questions about investigating international crime rings, FBI Legal Attaches, INTERPOL, the difference between reactive and proactive investigations, and where prosecutions might happen for transnational RICO cases.

DA Investigators, Warrantless Arrests in the Home, and Cover-Ups Jul 27, 2023

Adam talks about a DA Investigator moving over to a police department as a detective, the legalities of making a warrantless arrest inside a suspect's home, and how to conduct a cover-up.

Threads App, Life Insurance Lookups, VINELink, Confidential Name Changes, Restraining Order Violations Jul 12, 2023

Adam talks about the new THREADS app, whether detectives can find out if someone is listed as a beneficiary on a life insurance policy, victim notifications when an inmate is released from prison, confidential name changes, and violating protective orders.

WGA Strike, Mini Rooms, AI, Phone Warrant in a Homicide, and California Crime Labs Jun 21, 2023

In this episode, we dive into the ongoing WGA strike. We'll also explore the role of artificial intelligence in writing and storytelling, and how it's poised to change the way we create and consume content. Then, we'll answer some of your writing questions, including the logistics of obtaining phone records in a homicide case and which agencies can use California state crime labs.

Federal Inmate Escapes, Hawaiian Floaters, and a Foreign Leader Murder Suspect May 03, 2023

This week we are talking about what happens when a federal inmate escapes from prison, a body in Hawaiian waters, who handles the investigation if a murder victim is found in a visiting world leader’s hotel room.

Disaster Fraud, Moving to a New State, and Percipient Witnesses Mar 15, 2023

This week, Adam answers questions about financial crimes, how a detective could go about becoming a police chief in another state, and he explains what it means to be a percipient witness.

Undercover FBI, Prisoner Release, Pyromania, and Gun Types Mar 01, 2023

Adam answers questions about a fictional FBI undercover story involving a prisoner release, pyromania, and gun types.

Why Choose to be a Detective -and- Martial Arts in Law Enforcement Feb 15, 2023

This week, we do a deep dive into why your character might want to be a police detective. Plus, I talk about police batons and martial arts in law enforcement. Transcript: writersdetective.com/129

US Marshal Task Forces, Warrant Time Restrictions, Good Faith Jan 18, 2023

Interview with Matthew Gentile - Writer and Director of AMERICAN MURDERER Oct 24, 2022

Adam interviews Matthew Gentile about writing and directing his new feature film, AMERICAN MURDERER. This true-crime inspired movie stars Tom Pelphrey, Ryan Phillippe, Idina Menzel, and Jackie Weaver. Watch it now on iTunes, Amazon Video, or any other on-demand rental service.

UK vs. US CSI, Lying about Immunity, Ring Doorbell Footage Oct 20, 2022

The Writer's Detective Bureau is now also a video podcast on YouTube. In this episode, Adam talks about the differences between UK and US Crime Scene Investigation, the ramifications of a detective lying about immunity to a witness, and how police might obtain Ring doorbell footage.

Exonerations, Getting SWAT to a Victim, and Legalities of Eavesdropping Jul 31, 2022

Adam talks about exonerations after perjury, getting to a downed victim during a SWAT call, and the legalities of eavesdropping with a room bug.

Cold-ish Case, Civilians in LE, and Arrests Made Outside of Jurisdiction Jul 13, 2022

Register for Adam's upcoming writing workshop on Detective Character Mindset & Motivation. writersdetective.com/workshop In this episode, Adam talks about a cold-ish case scenario, civilian jobs in law enforcement, and how arrests made outside of your local jurisdiction are handled...plus some advice on writing for streaming services.

Sketching a Crime Scene, Immigration in 1995, and Trespassing to get the Scoop Jun 19, 2022

Adam talks about sketching a crime scene, how immigration status violations were handled in California circa 1995, and what would happen if a journalist went trespassing to get the scoop on a major crime.

Inside Dispatch, Moving a Morgue, and Getting Investigative Help from Ma Bell Jun 01, 2022

Adam talks about how 9-1-1 calls get dispatched over the police radio, what would happen if the morgue becomes unusable, and how detectives worked with the phone company on investigations in the 1950s and 60s. writersdetective.com/122

Complaining About Paperwork, Fatal Hit & Run Investigations, and Suspect Extraditions Apr 23, 2022

Adam complains about his least favorite bureaucratic paperwork and then talks about fatal hit & run investigations and suspect extraditions.

Investigating False Accusations, Alphabet Soup Body Snatchers, and Investigating Decades-Old Remains Apr 12, 2022

Adam talks about investigating false allegations made against a detective, what would happen if Alphabet Soup feds barged in to take possession of a decedent, and the realities of investigating the remains of someone that died sixty or seventy years ago. writersdetective.com/120 writersdetective.com/ukraine

Personal Ties to a Homicide, Chalk Outlines, Jury Duty for Cops, and ChefsForUkraine Apr 06, 2022

Adam talks about what happens if a homicide detective has personal ties to a homicide victim, if chalk outlines are really used, whether cops can serve on a jury, and how reviewing this podcast on Podchaser.com can raise money for ChefsForUkraine during the #Reviews4Good campaign. writersdetective.com/119

Coroner Inquests, Small Town Sheriff or Police Chief, and different Investigative Divisions Mar 29, 2022

Adam explains what a Coroner's Inquest is and why inquests aren't used much anymore, the difference between a small-town Sheriff and Police Chief, and he talks about the various investigative units and their divisions. writersdetective.com/118

Fusion Centers, Brady List, and Teletypes Feb 19, 2022

Adam explains what DHS Fusion Centers do, what a Brady List is and how to use them in your writing, and we go old school tech with Teletypes.

Home Invasion Robberies, Environmental Crimes, and Computer Forensics Jan 19, 2022

New Years Day 2022, Finding Last Wills, Historical Policing Questions from 1912 and 1980s Jan 02, 2022

Stake Outs, Closing Cases, Writer's Detective School, and 20BooksVegas Debrief Nov 28, 2021

20BooksVegas, Missing Teenagers and Murder Nov 07, 2021

Exigent v. Extenuating, Green Lasers, and Gang Association Warrants Oct 24, 2021

Money Laundering & Gun Trafficking, Main Character Innocence, and As You Like It Jul 21, 2021

Search Warrant Walk-Through, Pinging a Missing Person's Phone, and California Arson Investigations Jun 16, 2021

Rainy Day Vehicle CSI, White-Collar Murder, and Writer Outreach to Law Enforcement May 15, 2021

Interview with Marc Cameron - NYT Bestselling Author and Chief Deputy US Marshal May 05, 2021

SWAT Snipers, White Collar Crimes, and Consent for Autopsies Mar 25, 2021

Attaching Double Jeopardy, Forensic Artists, and that Bloodhound Story Mar 03, 2021

Inmate Testimony, Drug Labs, and Drone Flights Jan 31, 2021

Adam talks about transporting an inmate from federal custody to testify in state court, creating realistic clandestine drug lab scenes, and the realities of cops using drones for an aerial search.

Finding Addresses, Detective Caseloads, and Duty Assignments Jan 12, 2021

Lost Person Behavior, a Rogue Investigation, and the Difference between Probation and Parole Dec 21, 2020

Internal Affairs, Hold-Backs, and PSD Work Nov 26, 2020

Fingerprints, Vigilantes, Fiction Writing, and Technical Advising Nov 19, 2020

ONE HUNDRED Nov 12, 2020

Partial License Plates, Manner of Death, and the Peter Principle Oct 21, 2020

Missing In a Blizzard, Rapid DNA, and Sexual Assault Investigations Oct 13, 2020

Old Crime Scenes, Cellphone Location Tracking, Investigating a Child Death, and Police Reform Sep 23, 2020

Vehicle Tampering Clues, Trademarks, Notice of Warrant Service Aug 23, 2020

Writer's Detective Bureau - Trailer Aug 03, 2020

Areas of Responsibility, Nolle Prosequi, and GPS Tracking Aug 01, 2020

Finding Digital Evidence, Elicitation of Detectives, and RP Statements Jul 22, 2020

Minimum Staffing, Insider Trading, and TECS Jul 05, 2020

SWAT Teams, FBI Offices, and Cocaine Production Jun 27, 2020

Black Lives Matter Jun 02, 2020

Investigating a Murder of One of Your Own, Filming Props, and Testimony Dialogue May 23, 2020

Cellphone Photos, Real-Life Red Herrings, and Courthouse Waiting Rooms May 10, 2020

Writer’s Detective's Fifth Birthday, Police Firearms, and Protecting a Victim Apr 30, 2020

Sex Registrants, Trust Issues, and Re-Interviewing a Witness Apr 15, 2020

The Newhall Incident, Undercover Reasoning, and 3rd Party Justifiable Homicide Apr 07, 2020

MasksForDocs, Inmate Release After Acquittal, and CSI the TV Show Mar 31, 2020

StayHomeWriMo, Public Health, DEA Cases, and more Counter-Surveillance Mar 25, 2020

Medicolegal Death Investigators and Swatting Mar 16, 2020

Interview Dialogue and a Cozy Missing Person turned Murder Mystery Mar 09, 2020

Recorded in a wiretap, What gets kept as Evidence, and Counter-surveillance Mar 02, 2020

Experience is the Greatest Teacher, Prosecuting a Serial Killer, and Federal Supervised Release Feb 23, 2020

Privatizing the Police, Driving Philosophy of Law Enforcement, and Sucking Chest Wounds Feb 15, 2020

Security Clearances, Task Forces, and FBI RAs Feb 09, 2020

Quarantine, Narcotics Case Jurisdiction, and SAR Feb 02, 2020

Sgt. Patrick O’Donnell of Cops and Writers Jan 26, 2020

Sanctuary, Off-Sites, and the Day After Jan 19, 2020

FlowersAndForensics, Seeing the Judge, and Knock & Notice Jan 12, 2020

Adam gives you a tip on a great new forensic science resource and answers questions about getting a warrant signed by a judge and the realities of knock and notice. Transcript available at writersdetective.com/74

Items in Evidence, Assessing Urgency, and Police Radio Encryption Jan 05, 2020

Adam talks about whether a search warrant is needed to seize evidence from another police agency’s evidence room, assessing urgency, and the realities of police radios being encrypted. Transcript and links to donate for Australia’s wildfires at writersdetective.com/73

One Free Phone Call from Jail, Video Evidence, and Inmate Release Notifications Jan 03, 2020

Adam answers your questions about: your one free phone call from jail, obtaining video evidence, and notifying victims of an offender’s release from custody. Transcript available at writersdetective.com/72

Transgender Protagonists, Inside Man, and Romance Undercover Dec 16, 2019

Adam answers your questions about: how human resources at a police department would handle confidentiality of a transgender

employee, poking plot holes through the movie Inside Man, and handling romance while undercover. Transcript available: writersdetective.com/71

Boot, Deconfliction, and Pending Further Leads Dec 01, 2019

Adam talks about being on field training as a trainee police officer, how inter-agency deconfliction works for narcotics investigations, and what paperwork duties in the detective bureau might really look like. Transcript: writersdetective.com/70

Justified Shootings, FBI Arrests, and Calling for Back-Up Nov 24, 2019

Adam answers your questions about: an investigation into a justified shooting, where FBI books their arrestees, and calling for back-up. A transcript is available at writersdetective.com/69

20BooksVegas, POIs and UNSUBs, and Wiretap Technicalities Nov 17, 2019

Adam talks about the 20BooksVegas conference and answers questions about police acronyms and slang like POI and UNSUB, as well as the more technical side of setting up a wiretap investigation. Transcript available at writersdetective.com/68

Hate Crimes, Proactive Investigations, and Island Time of Death Nov 10, 2019

Adam answers your questions about what constitutes a hate crime, how to use search warrants in a proactive investigation where a crime hasn’t occurred yet, and death investigations in paradise. Transcript and show-notes available here: writersdetective.com/67

SMEs, Red Dot Lasers, and Approaching Suspects Nov 02, 2019

Adam answers your questions about the role subject matter experts play in an investigation, the real purpose behind those red dot lasers sights for firearms, and his thoughts behind approaching a suspect you want to interview. Transcript and shownotes are available at writersdetective.com/66

The Ripoff Episode Oct 26, 2019

This short episode covers burglary investigations. Transcript available at writersdetective.com/65

Preptober, FBI Consultants, and SWAT Standoffs Oct 19, 2019

This week I’m talking about preparation for NaNoWriMo, the State of the Bureau, creating an FBI Consultant as a character, and the role of a hostage negotiator in a swat standoff. Transcript available: writersdetective.com/64

Inside a Crime Scene, Search Warrant Limitations, and Criminal Appeals Oct 13, 2019

Adam covers what it really feels like inside a crime scene, the limits of a search warrant, and some clarification on cold cases and criminal appeals. Transcript available: writersdetective.com/63

Ruses, Brought In For Questioning, and Recording Gaps Oct 06, 2019

Adam answers writers' questions about when cops ARE allowed to lie, what it really means when you’re brought in for questioning, and what happens when there are gaps in the recording of an interrogation. Transcript: writersdetective.com/62

Firearms Qualifications, Exceptional Means, and OODA Loops Sep 28, 2019

Adam talks about firearms qualifications for police officers, when your suspect is terminally ill, and what the heck OODA means. Transcript available: writersdective.com/61

Bad Cops, Romantic Complications, and Interview Rapport Sep 22, 2019

Adam talks about how to write about bad cops, romantic complications between a detective and a victim, and some hack for building rapport during an interview. Transcript: writersdetective.com/60

Career-Long Fitness, Amateur Sleuths, and the Future of Policing Sep 14, 2019

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