Dr Sarah-Jane Lennie, Associate Professor at the Centre of Excellence for Equity in Uniformed Public Services at Anglia Ruskin University, joins the Forensic Focus Podcast to talk about mental health and well-being in policing — and the often-overlooked toll on police families. Drawing on 17 years as a police officer before moving into academia, Dr Lennie shares the moment her own mental health forced a career-defining decision, and how that experience shaped her research into the culture of silencing, stigma, and emotional masking that still pervades policing today. She explains why the context of policing — the trauma, threat, and violence — is not what harms officers most; it's how they're treated by the organisation afterwards.

Dr Lennie describes the isolation partners face, the vicarious trauma they absorb while debriefing their officers, the intergenerational patterns that pull children of police into the same job with the same emotional rules, and the practical support families are asking for. She also discusses the Leapwise National Police Wellbeing Survey, the shift away from "resilience" messaging, the role of the academic working group at Anglia Ruskin, and why properly evaluating interventions is the only way to secure lasting change.

#PoliceWellbeing #PoliceFamilies #MentalHealth #PoliceMentalHealth #VicariousTrauma #DigitalForensics #dfir

⏱️ Timestamps

00:00 Introducing Dr Sarah-Jane Lennie

02:40 From Policing to Academia

03:51 Mental Health Breaking Point

06:54 Culture of Silence

11:13 Evidence Into Action

12:44 Biggest Challenges Today

13:59 How Families Are Impacted

18:38 Why Families Are Overlooked

19:29 Support Families Need

22:31 Kids and Hidden Trauma

26:42 Stress at Home

28:07 Emotional Silencing

29:23 Punitive Help-Seeking

32:46 Investigations and Isolation

33:32 Academic Working Group

35:32 Evidence Into Practice

46:41 Research Trust Barriers

51:57 Final Message

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🎧 Video/Transcript: https://www.forensicfocus.com/podcast/policings-well-being-problem-stigma-isolation-and-the-retention-crisis/

📝 Show Notes

Centre of Excellence for Equity in Uniformed Public Services (CEEUPS) – https://www.aru.ac.uk/research/our-research-institutes-and-centres/centre-of-excellence-for-equity-in-uniformed-public-services

Dr Sarah-Jane Lennie (email) – Sarah-Jane.Lennie@aru.ac.uk

National Police Well-Being Survey 2025 – https://oscarkilo.org.uk/national-police-wellbeing-survey-2025-deep-dive-psychological-safety

Oscar Kilo Thank You Film – https://youtu.be/f-WUJeQG_E4?si=1PgwYD24n58T0M3z

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Rob Fried, digital forensics consultant, author, and assistant professor at Hofstra University, joins the Forensic Focus Podcast to talk about the evolving challenges of forensic practice, AI in investigations, and his latest book. Rob discusses his annual publication cadence — now in its fourth edition — and how each year's content is shaped by real cases, collaborations, and emerging topics in the DFIR community. This year's edition tackles AI policy, data culling strategy, and the documentation practices that keep forensic work defensible in court.

The conversation also covers the growing complexity of remote collections and the soft skills required to manage them effectively, the tension between targeted and full file system approaches, and what happens when those decisions come under scrutiny in litigation. Rob shares his experience building a forensics practice from the ground up within an established e-discovery firm, his work teaching the next generation of examiners at Hofstra, and his upcoming symposium — now in its fifth year — which this year will focus on open source intelligence and corporate investigations.

#mobileforensics #digitalforensics #dfir

⏱️ Timestamps

00:00 Introducing Rob Fried

03:48 Why Rob Keeps Writing

07:33 AI Policies and Teaching

09:39 AI Tools and NotebookLM

11:42 AI Spam Call Story

14:33 Forensic Lab and Data Strategy

22:30 Targeted Collection Risks

26:10 Remote Collections and Soft Skills

33:41 Building a Forensics Practice

35:14 Academia and Closing Skill Gaps

39:17 Forensics Network

41:26 Learning and Collaboration

45:42 Planning the Annual Symposium

50:36 Tech Roots and Career Values

54:49 Swag, Challenge Coins and Future Plans

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🎥 Video/Transcript: https://www.forensicfocus.com/podcast/rob-fried-on-new-challenges-in-digital-forensics/

📝 Show Notes

Forensics By Fried – https://forensicsbyfried.com

Rob Fried's Books – https://forensicsbyfried.com/books

AI Spoof Call (Instagram) – https://www.instagram.com/reel/DVOXY5MiGNT/?igsh=N3J0cDJwaXk1bW5o

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Bunmi Bloom, co-founder of Sena Forensics, joins the Forensic Focus Podcast to discuss the emotional reality of working in digital forensics and the psychological toll of long-term exposure to traumatic material. Drawing on her background with the Metropolitan Police and the Financial Conduct Authority, Bunmi reflects on how DFIR practitioners navigate disturbing images, case reports, and the pressure to "stay strong and get on with it."

The conversation explores coping mechanisms inside the lab, the vital role of social support, and how desensitisation can develop over time. Bunmi shares why many investigators feel unable to speak openly, how team culture shapes resilience, and what better preparation for new DFIs could look like. She also considers whether psychological screening, mentoring, and leadership-driven change could help create safer, more supportive forensic workplaces.

#digitalforensics #DFIR #MentalHealth #Wellbeing #Policing #CSAM

00:00 Introducing Bunmi Bloom

00:39 Sena Forensics: Mission and Services

03:44 Professional Background

05:35 The Impactful LinkedIn Post

07:50 Emotional Challenges in Digital Forensics

10:55 Coping Mechanisms and Social Support

15:20 Desensitization and Emotional Detachment

18:39 Preparation and Support for New DFIs

22:56 The Importance of Recognizing Stressors

25:16 The Role of Social Support

28:27 Cultural Shifts in Mental Health Awareness

31:53 Psychological Screening in Recruitment

38:53 Systemic Change and Leadership

41:20 Final Thoughts and Recommendations

👉 Visit Forensic Focus: https://www.forensicfocus.com

🎧 Video/Transcript: https://www.forensicfocus.com/podcast/preparing-investigators-for-trauma-exposure-in-digital-forensics/

📝 Show Notes

Sena Forensics on LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/sena-forensics-bunmi-bloom-76a592374/

Forensic Focus International Well-Being Study - https://www.forensicfocus.com/survey

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