Locked In with Ian Bick - I Was a Cop — Then I Got Arrested | Travis Hoban

Episode Date: July 20, 2025

Travis Hoban always wanted to be a cop—just like his dad, a tough New Jersey correctional officer. But growing up in a household filled with alcoholism and emotional turmoil, Travis carried more than just ambition into adulthood. After finally making it onto the force, his career came crashing down just one year in—arrested for DUI and forced to resign. Spiraling deeper into addiction, Travis hit rock bottom before making a powerful comeback. In this raw and emotional episode, he opens up about law enforcement culture, hitting his breaking point, and the brutal reality of recovery. #FormerCop #AddictionRecovery #DUIArrest #RockBottomToRedemption #AlcoholismStory #PoliceDownfall #SecondChances #LockedInPodcast Hosted, Executive Produced & Edited By Ian Bick: https://www.instagram.com/ian_bick/?hl=en https://ianbick.com/ Get 50% off the Magic Mind offer here: https://www.magicmind.com/IANB50. #magicmind #mentalwealth #mentalperformance Presented by Tyson 2.0 & Wooooo Energy: https://tyson20.com/ https://woooooenergy.com/ Buy Merch: http://www.ianbick.com/shop Timestamps: 00:00:00 The Turning Point: DUI Arrest and Career Collapse 00:05:15 Inspiration from My Dad's Career in Law Enforcement 00:10:20 Legalization of Weed in New Jersey and Its Impact on Alcohol Sales 00:15:22 Encounter with a Bus Bully 00:20:38 Journey to Becoming a Class One Officer 00:25:53 Arrest Story: From Disorderly Conduct to Drugs 00:30:21 The Challenges of Polygraph Tests in Law Enforcement Hiring 00:35:29 Experiences in Camden Police Department 00:40:41 Drunk Driving Incident and Consequences 00:45:49 The Consequences of a DUI as a Cop 00:50:37 Navigating Workplace Challenges: Union Reps and Legal Battles 00:55:45 Arrival in Florida for Rehab 01:00:51 The Start of a Downward Spiral 01:06:20 Experiencing the Challenges of Security Work at St. Francis Hospital 01:11:13 Challenges in Law Enforcement Hiring Practices 01:16:18 Reflections on Past Drinking Habits 01:22:02 Appreciating Travis's Journey and Story Powered by: Just Media House : https://www.justmediahouse.com/ Creative direction, design, assets, support by FWRD: https://www.fwrd.co Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

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Start comparing hundreds of sites with kayak and get your trip right. Bad advice? You talking to me? Kayak. Got that right. I thought it was a great idea to drive an hour and a half home blacked out. Because, you know, I was a cop. I'm not going to get any trouble.

I'm fucking untouched. And I fell asleep at the wheel. Hit the woods. My pastor's side cave them. My gun went flying somewhere in a car. And then they went to check on me. You know, it was a good citizen or whatever. And he opens the door.

And he's like, are you okay? And I was the first thing I said, I was like, don't call the cops. Travis Hoban grew up in New Jersey, dreaming of wearing the badge, just like his dad. But behind that dream was a family history of alcoholism and trauma. One year into becoming a cop, it all. came crashing down with a DUI arrest. Kicked off the force and spiraling, Travis hit rock bottom until he found the strength to turn it all around.

Travis, welcome to Lockton, man. Thank you here. Thanks for having me. I appreciate it. Yeah, you came from Philadelphia area today? Like Cherry Hill, yeah. Okay. Not too bad of a drive.

It was about three hours. Wasn't terrible. Came with the wife, so. But she didn't want to come watch the interview. No, no. She didn't want to come inside, though. She said keep her away for this. Yeah, she wanted no parts.

So I dropped her off the moment. She met her aunt there and her aunt lives in Connecticut also. Oh, that's what worked out. Yeah. It's always interesting how many wives do do that. Like I'll have like the husbands come in. I'm like, oh, why didn't you invite them up? They're like, oh, they're just staying in the car.

And it's like, well, we got a nice lobby day coming out. And they were like, they want no part of it. Yeah, I'm not surprised. It's just like, they're just like, it's all you. Yeah. It's not like they're going to be on cabber or anything. Did you grow up in Philly? No, I grew up in, I was born in Middletown, New Jersey.

It's central Jersey, but like people from Jersey lose their mind when you say like north, south, north central south. It's central Jersey. But where I'm from now, people call Middletown, North Jersey. It's not. It's I believe there's a central jersey. But so I grew up in Middletown, New Jersey. And my dad, my mom, and my brother. I have a brother's three years older than me.

Yeah, I'm actually familiar with Middletown because I got a couple speeding tickets there. And I got my license suspended there because I never went back and took care of it. I did it after prison and whatnot, but yeah, I got a speeding ticket and then never paid or never filed or whatever it happened. And then after prison, I had to take care of it. I went there recently and it, they really like it, it's like really cool, like a hipster place. Like there's like a lot of like cool bars and stuff and everything to do there. It seems like a lot of fun now. But what was your upbringing like? It was good. My dad was a corrections officer in Texas County Jail. They call it the green monster.

my mom was a stay-at-home mom she worked here and there but um yeah it was good i mean you know for the most part it was good we got everything we ever wanted we weren't like without anything we were like you know middle middle white trash i guess you know weren't like you know super rich or anything but um my my dad was an alcoholic and my uh you know that was that was rough growing up with my mom and stuff uh he was like physically abusive to my mom growing up when we were younger When we got older, that changed. It was more like verbal, but younger, it was like physical. And then when I was a kid, I died once and almost died two other times also.

So when I was like a year old, my mom was in the kitchen, like ripping Sigs talking to my grandma on the phone. And I fell down a whole flight of stairs in my walker. And she, you know, went over and, you know, I was okay. Apparently I just had a cut on my head. but she said I was okay. Like, I guess she took me to the hospital or whatever. And then a few years later, I used to have like fever seizures as a kid, they called them. And they weren't sure if I had a fever seizure when I was outside or I just choked on this candy bar, but I was eating a Charleston chew.

And I choked on it and I stopped breathing. And my dad, like, lost his mind, didn't know what to do. And luckily, my neighbor was a off-duty firefighter EMT. and came up with my dad like flagging down and he came over and gave me like you know got it out of my throat and gave me like CPR and brought me back to life and so that's when I died and then and then a few years after that I was supposed to have like child like children's Tylenol my dad gave me Tylenol and like call my mom was like I think I gave him the wrong medication my mom was like you got to bring him to hospital like so I went to the hospital for that and apparently like Difice got involved

and they're like, what are you doing this kid? Like, he's, you know, so, but they, they let me go and, uh, you know, I could go back home and everything. So, you know, it's interesting that your dad worked in corrections, but he was having issues of his own, um, at home. Yeah, I mean, law enforcement's notorious for, you know, being alcoholics and all that too. And it's, it was taught. I mean, my dad loved us. My dad was an amazing guy. He was the hardest worker ever. It's just, I don't really know if he knew how to be a dad so much because, you know, when he grew up, his dad wasn't in his life.

And my dad was like really, I can never go to my dad and ask him like how his day was going or anything like that. It was just, you know, he would come home and kind of like be to himself. And yeah, I mean, it wasn't, you know, there was no like personable relationship there. Were you interested in your dad's career at all? Like were you curious about it? Absolutely. Yeah.

So, I mean, I would see my dad come home even though he was in corrections. I would see him come home in his uniform. You know, he'd have his gun and stuff. and I'd be like, you know, this is like what I want to do. And when I was a kid, I just remember watching, like, Beverly Hills Cop 3, like, every day. And Cobra with Sylvester Stallone. And I was like, this is like what I want to do. And then see, you know, my dad in uniform and stuff.

So, you know, eventually, you know, I wanted to be in law enforcement. And I think my dad was a huge part of that also. What was it about that that attracted you to it? I don't know. I think maybe the uniform. And when you're a kid that young, it's like kids are always looking at the cop's gun and stuff. So it was like, you know, it's, and like, you know, you watch these movies. And it was like, you know, like Cobra especially, you know, he's such a badass.

And he's, you know, he's eating pizza and cutting it with scissors and never reloads the whole movie. And, you know, it was like, it was cool then, you know, to like want to be when you got older. So as a kid, did you think you had what it takes to be a cop from what you understood being a cop was? Oh, yeah, absolutely. I was like, you know, when you were a kid, it was like, this is the job I want to do. It's exciting. and, you know, it's great. And it changed, obviously, when you actually do it.

But, yeah, it was something I definitely wanted to do from a young age. How would your friends describe you in high school? Like, your closest friends, if we had them here right today. I would say they think I'm a little bit of, like, a goofball and class clown. And I was, like, good at sports and stuff growing up also. But I have the same group of friends that I've known since I was nine years old. I'm still friends with them today. I'm 35, so, and most of us got matching tattoos.

Some of them didn't, it's right here, actually. But we call ourselves a crew, and we still have, like, a secret handcheek and stuff and all that. So, yeah, my friends are all like my brothers. I've known them for, you know, over 25 years now, so. What did you know about alcoholism, alcoholism as a high school kid, if you knew anything at all about it? um i guess just i don't know it seemed normal i guess you know like like that my dad was drinking and i i don't know i i i guess just it was just something to do when you when you got older that's i guess when you're younger you just think that's what people do is just drinking you know get

fucked up and whatever you know um didn't know like i didn't know too much about it i guess until i got older and realize that it can turn into a problem. Like, did you think it could be passed on to you at all? No, no, not at all. Not that young. I mean, when you're when you're young like that, even in like middle school and high school, you don't think that you're going to inherit any of your parents' bad traits or anything like that. You just think that you're going to do your own thing and, you know, I never thought I would, you know, be abused in alcohol or anything like that. Did your mom worry about you developing any traits from that passed on. Well, I wouldn't necessarily say alcohol, but, um, so I was like smoking weed since I was like

14 and me and my friends were like Malibu's most wanted. Like we were like the white suburban gangsters and, uh, we even wore like caps and do rags in like this all white town. And, uh, yeah, I mean, you know, we were like smoking weed and stuff and, you know, my mom thought like weed was like heroin back then. Um, so like, and I think my dad was worried about. that too uh you know my my dad didn't like the way i was listening to hip hop music and stuff like that and you know he just because he was working in the prison and you know he saw where like you know people are making bad life choices my dad was all about like safety and stuff so uh yeah he didn't he didn't really approve of my uh my malibu's most wanted behavior why do you think you were behaving

like that but still wanted to become a cop they're kind of total two opposite personalities i don't know honestly that was like the cool thing to do back in like 2000, you know, like 2003, four, you know, everyone was dressing like, like little gangsters and stuff and, you know, listen to like 50 cent and Tupac and stuff and all that. I was, I don't know. Me and my friends, like, we would go behind the shopping center and we would smoke, uh, smook out of tinnies, tin, you know, tin foil pipes that we'd make. And then we'd go back there and do like body shots to each other and stuff.

Like we were like gangsters and it was fucking insane. But, um, yeah, looking back at it now. which just... Would you say a lot of cops kind of come from that background? Like maybe, you know, smoking weed or getting into trouble or just kids being kids?

I think a lot of... A lot of people that... Their parents are cops and stuff. Like, yeah, I think they have parents that were alcoholics or something that was going on. But now that... I think that now that weed's legal

in Jersey, like, it's really... Like, a lot of my friends that are cops, like now smoke weed and stuff. And the alcohol, the weed ratio, like, it's like, leveled out. Like they're not drinking like fish anymore. They might smoke a little bit more. And then, you know, so it's good that they legalize weed in Jersey. But yeah, I read an article that was talking about how alcohol sales have dropped completely. It's not as big as it used to be bars,

restaurants, everything like that when it comes to alcohol. Yeah. I mean, in my town where I live now, there's four dispensaries less than a half a mile from each other. So, and it's great. I mean, you know, I call them up and they got those $10 edibles. And they're like, yeah, and I'll come over there and get the edibles and stuff. But yeah, I mean, as like, for like law enforcement, it's great because it's just alcoholism is insane with law enforcement. You know, dudes are just drinking like fish and war drinking, you know. And I feel like, you know, the weeds better for him to calms them down.

And, you know, it's a lot better. If you need a crutch, I think that's a better crutch than alcohol. So what happens after high school? Do you go to college? Do you apply to a police force? Where does your life look like? So after, after high school? school, I was going to join the military because I wasn't like the sharpest tool shed in the

coloring book. I college just wasn't for me. So I was going to join the military and my dad was like, if you wait a year, you know, I'll get you a job in Seaside Heights is a class one police officer. So I was like, okay. So in that year, I was, you know, in high school and everything, I was still like smoking weed. I experimented with like cocaine and mushrooms and all that. And I think it was like February, I want to say it was February 2009 that there was this college fest trip that would go to Canada. You know, they take you to Mount Tramont, Canada. And, you know, it's like a skiing trip. And then they'll take you to Montreal for the day, whatever.

So me and all my buddies went there. We go to this bar in Montreal or Mountramant. And we're at the bar drinking. party and I was 18 years old this first time I ever went to a bar because 18 to drink in Canada. So the bartender, I remember the bartender turned around, I grabbed the bottle, put it in my

coat pocket, right? Because like there's so many people at the bar, I couldn't get service. So then she turned around, I'm going to grab another bottle put my pocket. The porers are still on the bottle. So my other buddy found me, he's like, where you've been? I'm like, dude, I was, you know, whatever. And I just opened up my jacket. It was like I was like selling watches or something. It's fucking

two bottles and he's like, we got to get the fuck out of here. So I go We go to the downstairs bar. I'm like, no, come downstairs. We go to the downstairs bar, and I put the bottles on top of the downstairs bar. And the bartender's like, where the fuck did you get these? And I was like, bah. So they kicked us out and got a wristband snipped off and we were done.

You know, my friends were all pissed. We were done with that bar for the weekend. So the next day, the sponsor of the trip, they take us to Montreal for the day. So we go to Montreal and, you know, we're walking around Montreal. And the bus drivers, like, meet us at this corner. whatever at midnight, you know, don't be late or leave without you, whatever. So we're drinking, you know, Montreal and, uh, walking down the street and I find this guy, he's like, hey, you know, I got Coke. He wants them. And I'm like, yeah, just like you try it for you bite and you had like a little

key bump thing. And he's like, you know, he gives it to me. I'm like, all right. So I'm like, oh, buy it. I think he wanted like $34 for whatever was. So I opened my wallet. There's like, my wallet. There's nothing in there. Like, so I look at my, my boy. And I was like, yo, you got this. And he's like, all right. So he gave me the money. He didn't mess around with that stuff. So I'm So we went to the strip club. We go in the strip club and it's the first time I was ever in a strip club and they served alcohol there. And they come down, service drinks or whatever. And the waitress came over and I looked at her and I said, like sit on my face.

And she goes, the fuck did he just say to me? My boys are like, oh, no, he's drunk. Like, don't worry about it. And I thought it was like, you know, funny. I was like young kid or whatever. Like 20 seconds goes by and this big fucking arm comes around my neck and drags me out of like My feet were dragging out of there. So he drags me out.

My buddies came out like a couple minutes later. And then we're walking to the bus. And we get to the bus. And of course, we're like running late. We're like the last people to get on there. So me and my buddy are going on a sudden I get a tap on the shoulder. And I turn around. It's this homeless guy.

And he just kicks me in the balls. So I'm like, you know, I went to go after him. My boy was like, yo, we're in a different country. Don't be a fucking idiot. Well, blah. He thought I did something to him because I was so hands. hammered. We get on the bus. There's no seating anywhere because we were like the last people. So it was like sporadic. So my buddy sat like in the back and I sat like behind the bus

driver. So we're driving for like five minutes. I'm all of a sudden hear my buddy in the back about to fight this guy. He's like standing up. He's like, fuck you. You're a pussy, blah, blah, that. And I'm like, what the fuck's going on? And, uh, you know, they settled it down, whatever. And, uh, we're driving and there was two bus drivers, like assistant bus driver or whatever. And these dudes are big as fuck. And I'm sitting. I know. I know. to talk to us I was talking to the assistant bus driver and he's like um you know I told him I got a bag of of coke or whatever and this is like real safe he's like oh so he takes my bag of coke he goes in a bathroom does like most of it and he's like bullying me because what am I going to do I'm not going to fight this dude

and he comes back and I was like reassuring that this dude is driving a bus so we get back to um Mount Treblant and I asked my buddy I'm like what the fuck happened dude that you fought that dude like we're about to fight that guy and he was like I'm sitting there and we're driving and he's like talking to the guy next to him and he said did you did you see what I did he's like boy he's like I paid a bum five bucks to kick some random dude in the balls he's like did you see he's like no and that was me so my buddy turns around he was like you paid a bomb five bucks he's like

they were going to fight and it was fucking insane but that was the shit I was doing a month before I had to go to the class one um not academy but you know work out and psych tests or whatever we had to to be become a class one police officer and my dad was like you know don't get in any fucking trouble whatever but this is the shit that I was fucking doing a month before. USAA knows dynamic duos can save the day, like superheroes and sidekicks or auto and home insurance.

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Did you want to get it out of your system or like the last hurrah? Or was that just who you always were as a person? I don't know, man. I just always partied and stuff. I don't know. I don't think I was meant to be a cop. You know, when you're a kid and you see like, It's all glorified and like Cobra and fucking Beverly Hills cop and all that.

But I don't think it was for me, but I still wanted to do it. And, you know, I would have never became a cop if it wasn't for my dad. I wouldn't have got hired. Like, there's no way. But I had to connect and I got in. And it was an awakening when I got hired. Was he pushy for you to become a cop? Like, was that what he wanted?

And you felt pressure under you? No, I wasn't put. I just think he didn't want me to join the military because this was in 2008. 2008, 2009 and all the crazy shit that was going on in Middle East. And he just like did not want me to go over there. So, um, and my dad worked, uh, armed security for my dad was a correct shelter, but in the summer he worked armed security in Point Pleasant Boardwalk. And he had connections with some of the owners of Point Pleasant Boardwalk to get me a job

in Seaside. And, um, but I'm looking back at it now, I know that my, I know why my dad didn't get me a job at Point Pleasant Boardwalk. because he knew that it couldn't really trust me too much, and he wanted me to, like, tarnish his name. He's like, yeah, can you get my job of someone at another boardwalk or somewhere, you know? So, yeah, so that's where he talked to, got me into Seaside Heights. So tell us about the wake-up call once you started going through training and everything like that.

I guess it was just like, so in Jersey, it's not like this anywhere else, but there's class one, class two, class three police officers, class one, class two, basic police officer class three. So the class one is like, you know, a glorified meter made. You know, you have a baton in handcuffs. You don't have arresting powers. You write parking tickets. Whatever. Class two is, you know, you go through the real police academy, but they leave out certain things.

So you're not a full-time police officer. And, you know, like certain things like off-duty carry or I think one was off-duty carry and something else was like jail cell suicide awareness or something. whatever. And then there's basic. So when you go through the class two police academy, you have three years to get a job. And if you don't get a job in three years, then you have to go back to the whole police academy again. And getting a job, you would have to go to the, go to a classroom for two weeks and learn, you know, the things you didn't learn in the academy. But I would guess the, you know, the wake up call was just getting in that police department as a class one sitting in the court we had our classrooms in the courtroom and um the one dude had

his hat on and when the sergeant came in to talk he ripped this dude apart for having his hat on i was like yeah this is this is real now like we're this is it i guess you know do you think you only made it through the training because of your dad or did you actually show up at that point and you know performed well to get through training um i think i did good at first um but it was a lot of like uh off duty and stuff that I wasn't doing at work that was going to get me in trouble. But I think at first I did well. Like I was going there with a suit and tie. Yes, sir, no sir.

All that doing what I had to do. And it wasn't hard. Like it was just, you know, it was like maybe three weeks to a month that they would like, you know, teach you a little bit of laws, you know, how to write a ticket. Baton training, handcuff training. And that was it. Even though you couldn't handcuff anyone unless your class two or a full-time officer told you to handcuff somebody. So. But aren't.

When you're in the training, aren't you thinking to yourself, yeah, this isn't for me. I got to go find something else. Well, I thought it was for me at the time. Oh, so even doing the training. Yeah, like, this is like, this is like, all right, you know, it's just like what I want to do since I was younger. This is like, this is it. And that didn't change for like later when you actually have arresting powers and stuff where I was like, this kind of sucks, you know. But when you're like, when you're like writing tickets as a class one, you know, you think your fucking dicks made out of concrete.

You're like, this is great. You know, I'm fucking have a police. uniform moniker handcuffs and stuff, you know, and it's cool at first, but it gets old fast. So give us the timeline process from like training to becoming class one and then so forth. So class one, like I said, like I said, like three weeks, maybe a month of training. Then you walk around with a class two who has arresting powers, carries a gun. By the way, we are not a part of the class one and class twos are not a part of the pension system and stuff. So when you see these cops on the boardwalk, Seaside Heights, Point Pleasant, Wildwood, at the time, we were only making like $10 an hour to carry a gun, make an arrest, this and that. It was insane.

But, yeah, so there's the class one. It was like three weeks to a month of training. Then you work the summer. You walk around with a class two. The class two pretty much tells you what to do. And most of the guys are like 19, 20. I would say, like, the average age range is like probably from like 20 to 25. from a class one, class two, like it all varies. And so you work from like June till September or June to like August. And then pretty much September comes. You go to the police academy. And our police academy, you didn't have a choice.

It was either a night class or a day class. And the day class you did PT every day. And in the night class you did PT twice a week, but it was four months longer. So, you know, the department picks what the availability, you know, whatever the availability is. And it was, I got the night class. So I only PT twice a week, but the fucking academy was nine months long. So it was nine months, you know, September and pretty much you graduated in May. And you got like a few days off.

And then it's more all day weekend and you're thrown to the wolves. And it's like you're already training, you're training a new class one at that point. So. And how much do you make at that point? Still the $10? I think it was like a 50 cent raise. I think you're making. Yeah.

I think you were making like $9.50 an hour as a class one and you're making $10 an hour. And it was crazy because, you know, I would lock people up as a class two or something. They'd be like, I'd fucking pay your salary. You're like, no, you know what motherfucker? Like, I only make $10. Or make more Burger King or something than what I was making here. And what was a typical area you were patrolling? I was all over.

Like mostly it was like a walking beat in seaside every once in a while. I guess depending on how much ass you kiss the sergeant, there's so many ass kissers in that fucking police department. But depending on where you worked, you know, it was mostly walking and you get in a car every once in a while but if you were on a walking beat you've been on the boardwalk and it'd be like three streets three boardwalk you know streets or whatever and uh it was just it was just crazy so but uh back to uh when i was a class one that's when the jersey shore started in seaside so and nobody knew who these people were like there's the camera walking around uh filming these people and people are like who the fuck are these people like so

go through the police. academy, whatever, and then halfway through the police academy, they're like, oh, you know, MTV's coming back for season two. And so season two, season two happened when I was a class two. And MTV tried to handle it for a couple weeks, and they're like, we can't, this is out of control. Because I went from nobody knowing who they were to like the biggest show on the planet. So MTV would hire us to walk around with the cast and have cops in front of the house at all times. And it was pretty crazy to see it, like, progressed the way it did how crazy it got from one year to the next. So you would just stand outside the Jersey Shore House and keep guard and watch?

So that was an overtime detail. It was hard to get that detail because it was mostly, like, guys, full-time cops, not class two's or sergeants or lieutenants. The class two's got it, but also went by seniority, and I was still low on a totem pole. So, like, that was a great gig, though. Like, you would sit in front of the house and there would be food catered. all day from MTV. You just ate like a king and made sure no crazy person ran into the house.

You know, if they took a picture, it was like quick. You know, and they went away. And that was great. But walking around with the cast was a whole different story. Like, there were so many people talking shit to these cast members walking around. And they would talk shit back and I don't blame them. So like, there'd be like almost fights. I think I did that a couple times.

I'm like, I'm not doing this anymore. Like, this is fucking insane. And there was a couple arrests of the Jersey Shore cast members. Yes. Yeah. Stucky, you got arrested. I think Ronnie got arrested. but and Ronnie could scrap too.

He was a little scrappy motherfucker that dude. Like, uh, but the, the coolest one I think out of all of them was a situation, but the situation one time gave us a, uh, gave me and my partners like $20 for like a vape pen. It was like when the vape pens first came out, the nicotine pens and, um,

we're like a little fan boys and we're like, oh, okay. Like, and we went over to get him the vapeen and we came back. He was gone. But like looking back at it now, if their situation said he had like a drug problem and stuff. Like, I wonder if you just want to get us the fuck out of there so we can fucking, you know, do whatever you had to do. A little decoy. Yeah, yeah.

So, but Seaside was insane, dude. Like, there would be, like, 80% of my arrests, I'd say in Seaside were just for, like, disorderly conduct for, you know, all different types of reasons. And I remember this one arrest I had. I already arrested, like, three or four people on this one weekend. And I was, like, so backed up on reports. And the pizza shop owner was like, there's this guy sleeping in front of my shop on the bench. You get him out of here. like the customers. I'm like, all right, no problem. So I go over this dude. I'm like, hey,

like, dude, you got to get up. He was cool. Like he got up. He stood up. As soon as he stood up, like three bags of Coke fell out of his pocket. I'm like, dude. Like, really? Right now? And I fucking just, I had to lock this dude up. So it was just like, shit like that would happen all the time. And it was like, looking back at shit like that, I was like, that's a shit that I could see myself doing like when I was all fucked up, like some dumb shit like that. So it was, uh, it was pretty nuts. Or most of these just like ticketed arrest? Like, where you give them a ticket for a disorderly? And then, No, no. So our tickets we had there was public nuisance. So you would write somebody, like, that was like right before somebody got arrested. Like, here's your ticket. It's like your last morning. And it was like a borough ordinance and the money would go right to the town. And they would, yeah. And then, of course, some people would fuck up later and we'd arrest them or whatever. But like the borough ordinance ticket was like pretty much like your last chance. Like this is it. And they would, like, prom weekends in Seaside. You get everyone from like up north Jersey, Connecticut.

kid or wherever else I've come to seaside for the prom and the hotels would hire us to like make sure everything's like you know going okay here no one's being too crazy and I would give these because I was I was like three years older in these kids at the time so like I would give these kids like chances I would like make an announcement and be like I know what you guys are doing just stay in your room don't come out with solo cups don't come out smoking me you don't whatever just stay in your room and of course people get ballsy and start doing stuff so then we would uh you know I would go in and be like, okay, listen, like, I'm either going to write your ticket or arrest your front of age drinking or take all your alcohol.

And they're like, just take the alcohol. Like, right. So, needless to say, I never paid for alcohol in my life when I worked because we just take it, put it in my car. And it got, you know, it got destroyed 100%. Now, do you think it's hard to be a young cop? Absolutely. Yeah.

Especially when you have, like, I noticed, like, in, you know, in my town, there's a lot of young cops guys fresh out of high school in their 20s. And I look at it as it's got to be hard for them to, you know, be in that position and their peers and stuff for, you know, out partying or doing the things you were just like describing and they're the same age and they're trying to enforce something and be that older figure. But you went to the high school with the person or, you know, and you're the same age. That's tough too because, like, another time, like, I remember talking to somebody I went to high school with and you're a cop, too. Like, we were doing Coke like a year ago. I'm like, no, no, like, don't say that. But like, but yeah, I mean, it's definitely, it's definitely tough because like, you know, and I remember when I was a cop too, like approaching older people when you're so young.

Even like, because in seaside, we were like alcohol like Nazis, dude. Like you're walking out a solo cup on a boardwalk. We're going up sniffing it. We're doing all, you know. So it was like going up to an older person too. It was always weird. Like, um, and just, you don't know. I mean, you, you, you think you're going to like save the world when you're a young cop, you know.

And like, you know, yeah, you know, arresting people for too bad. bags of weed back in 2010 was like this huge drug bust but it was like it got old like real fast the paperwork everything about it got old did you feel like a hypocrite at all absolutely yeah because it was like especially because when i graduated the academy i was only 20 years old so i was writing people underage drinking tickets and i was going home and drinking or confiscating alcohol and drinking their alcohol when i got home like yeah absolutely felt like a hypocrite what happens when you become a class two cop uh the class two like like i said before you like you go through the real police academy no like you personally what happened oh what happened yeah um just just

crazy arrests just you know resting people just trying to find a full-time job um because you only have three years to have to get a full-time job after that so i was looking at a state because jersey at the time was so hard to get hired for it was so competitive and um they told us in the academy you guys guys might as well go out of state. Why even put you through the academy that begin with in Jersey then? Because we're not real, technically real cops. But I mean, when you're in your town, you're a real cop. You just can't bring your gun home.

You don't have arresting powers off duty. But like, so they're telling all of us like, you know, but it's good for these police departments. Like if they have an opening, they hire us. You go two weeks of training and that's it. But in the academy, I was like, okay, well, let me, you know, look at out of state. And I was looking into like Las Vegas PD and a couple other places. And I'm like, there's a polygraph test.

I'm like, that's fucking weird. You know? And all these states have polygraph tests. And Jersey doesn't have polygraph tests. And first off, there was a polygraph test in Jersey. I would never got fucking hired. This wouldn't happen. But so in that three year period, I applied to Baltimore PD.

Go to Baltimore PD. My brother was a corrections officer, but he was like trying to be a cop too. And a couple other my friends. went to Baltimore. Baltimore, I think this is like 2011. And Baltimore

was hiring like a thousand people or something. So we go out there, we take like this written test and it was like this one cop

that was in there. He was in uniform and he gave us this packet and he's like, this is a drug packet and he's like, we're going to find out on a polygraph

whatever you guys did so he's like, don't lie. And mind you, I was a cop ready in Seaside was class too. And I'm like,

okay. So I'm looking at this drug list and I'm like, oh, check, check, check, check, check all this shit, right? So he fucking handed to him about 20 minutes later.

He comes in the room. He calls me in like this office comes in the room. He's got black tactical gloves on for whatever reason. He comes in a room and he's like, yeah, we can't hire you. And I'm like, why? And he's like, because you're a previous drug use. So I'm like, yeah, but I'm already a cop. He's like, it doesn't matter.

You got to leave. And we went to Baltimore during the day. It was like super nice. I was like, this Baltimore's not bad, dude. It was like this fucking place is great. So by the time we got done with test. It was nighttime and it fucking completely changed. I was like, yeah, we got to get the fuck out of here, like immediately.

but fast forward a little bit like maybe a year later I applied to Philadelphia PD and I'm remembering the polygraph I was like okay like you know let me lie about the polygraph test so went to I talked to this recruit of this background investigator like did all the pride the physical fitness the medical all that so then like one of the last steps was talking to the background investigator like personally and then taking a polygraph so I'm in a cubicle talking to the background investigator. And while I'm talking this dude, I hear, and the cubicle next to me this dude saying he was like huff and paint.

And the background investigator is like, are you fucking serious? You huff paint or something? So, but when I handed this background investigator, my whole packet that I was a class two officer ready, he was like chewing on a cigar. He just started laughing.

Didn't ask me any questions. He goes, just fill this out. Because I guess he thought I was a shoe in to get the job. I don't know. A month later or so, I took the polygraph test. And I was so cool,

calm and collected the polygraph. I'm like, yo, I got this, dude. I'm not failing this polygraph this. And they ask you every question twice. And it was the drug question first. And then it was, have you ever lost the trust of a friend? The one of the questions out of the many of they asked. So I failed the drug question twice.

And then the loss of a trust of a friend, I failed one time. And then after the polyam like, did I pass? And he's like, no, you failed the drug test. The drug question, I'm like, that's impossible. I'm a police officer. I didn't fail. I didn't. And it was. So, So, you know, the background investigator called me on the way home and he's like, what the fuck happened? And I'm like, I don't know, man.

Like, you know, this test can't be accurate. He's like, yeah, I'll be in contact. I mean, that was the end of that. But also applied to Camden PD at the same time. And Camden was getting rid of half their, they were firing 51% of the police force. And they were hiring all new people because the department was all corrupt and fucked up. So that's where I got hired for Camden PD. And that's back in.

New Jersey? Yeah. Yeah. Camden City at the time was like top 10 murder capital of the United States. So while this is all going on, you're still working as a class two officer? Yeah, I was class two for three years. Okay. Almost three years because my three years cert would have been up.

So I just got it in time. But backtrack a little bit to in seaside when Sandy happened. I mean, that was like the last 2012. Yeah, 2012. So the 2013, I think May of 2013, my cert would have ended. I think I got hired for Camdenpdia in like April. But seeing the roller coaster in the water, like a devastation that got calls from Sandy, was insane. And a lot of people don't know that Louisiana State Police drove all the way up to help us out.

We had New Hampshire State Police come, Delaware State Police and Pennsylvania State Police came to help out with that also. And they were all trying to like recruit us. They're like, you'll come down here. But again, I couldn't pass fucking polygraph test. So there's no way that I would have been able to get hired for them. So what happens when you joined Camden PD? So Camden PD, they hired 51% of police force. They hired all class twos from New Jersey, from Point Pleasant, Seaside Heights, Wildwood, a couple other places.

And we went to a class two waiver class, which was like you sit in a classroom for two weeks. And I ended up sitting next to like this guy, Brett Hansen. and um and uh you know we went through the class it was like two weeks and then they put you on the street and you just walked around camden um and they were like camden really wanted like boots on ground and they wanted you know community policing which made no sense because you know we were knocking door to door and we're like hey we're camden PD like you know and um introducing ourselves but yet they would tell us to stand next to a fucking stop sign and if anyone california rolled it to pull them over and we were like busting balls like hard

dude and um they would like once a day or whatever we would like drive lights and sirens to like a bad city in camden get in formation and like they'd be like all right you know go and we like walk around the city and just bust balls and i don't understand how that was like community police like you're trying to be this new police force wherever but yet instead of cracking down on drug dealers and everything we're making sure somebody makes a full stop a stop sign and you know um you know policing's policing but when you're like When you go from a small town to like one of the worst cities ever, you got to like, you know, you got to change your behaviors as a cop. You know, you can't be really breaking balls about certain things.

And being a white cop and camman, that was tough too because it's 51 at the time. It was like 51% black and 49% Hispanic. So, and I remember when we first got hired, we're in that waiver class. They're like, yeah, maybe you guys should, you know, grow your hair out a little bit because, you know, it kind of looked like Hitler's. youth here. Like, you know, maybe we should try to grow our hair out a little bit and look a little more. You know, I'm like, I want to fucking know, dude. Like, what was the starting pay? 48,000. So it was better than 10 bucks an hour. Yeah, absolutely. Yeah, yeah, 48,000 start pay in Camden. Plus overtime and anything like that. Yeah, yeah. I worked in, I was in Fairview in

Camden because they split us up in groups. So I was in Fairview and then I was in North Camden. and North Camden is apparently like the worst place in Camden so you went from like the best place in Camden which I say and then the worst place and it was like every other day we would like switch and um yeah just walking around Camden seen crazy shit we would do uh like corner sweeps and by bus and stuff that I was not used to at all with Seaside like

the corner sweeps were insane like we would drive with our lights off at night time and they'd be like all right there's a group of guys on the corner here and we'd just drive like full speed slam on the brakes, guns out, you know, and then if they start running, we chase them, you know, and just loitering on a corner and see what we could find. We were getting guns off people, all different types of drugs. It was way different than Seaside. It was like, you know, I would never found a gun. Most of my arrest in Seaside were disorderly conduct. It was being

drunk and stupid. So, yeah, that was, it was a huge change. Do you feel like you were unprepared for that change? Like, thrown into the fire? I think we all were. Yeah, I think, I think all of us Class II was going to Camden. It was a wake-up call because Camden was a civil service department. So they were hiring internally from the city. So all those people were already lived in the city, I knew how it was, you know. And then you get a bunch of these little white boys going in there. It was like, all right, you know.

And, yeah, it was wild. It was a wild experience. Was it mostly younger people, like yourself? Yeah, I think, like, the average age in our class two waiver class was like 21, some 20-year-olds, but like 21 to like 26, maybe. Do you think you were hired out of desperation? Yes. I think they saw that they had a way out to, you know,

they changed the city force to a county force and they had a way out and and that's what they did. But yet you leave the same police chief in charge that ran that place into the ground, but you still keep the same chief for the county. And I know a lot of the guys that were still, you know, left over from the original city force, they're like, this chief is awful. Like, and he stayed. but was there for about a year

making some crazy arresting that guy Hansen was my partner all the time it just went by ABC order too so if you didn't like the guy sitting next to you in a class two waiver class well tough shit he was your partner all the time so Hanson was my partner all the time became really close getting into crazy shit together

and one day after work they're like we're going to have a the sergeant who I couldn't stand He got up and said at roll call, he was like, we're going to have a squad party tomorrow. So you guys bring some, you know, bring alcohol, whatever you want. You know, it's going to be after work and we're going to do it under the Ben Franklin Bridge. It's like, all, cool. So knowing me, the derelict that I am, you know, I couldn't just bring like a six pack and chill.

So the next day, get the liquor store up before work. I think this was like Bud Light Platinum first came out and haven't drank one since. but but they platinum and fireball like we're new still so go to the squad party there's like 40-50 cops there sergeants attendants everybody um and it came that time since we didn't have we didn't have a union or anything we were in the process of getting a union so they told us from the drunk like don't get in any trouble because you have no union protection like since it's the new county force and um so we went to this squad party and everyone's party and there's guys guys that were patrolmen one day or sergeant the next day, which is like insane because it was a civil

service test, so you should have took a test, but they were promoting people like crazy. So there's like 40, 50 of us who went to this party. I drank the six Budley Platyams. I drank the two fireballs. Then I started chugging beers with other people. Got completely hammered and don't remember getting in my car. Like everyone was just like, I see you later, Hoban. Like, have it going.

I'm like, you know, I don't remember that, but if that's what they said. and then I thought it was a great idea to drive an hour and a half home blacked out from Camden because, you know, I was a cop. I'm not going to get any trouble right. I'm fucking untouchable. And I fucking drove,

I drove on 70 and I made it about a half hour down the road and I crashed my car into the woods. My whole pasture side caves in. And I had my, I would, when I was driving, I had a shitty holster so I wasn't like keeping my gun. I was like, it was like digging into me a little bit.

So I put my gun on my pasture side seat and we're driving. And I fell asleep at the wheel. And 70 is just cars coming like this way. You know, you're coming towards them. So thank God I didn't hit oncoming car. And hit the woods. My pastor's side cave them. My gun went flying somewhere in a car.

I don't know where to fuck it went. And airbags deployed all that. So somebody behind me, I guess, called the cops because I was all over the road. And then they went to check on me. You know, it was a good citizen or whatever. and he opens the door and he's like, are you okay? And I was the first thing I said,

I was like, don't call the cops. So, get out of the car, the cops come. My adrenaline was pumping. And I'm like, you know,

I seemed like, they knew I was drinking, but they didn't know how fucked up I was. And so they gave me a sobriety test. I was like borderline on a sobriety test. You know, I knew how to give sobriety test too, so I knew what they were going to answer me.

I knew, well, you know. And, um, the sergeant came and the sergeant was like where does he work and he was like camden and then we were known as like scabs because we took all the old guy's jobs and he was like lock him up so fucking lock me up I remember they put handcuffs on me and I was so fucked up I didn't know if I still had my gun on me so I'm like all right it's not on me and I'm like my gun's in my car and they're like okay we'll get it go to the police station I was probably like crying like a bitch in a car or whatever the fuck I was doing

like my life's over getting to the police station and they're like you gotta call somebody to pick you up and I was like my phone's in my car and uh you know my phone's dead

and they were asking about the gun first like where's your gun where's your gun I'm like it's in a fucking car I don't know like and I think the gun went from like the passenger seat all the way in the back seat like somewhere they ended up getting it but

they were um they're like you know, you got to call someone to pick you up. And I'm like, I don't have my phone. And they're like, well, I was like, can't you call my PD? The PD's like half hour down the road. I was like, you know, I was still living home my mom at the time. And they're like, no, we can't do that or blah, blah.

I'm like, this is ridiculous, dude. I remember like getting into him because my dad had just died like six months previous to that. And my dad didn't tell my mom that, you know, when my dad died, surprised that she was foreclosing on the house. So that was all, you know, so my mom was foreclosing on the house. a lot of shit going on and I was not calling my mom at one o'clock in the morning

hey mom your police officer's son just got arrested can you come fucking pick me up an hour away at one o'clock in the morning so I called my other buddy he didn't answer his phone so I only knew two numbers offhand because they're all myself so I ended up giving them

my mom's number and um you know they didn't tell my mom was going on the phone it was like a little bit of like a cursing battle I got with them I don't remember too much because like pretty much as soon as they put the cuffs on me I was like blacked out again it's like choppy you know

so they put me in a cell and then I don't know how long I was in a cell for and then I woke up in like a drunken stupor you saw the video it's fucking hilarious and I walked over to the cot like it was a toilet seat

which was right next to the toilet lifted the cot up and pissed all under the toilet seat or under the under the cot they're banging on the door you're an air asshole. And I never saw that whole video because later on when I got like my lawyers and stuff, they're like, you don't want to watch it. Don't watch it. So some fucking dude that gets no cheeks posted this fucking video, some journalist and only cut out like a minute section of me pissing under the fucking cot didn't post like me cleaning it up ass for words or nothing like that.

And I'm like, okay. So, you know, whatever, I get out of jail cell. I apologize and are like, yeah, we got you for DUI, you know, reckless driving, whatever, blah, blah. And they're like, we wrote you

for criminal mischief for pissing himself. I said, criminal mischief. I said, dude, it's not me criminal mischief. And they're like,

well, so then I started getting a cursing battle with them. They stopped talking. And as soon as they opened the door, I see my mom sitting in a waiting room. And I was still cursing at them.

My mom, my brother were in there. And then, uh, they drove me home. I told them what happened on the car ride home. Fucking total. My brand new Honda Civic.

Fucking. It was awful. Like, Did they take your blood or breathline? No, and that's what I forgot to mention, too. I think the PD was trying to help me out a little bit because when I crashed my car, the ambulance came. And like I said, it's choppy. I don't remember a whole lot.

But I do remember them like telling me, like, get in the ambulance. I'm like, no, I'm good. Like, I don't need to get it. So I don't know if they're trying to, like, throw me a lifeline. Like, dude. This episode is brought to you by Netflix. The Four Seasons is back for season two, starring Tina Faye, Will Forte, Coleman Domingo, Marco Calvani, Carrie Kenny Silver, and Erica Henningson.

After a difficult year, your favorite group of friends continues their tradition of vacationing together now with a baby in tow. From the Jersey Shore to upstate New York and Italy, their getaways are sure to take unexpected turns where comedy ensues. Watch the four seasons May 28th, only on Netflix. This episode is brought to you by Redfin. You're listening to a podcast, which means you're probably multitasking. Maybe even scrolling home listings on Redfin, saving homes without expecting to get them. But Redfin isn't just built for endless browsing. It's built to help you find and own a home.

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Just getting fucking ambulance Like we know you're fucked up Like maybe Yeah like was the initial intention Do you think looking back on it now just to bring you to the jail cell just to sober up and not actually charge you with anything? No, no, at that point, because I blew into the breathalyzer and stuff. Like, they were charged me.

When did you blow in the ambulance or at the? No, at the police station. Okay. So after my crash, I think in almost two hours later, I blew and I blew a point one nine. So I was like a point two something before when I crashed. I was fucked up. But doesn't it take even more to marinate in the system? I don't.

In the bloodstream? Yeah. I don't even know, dude. I was just absolutely annihilated. There was no reason for me to drive. And I'm an adult. Like, I should have known like, hey, we're having a squat party. Why don't I just drink like three or four beers?

But I have no self-control. So I just got annihilated. But at the same token, there's like 40, 50 other cops there. Why didn't someone say, hey, you know, dude, don't drive. Like, that's a bad idea. But it still falls back on you. Of course, 100%. 100%.

Do you ever think about, like, you could have killed someone? Do you have those thoughts? Oh, yeah. Yeah. Like, that, like, I can't imagine. Because there's, you know, I've seen a bunch of cops that could, UIs and it's like they ended up taking a life and dude I was fucking 23 at the time like if I would have went to jail I was you know a young guy and a cop and I mean I know you had it rough

when you first went to prison like dude I would have been in trouble like being a cop and being young they would have been putting fucking like coolie powder on my lips and shit make me grow my hair out it would have been fucked up dude I would have been a good look so in that moment when you're drunk and you're making the decision to get in your car, what's going through your head? Like, why drive in that instinct? Why not, you know, or instance, why not take an Uber? Why not, you know, ask someone for a ride?

Is it because you're a cop and you feel like you're untouchable? Or is it just, you know, you just want to drive? What is it? Well, two reasons. Well, one, yes, I was untouchable. I was a cop. I was like, you know. And also, there was no Ubers back then.

This was 2013. We didn't have Ubers or anything then. And so, you know, and you're a cop. I'm not, who's going to, you know, how am I going to get in trouble? What am I going to get pulled over? Like, what are they going to tell me to leave my car? You're like, that's the thing that was going through my head. Like, the last thoughts were going on like, hey, asshole, like, you kill someone tonight driving like this.

Like, you know, that was like the last thing I was thinking about. But then you have people that aren't cops that make that same decision every day too. Exactly. So I wonder what the similarity is. Like, what is in that mindset, you know? Just basically just come down and not thinking. Like, you know you shouldn't be drinking and driving. like and I was fucking I mean even a few I mean there's people that get hemmed up for just having a few drinks going out like you should definitely not be drinking anything and driving but especially not when you're fucking blacked out that you're going to drive that's awful decision like terrible but they again it's all on me can't blame anybody about myself but I mean there was a bunch of people there that night too that you know and you're all cops like you saw me in a beer chugging contest.

tests. Like, you know, I live in Ocean County and I'm driving to Camden County, which is like, Ocean County, where I live is on, oh, sorry, on the East Coast and then going to, you know, the West Coast like by Philadelphia, like, shouldn't have been driving at all. Like, so you get bailed out, you go home, tell us about what happens from the moment you wake up. So when I wake up, I knew I really fucked up, right? I'm a little like clear-headed now. First thing I do is I call the police department that locked me up and I apologized. I said, sorry. I. I said, sorry. I you know, because I knew I was being asshole. They were, like, chiming in a little bit.

But you got to think where I'm coming from, too. Like, my dad just died recently. You know, I totaled my brand new car. Just got this job as a full time. Like, I was pissed. And, you know, I called them up and I apologized. Then my police department wanted to know what happened. So I had to go to Camden County PD and explain to them, you know, what happened.

And they were like, okay, like, you know, we have to interview you, whatever. IA. has to interview, whatever. So. Before they interview me, they're like, no one's ever been fired for a DUI. Like, you're fine. Don't worry. You know, uh, hold on a second. Like, no one's ever been fired for DUI, you're fine.

Uh, just before we record you, don't say you're at a squad party drinking with all these guys. Say you're at the bar with friends. And I'm like, well, can I have my union rep or, uh, you know, my lawyer? And like, we have no union rep for you. We don't have a union yet. And I'm like, okay. And I could have had my lawyer, but they were,

fucking trying to railroad me. And I'm like, okay. Like, and I'm young, fucking 23. So they record me. And I say, um, yeah, I was at, you know, I was at the bar with friends and I drank and, you know, the whole story. And I were like, oh, you did a great job, you know, this and that. And, um, you're going to be fine, whatever. And then I sat, uh, I was on like, the rubber gun squad. Like, you know, I wasn't able to go on the street. They didn't give me my gun back. I was sitting taking complaints at the window. It was fucking awful. And I got this lawyer. and, you know, he's in contact with him and I'm thinking everything's going to be okay. So, like, a week goes by, maybe two weeks, and I see this other officer come in, because I was in the camera room in Seaside.

I was in the camera room and I was taking complaints at the window. And I see him come in there and he has no gun also. I'm like, what did this dude do, you know? And later on the day, I found out he got a DUI. And he was a black dude, too. And I'm like, oh, bro, they're not. There are no way. I'm like, I'm keeping my job.

Like, I'm good. I felt like a sense of relief. I told my lawyer and he was like, yeah, it's probably good. Like, you know, they need people and, you know, he's a black guy too. Because when they hired all of us, a bunch of white dudes, you know. Why did it matter that he's black? Just because when they hired, like, predominantly the city, like I said, it was civil service. So it was all like black Hispanic officers.

Then when they hired everyone, it was a bunch of white officers that came in. And it was like, so they needed to kind of hold on to the black and Hispanic officers because every call I was going to, I was all. automatically racist before I even talked. And, you know, I was not, I was not a ball buster as a cop or anything. Like, I wasn't like that. But that's just how it was. That was the mentality.

So, you know, it was what it was. But so I saw, you know, he was a black officer as well. I was like, all right, you know, good. So I'm, I'm okay. Then, like, I don't know, another few weeks a month goes by. Another guy gets a DUI. And he crashed into, like, a historic sign or something. something. And I'm like, okay, well, his DUI's pretty fucked up too. He didn't pissing the jail cell.

Still pretty fucked up. And you're not on leave or anything. You're just, you're still working. No, at that point, I was still, I was still working. Okay. So you still had your gun. You still had everything. No, no, no gun. Oh, they took away. They put you on desk duty. Yeah. That's duty. So, like, another month or something goes by and a fucking another guy gets DUI. How this wasn't like national news that four cops from the same police department got a DUI and less than six months from each other. blows my mind. So I'm like, oh, dude,

I'm good. Like, they're not, you know, they're not going to fire all of us. Like, they need us and, you know.

So then my lawyer's fighting, right? This town where I got my DUI, they're like real strict. And they're like, you know, we're going to put the interlock device in his car. Because they were pissed.

They were mad that I pissed in the jail cell, right? And the video, you saw, like I said, I was fucking lit. Like, I did not do it on purpose.

So, they're like, and then Camden PD was like, well, we don't have to hire him back if they put the interlock device in a car because he can't drive a police car with interlock. And my lawyer was like, can you go on a walk and beat or can he do whatever? And they're like, well, what if an officer gets shot and he has to drive the interlock? Well, you know, I mean, even if a normal citizen had a DUI and an officer got shot and got in a car, I think they'd be like, thanks, dude. Like, even though you have a DUI, like, but whatever. So they were trying to fire me at that point. So it's like, oh shit.

So my lawyer's like, you're going to have to go to rehab. And I think this was like, end of November. I think it was like right after Thanksgiving. And I'm like, fuck, dude. And he's like, just go to rehab, like out of state. Oh, so when we talked about rehab before, when I was in internal affairs and they told me to lie and all that. They said that they were kicking me under the table when they asked if I was an alcoholic to like me say yes, which they didn't do. and the one dude from

like I said earlier that they were promoting people like crazy the one dude from internal affairs was at the fucking party that night and me drinking too and he newly promoted internal affairs officer this is how fucking professional

and everything they were like you get a guy that was at a party and you're going to interview me like dude you were there and you're telling me to lie like okay but they said they kicked me on their table to say I was an alcoholic

they didn't and so my lawyer's like hey you got to go to rehab I'm like fuck man so I think it was like December 1st or 3rd I was like all right I'm going to rehab so I didn't want to go to rehab in Jersey

because I was like God forbid if I see someone I know or anything like anyone I locked up and he's like yeah go to California go to Florida like you know the you know your benefits are paying for it you don't have to pay a dime out of it I'm like okay so I was like I'm going to dry out because I was like drinking like a lot back then and I was like let me dry out for like a fuck

fucking week, you know. And so I get on a plane, I go to fucking Florida, like December 2nd or 3rd of 2013. And get there, right? And I had to go in like the red area. Well, first I get there and they're like, you have really good insurance. Why is your insurance so good? You're 23 years old. And I'm like, no, man.

I wasn't telling anyone that I was a cop when I landed like, no, you know. So I get there. I'm in like the red stage. Mind you, I'm like a week sober. like I didn't even drink you know and the kid next to me's like coming off heroin there's like cameras in the room and I'm like Jesus Christ dude so after like the five days or whatever I'm out to go like and they turn this hotel they turn this hotel into a rehab so you know I go out after like a week and this little like scrawny strung out kid comes up to me and he shakes my hand he's like oh where you're from I'm like Jersey he's like oh me too he's like dude I just got all my dope in Camden I'm like motherfucker bro bro. And I'm like, all, maybe it's just one person that's from Jersey here. Well, I didn't fucking know that everyone in their mother goes to Florida for rehab from Jersey. I had no idea about that.

So I'm in this rehab, right? I'm talking to the psychologist or whatever I had. Like, I had to go to different meetings. I had to go to first responder meetings. And I was doing everything I was supposed to do. I was going to morning meetings, doing everything I had to do. And this first responder meeting I had to go to, then people started asking, like, why are you going to different meetings than everyone else?

I'm like, I don't know, dude. So then I came out like two or three weeks in that I was a cop. And like, they were cool with it, you know, whatever. But I didn't want to like make it noon. But we're going these meetings and these characters I met in rehab, dude. Like there's this one dude who came in. He had the fucking like coldestack haircut with like the long hair in the back. And he's an older guy.

And I remember we had like a circle meeting. And everyone's like telling the feelings or whatever how they feel. and he was like talking about his life and he's like oh you know my wife but uh she's my cousin i'm like fuck like this dude married he was cousin like and then then he was talking about like later on like how his handicapped daughter who's like wanted to fuck everyone that came in the house and shit like it was out of control dude and then he then he said something about he had like genital warts this is the middle of the group like everyone's kind of like laughing a little bit keep a straight face bro my face was beat red i was crying i had to get up out of the meeting and walk out and

people that I went that was in rehab said they heard me dying laughing outside the door it's fucking out of control dude this one crackhead dude said he ran out of a second story window and landed on his feet and kept running I was like this is crazy dude but I met some really like cool

people in there you know like so before I went to rehab I told them on the phone like 28 days I need to be in and out I have legal stuff blah blah they're like oh we just want you to come we just want to help whatever so I think it was coming on like three weeks and um

the uh my psychologist wherever she was she's like i know why you're here she's like you're good like you know you're young you made mistakes whatever she's like just you know we'll let you out next week i'm like okay so um that was like on a Thursday or Friday so they weren't there on the weekend so like Monday came along and I go to see my psychologist and it's a new person in there and I'm like, hey, like, you know, where's, I think her name, I forget what her name was. Oh, her like cancer came back or something she had to go.

I'm like, oh, that's fucking awful, you know. And I'm like, well, I have to, I'm leaving like, you know, next week. And he's like, oh, no, you're not. He's like, I got to get to know you and all this and that. And I'm like, no, no, but like, really, like, I'm going next week, dude. Like, no, no, you're not. And these poor bastards were coming in there off heroin. One dude got, like, shot in his leg in Afghanistan or something.

and he was doing dope. And he was like in there, like in and out, like two weeks, his insurance. And he needed the help. Like, he really needed it.

And, uh, I'm in there for fucking DUI. And, um, you know, I ended up that 28 days turned into 43 days because they had to get to know me.

So when they told me, when he told me that, yeah, you're not, uh, you're not leaving next week. I was like, no problem.

So the morning came and they're like, all right, travel like morning meeting. I'm like, yeah, you're funny. And I'm sitting outside like chain smoking cigarettes and they're like, no,

like, come on. I'm like, no, no, not going. I need to do a fucking thing the rest of the time I was there. Because they had me by the balls. I needed the cert. I needed the cert of completion to show the police department. And I didn't do a fucking thing from then on. And then I got out. The day before I'm getting out, I asked this fucking asshole. I'm like, charge my phone, dude. Because I haven't,

because we didn't get our phones. You only got like a two times a week. Got like a 15 minute phone call. So he's like, yeah, I'll charge you for your inner problem. So morning comes, you didn't charge a fucking phone. phone was in charge takes me to the airport and he's like when you get an airport don't drink i'm like oh no pro i'm cured dude i'm not drinking fucking beeline it to the fucking bar had like three long island iced teas something else dude it was like 43 days of hell and uh went on the airplane got a different lawyer too i went back to camden uh go to camden and they're like yeah um you know it's great

that you went to rehab and everything but uh you know we don't have to hire you back because they're putting interlock device in your car i'm like uh well right before that we went to went to court right um went to the town i got the ui in they're like we're putting the interlock in your car went to my lawyer's office and this fucking asshole we sat down and he's like um it was like the lawyer's minion that went with me to the the court and he's like yeah i got good news and bad news and i'm like well it's a good news he's like the good news is there is no good news and i'm like i look at my mom i was like is this motherfucker for real right now? And the head lawyer was like, oh, he's just trying to, you know, lighten things up a little bit.

I'm like, dude, lighten it up. Like, this is my life. And he was like, yeah, you know, they're not going to. But he said, we'll take care of you. We'll get you a job. You know, they're going to let you resign in good standing. Even though online it says I got fired, but they're like, we're going to let you resign. And I'm like, okay.

Like, so I walk out of the office and guess who is with their fucking mommy in a waiting room? The fucking, one of the dudes that got a DUI after me was sitting in there with his mom in the wait room. And I just looked at him. I said, dude, just keep your head up. Like, do what you got to do? Because I thought he was going to get fucked too. And turns out that all those dudes after me, they all kept their job. But me, I was the only one to get fired from Kaman.

Why do you think they fired you? I think it was the pissing and cell had to be it. But they also had to make an example out of somebody. And I think, you know, they're like, all right, let's get rid of somebody. So did you. got fired or did you resign? I resigned in good standing, but I was forced out. They were not they were not hiring me back. So on paper, yes, I resigned, but on the internet it says I got fired. And was your mindset you're going to go find another police department or was this the end of the

policing career for you? Well, as soon as we got in the car, my mom, I just went right back to the military thing. I was like, maybe the only way to get a job is to join the military. You know, and my mom's all upset about it driving home. And then I, you know, I talked to a recruiter. And the recruiter was like, you know, before I took the test, was like an army recruiter. And I was like, yeah, dude, I'm not really good at math, you know. And he's like, let me stop you right there. He's like, you're already doubting yourself.

I'm like, no, I'm not doubt myself. I'm just not good at math, dude. Like, so I took the ASVAT and I did horrible on the math part. And he's like, you didn't pass it because you didn't believe in yourself. And I was like, I didn't believe in myself. Like just not good at math like So I was like trying I was like fuck this dude

Like I'm done I'm not I'm not doing this anymore So After I got fired Or resigned in good standing I I tried a couple police departments out of state One that didn't have polygraphs and stuff

But they weren't feeling it I was just like blacklisted It just wasn't I called Detroit Michigan Was hiring like a thousand people And I called them and I talked the recruiter and like, yeah, we can't, can't touch you. I'm like, okay, well, there goes that. So that was, that fell into like, I was abusing alcohol. Like, I don't know if I was abusing it at the time. I was young, you know, I like the party. You know, when you're young, you drink

crazy all the time. You black out a lot. Maybe a lot of people, maybe not everybody, but I was. And afterwards, I fell into like a spiral, dude. I was just drinking all, like plastic bottles. I didn't have a job. working at like a grocery store like twice a week, just drinking fucking plastic bottles all the time. And it was, um, it was a rough point in my life. How did you start to turn it around at that point?

Um, what did you do? How long did that go on for? That went on for like a couple years. And then I ended up, my brother took me to a concert and I ended up meeting, uh, meeting this girl who later became my wife.

But, you know, She slowly got me out of all that. You know, she was just like, you know, you don't have to drink all the time. Like, we'd be like hanging out and just be drinking. And she's like, why are you drinking? Well, why not? Like, she's like, you don't have to drink all the time.

And like, I just slowly got out of that. But it was, you know, it was a tough time like getting a lot. Because I just felt like a fucking loser, dude. Like, I was like, you know, it's something I want to do my whole life now. Everyone, because everyone knows you're a cop when you're a cop. You know, your neighbors are a cop. You know, dude, down the road's a cop. So when everyone knows you're a cop.

you're a cop. Everyone knows that you fucked up too. So that I would see people out in public and they would be like, you know, wait, like, are you a cop still? It's like, dude, you know what the fuck? Like, I'm not a cop anymore. Like, and it was just, it was embarrassing. And when I, when I met my my wife at the time, I was my girlfriend, but she'd like, I had to get out of my town and everything. I lived with her and her sister outside, uh, outside Trenton and Ewing and, um, worked security out there and I worked for, you know, just trying. I wasn't drinking really that much. And I worked at this hospital in Trenton called St. Francis Hospital.

And this place was disgusting. There was like cockroaches the size like Fear Factor on there, flying around all over the place. Homeless people will come there all the time. And, you know, these homeless people, it was like a borderline because at the time I was going to take the civil service and try to be a corrections officer

because I had some connects and corrections and I was like, you know, maybe it'll be forgiving about my DUI and all that. So, so I took the civil service and I was waiting for a call back from them and working at St. Francis and I was like a borderline corrections officer

in our dude. It was like, you're in the inner city people coming in, homeless people coming in all the time. All they wanted was a place to sleep. These homeless people will come in and just piss on the floor like all the time. There's this one day. dude when he was when he was not hammered he would come in with uh you know he would be cool

he was homeless but when he was drinking again he was an asshole and anytime he was drinking um they gave him a piss jug because if we didn't have a piss jug he would piss all over the floor in the room sort of like just pissing this well he would get pissed and he would fucking he threw the piss drug of people or he would threaten to throw it at people so i remember the one time i went up to him and i was like to you like stop like relax and he fucking had the piss drug in his head and he was like going to throw it at me and I gave him a fucking two piece nugget and he fucking falls over to fucking the bed piss all over the floor and we carried handcuffs and security and I fucking cuffed them up and fucking I piss over

you know I kneeled in it and I piss all over my leg and shit but I was like I was like a borderline CEO there and we had the psych unit on eighth floor which was one security guy and like 20 psych patients and you know working there I was like this is the same for me man like I can't I can't be a CEO you know my dad was a CEO My brother was a CEO, like, they hated it. And I was like, I can't do this. And there's, you know, the chance of me being a cop again is never going to happen. So I was like, that's done.

I'm not doing that. So just had to find something else to do at that point. If you did become a cop again, do you think you would have even have been an effective cop after getting arrested for a DUI? I mean, like, how does a cop with, say, a record like that or has been under the gun like that, effectively police and arrest other people for DUIs and those types of situations, you know? It seems like a little hypocritical and not possible. Yeah, it just wouldn't. I mean, it wouldn't have been realistic, honestly.

You know, I would have been, and I know a bunch of cops that got DUIs and got their job back. I know a bunch of cops that got DUIs that were covered up. But it doesn't mean it makes it right. No, no, not at all. And it just, it wouldn't have been realistic, you know. And any police department that would have hired me would have been a fool to hire me at that point. Because if I would have something fucked up, then it would have been like, yeah, dude, you didn't see this guy's previous record? Like, you know, so.

And that happened recently, like last year with that cop that shot the woman in the house. He was fired from another police department. Yeah. Yeah, I know. Like, in our academy also, they called our academy the land of misfit toys. Because they fucking knew that we were a bunch of fuckups. And no bullshit in my academy. we had about seven or eight guys get fired later in their careers because they knew off the rip too

like and uh we had one dude that he worked at seaside me and it was Memorial Day weekend and he confiscated drugs off somebody and took him it was all fucked up on the boardwalk they called them in piss testing him he pissed hot and they're like all right dude you're out you know and uh there's guys that got fired for theft there's this one fucking guy I couldn't stand and uh he ended up getting He got waived full time or whatever. And after my DUI, I was coming out of a liquor store at all places. And he was driving by in his patrol car. And he looks at me and just shakes his head.

Now, any cop I saw that knew me after that, you know, because I was, you know, I was cool with everybody. You know, I was pretty half the way decent cop. And they're like, oh, oh, man, sucks about your situation. But this motherfucker drove by, looked at me and shook his head and kept going. And that shit, like, hurt for some reason. Even though I hated this dude so much. So fast forward, like three or four years later. This asshole lied on his application.

He said he had a college degree and he didn't. And I was petty as fucking message him on Facebook. And I was like, huh, heard about your situation, dude. Like, sorry to hear about that. But, yeah, it sucked. It sucked like showing my face around people. And I think the worst part about it was like, like, yeah, it sucked losing your job, right? It sucked letting your family down and everything.

But what's stuff for me to most is that so many people doubted me and there were so many haters and I just proved all of them right. like they're like this dude's not going to do he's not going to make it and you're fucking right what would you say the people that are listening to this and they're probably going in their mind how could this guy become a cop I don't know man you have if you if your dad has good connections then you know you can do whatever I guess I don't know but do you feel like that's wrong yes absolutely that happened that way yeah I mean but in in Jersey especially in a lot of other places the only way you're getting hired is the cop is if you have connections especially C-Sys Heights and all these other shore towns, you know, you pay $50 for application, you get

a thousand applicants, they're going to pick who they want. They're going to pick like the lieutenant's son, the chief's nephew, this, that, you know, whose cousin, brother? Nobody's applying there and getting hired because, you know, they're smart or they're qualified for the job. Do you think the system needs to be changed or do you support that system? Absolutely. Yeah, it needs to be changed. You know, even like back to the polygraph. Like, I think at the time it would have been a good cop. Like, I only, I was only going to fail the polygraph because right before the academy, I got drunk one night and took one hit of a blunt. And it's like, that polygraph, you have to be like three years clean weed or whatever. And I wasn't. You know, I think weed was like, you know,

certain things were automatic fail, like any hallucinogenics or whatever. But, um, what was the question? I'm sorry. About if you agree that, um, with that process and how it's done or if you're, No, yeah. So, yeah, so, yeah, with that, and I mean, on the polygraph, instead of, like, being like, oh, he did drugs and messed around, why don't you ask me, like, if I'd ever do it again? And if I say no, then, okay, and I pass, I'm good. Because at the time, I would have said no, and I would have been good. But, like, a lot of problems are they're getting these tight-ass cops that have done nothing in their life, you know, their straight-edge or whatever. You don't need cops like that.

You need cops that fucked around and did shit and could be more understanding. I think that's what made me a good cop I mean yeah I fucked around stuff but I still you know I wasn't locking people up all the time for dumb shit you know maybe when you first graduate the academy but do you think you were a good cop I think at the end I was I think in Camden

I was a good cop and I think a lot of people that worked me would say the same and Seaside you know young I fucked around I almost got kicked out of the academy twice so like nobody really took me serious in Seaside but I think and I told myself when I went the cam then I was going to make like a better name for myself and I did you know I was making solid

arrests people liked me I was on by bus teams and stuff like that so I was doing a lot better but still is just you know your past creeps up on you and I this episode is brought to you by truly hard selser we're always in touch but nothing beats actually being together this summer grab a truly hard seltzer light bubbly fruity and make your dreams come truly truly truly is the official special hard seltzer of U.S. Soccer. Visit truly hardseltzer.com slash locations to find truly near you. Hard Seltzer beverage company LLC.

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I shouldn't have the position regardless. You know, I just wasn't responsible enough to be a cop. No, you said that in the moment you didn't feel like you had an alcohol problem. But looking back on it now, do you feel like you had an alcohol problem? I think it was a couple things. Like I think being young and partying a lot was definitely, and I think that would have evolved into a huge problem. Because when you're young at the time, you don't think, you know, I'm just drinking all the time, whatever. But it definitely turns into a problem later on.

And, you know, alcoholism runs in my family and stuff. So, yeah, I think I would have had a problem later on. And going to rehab did help, actually, because I was looking at these people like, I don't want to end up like this. Like I do not want to be like this. You know, this is this is not the life I want to take. You know, I tried to, you just need the right people in your life. Like when I met when I met my wife, like, you know, just if I would have met somebody that partied all the time, like my wife does not party. And if I would have met somebody that party, I'd probably still be drinking constantly all the time, you know.

So just need the right changes, you know, like they told us in rehab is like people places things and I need a new change of like everything. and I got that when I met her and started doing a lot better for myself. After the hospital, I worked at this refinery doing security. And one day, I was there for about two years. And security, I was making no fucking money. I don't even know, like, my wife could have met somebody 100 times better than me and ever. But my wife was with me, actually, when I had the interlocked, when I first met my wife, I got the interlock device in my car.

And I was so embarrassed to drive my car. And she's like, I don't get fuck. Like, you know, whatever. And I had to blow into it like every fucking five minutes. But, but yeah, like, you know, later I worked at this refinery, doing security. And one day they call us in and they're like, yeah, we're going to contract security. So you're all getting fired. And since I was a good security guard and I worked overtime and stuff and people liked me,

they let me apply to be a refinery operator. So just my life has completely changed. Like this job changed my life. and, you know, make good money now. And, you know, I look back at it and laugh about everything that happened. But it was still really, it was just fucked up. Like, you know, in the end, again, nobody forced me to drink. Nobody, you know, I did it to myself.

But there was a lot of shady shit that went down. And, you know, I feel like things could have got handled differently. Do you still drink now? Yeah, yeah. But not like I was. God, no. First off, my wife would divorce me if I drank the way I used to drink. And I don't drink in front of my kids.

You know, and I don't drink like my kids fall asleep at night and I have to have the day off tomorrow. I'll take an edible and I'll have like three or four mixed drinks and watch TV play cold duty. That's it. Like I don't, you know, back in the day, I was going through like a handle every like three or four days of like whiskey. Like just ripping the whole thing. So no, not like I was. Did you need to go back to another rehab or find additional help to get you to that place? No, I just think it took the right people, you know, like I said, my wife.

And, you know, and I just had to focus, like, listen, I can't fucking work security making $15 now. I can't. I got to, like, you know, if I'm drinking like a fish, not like I can't, you know, I got to, like, progress and move up. And I just think that the right people in your life and the right, you know, the motivation that you just get through anything. And, you know, I pulled through it, but it was, it was tough. It took me like five years. You know, there was times right after my DUI. I remember like calling my boy up like crying at like two o'clock in a morning like drunk as shit and he was out in Florida and you know he's and he felt awful and I was like you know just just had to pull myself out of that funk you know and it took a lot just and I think moving out of where I was at and going somewhere else and being by myself and you know it just really changed the way that I am now.

Are you happy with your life now? Absolutely. Yeah, I have an amazing wife, two beautiful kids. I wouldn't change anything for a world now. And even looking back at it, you know, I'm happy that everything happened the way it happened. Like, being a cop now sucks. You know, when I was a cop, we didn't have like body cameras and shit like that. You know, um, body camps are like just coming out.

And body camps keep you honest. Like, it wouldn't be taking alcohol from underage kids and keeping it if I was fucking had a body cam, you know? like it kept you honest the problem was too like I think a lot of guys my age went to the academy same time as me is you have these older cops

teaching academy classes that were doing shit the old school way and I remember having instructors coming in saying these body cams won't last like they're not you know this is like a temporary thing and they're teaching us like

fucked up ways and shit and the new age was coming in dude like it was happening like and they just the academy was fucking ridiculous and I remember also with the academy with first aid this is this is pretty funny so we're learning basic first aid and uh they're like if you don't know what you're doing pretend like you know what you're doing well why don't you fucking make me know what the fuck I'm doing so I don't have to pretend like I know what I'm doing I remember going like first aid calls and I'm giving people O2 masks that are like pediatric O2 mess and then the fucking, you know, the first aid people come over and are like, what are you doing, dude? Like, I'm like, I don't know, just pretending. Like, so pretty nuts, man. Do you feel like you lacked integrity as a cop?

Maybe in the beginning of Seaside, definitely. You know, seaside and stuff. And it wasn't just me. There's a lot of guys doing fucked up shit. But like I said earlier, like, you know, when I went to Camden, I tried to just turn a whole new, like, you know, I tried to be a whole different person. And I was doing good, but just made a dumb mistake. So, I mean, I could have been better for sure.

But just the temptation when you're a cop, you know, you get free shit all the time. It's like especially, this is when people liked cops back then. You know, I felt like I was like a fucking in like Motley crew or something. You know, you had badge dudes that, girls that love cops. You had, you know, free food, free here, this, that, this is a dollar. Like, shit was great, dude. Like, it's not like that now. Like, do you think your actions reflect how all cops are?

Or do you think that you were just one of a few bad seeds, I guess, in that regard? I think it's just like anything. It's just one of a few bad, bad seats. I probably should have never been where I was up. You know, there's some really amazing cops out there and there's some jerkoffs. You know, and definitely doesn't reflect on everybody for sure. Is it hard to reflect back on that period of time for you? It was for a while.

Especially like, you know, first few years after, it was really tough. But after, over time and just forget about it, like anything else. You know, I still have all their memories and stuff, but I just, like, just had to move on, you know. What's a message you want people to take away from your story today? Just to think twice about living fast, you know, it's just one thing that can, you know, one thing that can end your life, you know, ruin your life and, you know, put people in danger. And, you know, if you're drinking and partying like crazy and you have a goal, like, you know, think of your goal. Like just, and especially if you're going to be out, party and at least have a designated driver or something or Uber. Because I really could have, really could have hurt somebody that night.

And I wouldn't even be here right now. I'd probably still be in prison. Travis, I appreciate you coming on the show today. I appreciate you and thank you very much. Yeah, thanks for coming out here and sharing your story with us today. Thanks a lot, man. Appreciate it. Appreciate you.