Citizens Behind the Badge

08/28/2026

He published the research that nearly killed D.A.R.E. Then he sat through the training himself. 🚨

In 2000, D.A.R.E. took a massive risk: they invited their harshest academic critics into a room and asked them how to rebuild the program. Among them was Dr. Dick Clayton, the prominent researcher whose work built the original case against D.A.R.E.

Instead of just watching from the back of the room, Dr. Clayton did something unexpected - he asked to go through the entire training as an active participant.

That single decision changed everything. Today, Dr. Clayton doesn't just support the program, he chairs D.A.R.E.’s scientific advisory board and stands as one of its biggest champions.

In Part 2 of our interview, D.A.R.E. America CEO Frank Pegueros breaks down that intense summit, how the curriculum was transformed from the ground up, and what it really takes to change a critic’s mind.

Watch/listen on YouTube or your favorite podcast platform. Search: 'Heroes Behind the Badge Podcast'

08/27/2026

Learn how one of the nation’s most popular anti-drug programs reinvented itself to deal with the dangers kids face today--from fentanyl and va**ng to online exploitation and teen su***de. Click on the link in the comment below to view this enlightening and inspiring "Heroes Behind the Badge" podcast interview with retired LAPD Police Captain and longtime D.A.R.E. America President Frank Pegueros.

08/27/2026

Part 2 Out Now!

Did D.A.R.E. actually work? In 2000, D.A.R.E. did something almost no organization under heavy fire ever does: they invited their harshest academic critics into a room and asked them how to fix it.

In Part 2 of our interview with D.A.R.E. America President & CEO Frank Pegueros (retired LAPD Captain), he reveals how that tense summit went—and how Dr. Dick Clayton, the lead researcher whose work originally built the case against D.A.R.E., ended up joining D.A.R.E.’s scientific advisory board.

Frank also opens up about:

-The human toll on law enforcement: What taking a school assignment does for burnt-out officers who are used to only meeting people on their worst days.
-Modern drug crises: Why 80,000 fentanyl deaths a year isn't a "win," and why he still considers alcohol the most dangerous drug on the street.
-Bullying & teen drinking trends: What social media platforms could fix overnight if they chose to, and why teenage drinking rates are actually dropping.

🎧 Watch on YouTube or listen on your favorite podcast platform. Search: 'Heroes Behind the Badge Podcast'

Did D.A.R.E. work? The academic who authored the research saying it...

08/26/2026

Contains discussion of violence against officers, teen su***de, self-harm, and online exploitation of children. If you need help in the US, call or text 988.​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​

Forty years after the T-shirts, D.A.R.E. looks nothing like the program you remember. The lectures are gone. The “just say no” script is gone. What’s left is a 10-lesson decision model — and officers who keep showing up anyway.

Frank Pegueros spent 26 years with LAPD, then 30 years running D.A.R.E. America. In this episode he explains why the original curriculum was scrapped, how va**ng was built for the next generation of customers, and the two stories that still keep officers in the assignment — including a student who hadn’t spoken in six years of school.

This is Part 1. Watch on YouTube or listen on your favorite podcast platform. Search: ‘Heroes Behind the Badge Podcast’

Part 2 is coming soon!

08/26/2026

North Miami Police Sgt. Carl Mertes was shot and killed on 11-5-1980 during a violent struggle while making an arrest. His wife, Linda, showed remarkable resilience by raising their three daughters--Tammy, Amy and Carla--and carrying on Carl's legacy of law enforcement service, ultimately becoming Chief of Police. This important "Heroes Live Forever" tribute and inspiring story can be found on the link in the comment below.

08/26/2026

David Sherrard was a highly respected and devoted Richardson, Texas, police officer. But he also shared a valuable lesson with others: “Never make your job a priority over your wife and family.” He was killed in an ambush attack on Feb. 7, 2018, while responding to a disturbance call. His daughter, Emily, spoke to her father's killer in court, saying: You took a piece of my family. But we're Sherrards, and my dad proved that name means crazy strength." This week's "Heroes Live Forever" podcast tells the story of a man his wife calls "a living example of what we should all strive to be." The link to the podcast appears in the link below.

08/25/2026

📣 New podcast out now!

Forty years after the iconic T-shirts, the D.A.R.E. program today teaches almost nothing it started with.

In Part 1 of our interview, Frank Pegueros, who spent 26 years with the LAPD before leading D.A.R.E. America—explains why the old 17-lesson officer lectures were completely scrapped.

Instead of "the sage on the stage," today’s evidence-based curriculum limits the officer to 6–8 minutes of talking, handing the rest of the classroom over to the kids. Frank breaks down how the program pivoted to face modern threats:

- V**e hardware engineered to hide illicit substances
- Online extortion and predators targeting kids
- The teen su***de crisis (and D.A.R.E.’s work with the AFSP)

Plus, Frank shares the unforgettable story of a student who hadn't spoken in six years of school—until her D.A.R.E. officer gave her a voice.

🎧 Watch/Listen to Part 1 now on YouTube or your favorite podcast platform. Search: 'Heroes Behind the Badge Podcast'

Forty years after the T-shirts, the D.A.R.E. program today teaches...

08/20/2026

One chilling detail in the JonBenét Ramsey autopsy changes the entire timeline: dried urine was found on the front of her sweatpants.

The bladder often releases at the exact moment of death. For urine to dry on the front of her clothing, she had to have been lying face down when she died—yet she was found lying face up.

She was moved. The scene was manipulated.

In Part 2 of our deep dive, investigator Morgan Wright reconstructs what the physical evidence actually supports when you strip away 30 years of theories and look at hard science.

👉 Watch/listen to our two-part podcast now! Search 'Heroes Behind the Badge Podcast'

08/17/2026

The JonBenét Ramsey Murder Case - It all comes down to a single binary question: Was there an intruder, or was there not? 🚪

There is no middle ground. Either an outsider entered that home, or the answers lie entirely within the family unit.

In Part 2 of our JonBenét Ramsey reinvestigation, investigator Morgan Wright strips away thirty years of speculation to focus on this exact crossroad. By applying hard physics, environmental data, and crime scene forensics—from sub-zero weather logs to undisturbed dust in basement entry points—the physical evidence forces a definitive answer.

When you test the "intruder theory" against the physical realities of the scene, the story changes entirely.

👉 WATCH/LISTEN NOW: Search 'Heroes Behind the Badge Podcast' on YouTube or your favorite podcast platform.

08/17/2026

There is a very troubling fact contained in the recently issued FBI Uniform Crime Report for 2025. While nearly every major crime category fell dramatically in 2025, assaults on law enforcement officers rose sharply! The number of officers assaulted in 2025 was 90,178, an increase of 5.2% over the 85,730 assault figure for 2024. According to the FBI, "2025 recorded the highest assault rate in at least a decade," and it is likely the highest number ever recorded. It also represents a 61% increase over the officer assault figure for 2019 (58,170), the year before the "defund the police" movement started. According to the National FOP, 198 officers have been shot already this year--17 of them fatally--an average of nearly one per day. While applauding law enforcement's crackdown on crime, we should never take their sacrifices for granted!