🎙️ Behind the Scenes of the WM Phoenix Open: Shop Talk Podcast with Chief Jeff Walther & Sgt. Allison Sempsis

Get ready to tee off with an exclusive look at how the Scottsdale Police Department prepares for one of the biggest events of the year—the WM Phoenix Open! 🏌️‍♂️⛳ In this exciting episode of the Shop Talk Podcast, Chief Jeff Walther and Sgt. Allison Sempsis discuss the planning, teamwork, and safety measures that make this iconic event a success. Talking with Thunderbird Chairman Matt Mooney.

🎯 What to Expect in This Episode:

🔹 How the Scottsdale PD works behind the scenes at the WM Phoenix Open

🔹 Insights into managing crowd safety and traffic at large-scale events

🔹 Stories and strategies from past tournaments

🔹 A sneak peek at what makes this year's event bigger and better!

Whether you're a golf enthusiast, a Scottsdale resident, or just curious about what it takes to manage a world-class event, this episode offers a fascinating glimpse into the intricate coordination and dedication required to keep the event safe and enjoyable for everyone.

Mooney is the Chief Operating Officer of Parkway, a privately-owned, full service real estate investment firm with more than 20 million SF in assets under management across the United States. He graduated summa cum laude from Mississippi State University, where he received both his Bachelor’s and Master’s degrees in Business Administration, and was as a member of the Men’s Golf Team. He and his wife Anna have three children, Connor (age 14), Kathryn (age 13), and Cullen (age 9), and currently reside in Phoenix. He has been a member of The Thunderbirds since 2016.

Erica Gaines is the President and CEO of TacMobility: Controlling the Mind + the Machine, a training program whose vision is to heal the racial divide between people of color (POC) and police officers through law enforcement wellness and community dialogue.

Having met over 100,000 officers since 2013, “The Knife Girl'' has gained wide acceptance into the LEO community. While an unlikely candidate to advocate for police, this dark-skinned, multi-racial woman from Phoenix, AZ, continues to use her voice to talk about trauma recovery, self-awareness, and Suicide: the #1 Cop Killer in America.

Her research began in 2016 when incidents of police involved shootings with unarmed black males were becoming frequent, prompting the onset of large protests. Feeling that the media portrayal of officers was inconsistent with her unique, personal experience but also wanting to get answers to questions like, “why can’t you shoot people in the leg?”or “if officers are innocent, why the payouts?”, Erica embarked on a four-year journey of conducting candid interviews with police officers at training conferences.

In 2017, she participated in the VirTra Use of Force Simulated Training at a FBI National Academy Associate (FBINAA) Conference. Forever changed by the physical experience of a shoot, Erica wondered if ‘police bias’ had more to do with a physiological stress response than racism.

With inadequate clinical research to pull from, in 2019, Erica created the world’s most extensive ongoing study of Law Enforcement Officers and Cumulative Stress. Armed with data, in 2020, Erica created a 4-hour Peace Officer Standards & Training (POST) training course accredited through the National Certification Program (NCP) , developed by the International Association of Directors of Law Enforcement Standards and Training (IADLEST). The training program and fiscally sponsored non-profit, TacMobility: Controlling the Mind and the Machine, offers stress and trauma awareness, rehabilitative stretching, and self-awareness to police officers in the United States.

With her straightforward approach, Erica uses TacMobility to heal traumatized officers in an effort to bring communities closer. She believes that supporting the mental and physical health of officers ultimately brings support back to the community; Enabling them to balance compassion and courage, empathy and protection, creating space for positive community engagement. Her organization recognizes that this is a vital component in developing trust between communities of color and law enforcement.

Visit https://tacmobility.org/ for more information

Mr. Daniel Golden, an Arizona Native, joined Department of Public Safety in 1987 where he served for over 30 years. During his tenure, he held positions in all Bureaus of the Agency. Aside from the traditional assignment to the Highway Patrol, he held specialty assignments within criminal investigations, undercover operations, executive protection, intelligence, the director’s office, and within the training division. He was a member of the Special Operations Unit as an operator, negotiator, team leader, and unit commander.

In addition to regular duties and responsibilities, Danny was assigned as the Honor Guard Commander, Mobile Field Force commander, and coordinated events to benefit Special Olympics. Danny Joined Team Tyr in 2017. After Managing territories throughout the United States, Danny was selected as our Director of Sales in 2022.