Ep. 44 Talking street gangs with B.C. Sanders

On Being a Police Officer

Ep. 44 B.C. Sanders is widely known for his expertise in gang culture based on insights he draws from 20 years in law enforcement. He is with a large agency in the southeastern United States and has served on a number of units in addition to gang including drug unit, aggravated assault, homicide and more.

B.C. began studying the inner workings of gangs from the time he was a rookie patrol officer when “gangs were just taking off in the South.” He went straight to the source – gang members themselves – to understand why they form and how they operate.

We talk about types of gangs, how they recruit, the people who join them and how gangs have evolved over time. We discuss their hand signals, graffiti and bandanas known as flags, and initiations called jump-ins. We also look at how a Gang Unit operates proactively to cultivate sources and informants to stop the violence and make arrests, but also to build relationships based on mutual respect to help show these young men and women the path they are on is a path to death or prison and that there is another way.

B.C. was one of several officers featured in James Patterson’s book “Walk the Blue Line.” In it, he talks about the classes he designs and teaches to other officers as well as to civilians. “Each gang is different, as is each gang member. I apply my psychology degree to figure out why these guys do what they do.”

B.C. taps his experience in law enforcement and combines it with his love of music and of skateboarding into a fascinating podcast he co-hosts with his buddy Ski called “The Disruptors Podcast with B.C. and Ski.” They interview everyone from members of punk bands, to a reformed Nazi Skinhead, to an expert in situational awareness and behavioral analysis, to fellow law enforcement officers. And sometimes they just crack each other up with all kinds of stories. You can find it on all podcast platforms.

Here is a Apple Podcast link to the podcast:

https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-disruptors-podcast-with-b-c-ski/id1636995899

Follow them on Instagram: @the_disruptors_podcast

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©Abby Ellsworth. All interviews, editing, production done by Abby Ellsworth. Music courtesy of freesound.org