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One ride along and a passion for public service.

That's all it took to change everything. My guest on the show today, Sheriff Mark Lamb, walked away from a successful business career, stepped into a police academy in his thirties, and never looked back. He went on to become one of the most recognized law enforcement figures in America. On this episode of the Cops and Writers Podcast, we take a look at how it all started for Sheriff Mark Lamb. Welcome to part one of this incredible story. Part two airs next Sunday.

More about Sheriff Lamb. Mark Lamb is known as "America's Sheriff.” He served as the 24th Sheriff of Pinal County, Arizona, overseeing a county the size of Connecticut with over 600 employees. Before entering law enforcement, he was a business owner for over a decade and didn't join law enforcement until his thirties, yet he quickly rose through the ranks. Valedictorian of his training class, Rookie of the Year, Officer of the Year, and Detective of the Year.

He served as sheriff from January 2017 through December 2024, and ran for U.S. Senate in 2024, losing the Republican primary to Kari Lake. He's now running for Congress in Arizona's 5th Congressional District.

No matter what your political persuasion is, I think his message needs to be heard, and I’m grateful he took the time out of his busy schedule for this interview.

In today’s episode, we discuss:

· Growing up in different countries and how that helped him later in life as a cop and person.

· Being a teenager and trapped in Panama during Operation Just Cause.

· His calling to be of service.

· How one ride-along changed his life forever.

· The benefits or drawbacks of being “older” in the police academy.

· His first job in law enforcement was as a tribal police officer on an Indian reservation.

· Being a white man working on an Indian reservation as a police officer.

· The lessons he learned from the natives while he was policing on the reservation.

· An epidemic of missing and murdered women on Indian reservations.

· Why did he run for sheriff?

· His opposition attacking him and his family during this and previous elections through mudslinging, and him taking the high road.

All of this and more on today’s episode of the Cops and Writers podcast.

Visit Sheriff Lamb's website.

Head on over to my website!

What's the craziest thing you saw when you were a cop?

My first week on the job, a guy running at me with a butcher knife. He'd just killed his brother over the last hot dog.

That's chapter 1. There are 33 more.

Police Stories: The Rookie Years just launched - available on Amazon.

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