The Trenton Police Director Appointment That Sparked Controversy | Cop Town Podcast

Former Trenton Police Director Carol Russell sits down with the Cop Town crew — Joe, Mike, and Jose — for a conversation 30+ years in the making. When Carol joined the Trenton Police Department in 1990, she was one of only 7 women on a force of nearly 400 — and just the third Black woman ever to wear the badge. What followed was a career most cops wouldn't survive: being told women didn't belong in policing, getting locked out of the Internal Affairs office on her first day, watching her own community turn against her while two men who looked nothing like her quietly had her back. She didn't just survive it. She became Police Director. In this episode, Carol opens up about the politics, the loneliness, the paranoia, and the moments that almost broke her — plus the unexpected friendships that carried her through. She also shares what she's doing now, ten years into retirement, teaching the next generation of officers as a university professor. This is a story about resilience, race, gender, loyalty, and what really happens behind the badge when the cameras aren't rolling. 🎙️ CHAPTERS
00:00 Welcome to Cop Town (new name, same crew)
01:30 Meet Carol Russell — Air Force vet, former Police Director
04:00 From mortuary science to the badge
06:30 Only 7 women, only 3 Black women on the force
11:00 "Women shouldn't be in policing" — a sergeant's welcome
14:00 The roller coaster: finding partners she could trust
30:00 Internal Affairs — the day everyone went silent
35:00 Mike Runnion: the unexpected ally
38:00 Why your own kind sometimes turns on you
42:00 Locked out of IA — no key, no code, no warning
44:30 The transition: police chief to civilian director
1:08:00 Sitting at the table with state directors and prosecutors
1:11:00 The Sopranos paranoia story (you have to hear this one)
1:21:00 "When that radio keys up, nothing else matters"
1:23:00 What's next: Cop Town merch, services for officers
1:24:00 The blessing in the negativity 📌 ABOUT COP TOWN
Cop Town is a podcast by retired law enforcement officers having the conversations cops actually have — about the job, the politics, the people, and what the public never sees. Formerly known as Code 3 Mind Body Spirit. 🔗 FOLLOW US
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