Badge of Honor + Resiliency with Jeff Wenninger (part 1)

When a college hockey player's simple question about helping his detained friend led to his own wrongful arrest, he could have chosen anger. Instead, Jeff Wenninger found inspiration that launched a 33-year law enforcement career, primarily with the LAPD. 

Our conversation with Jeff reveals the remarkable story of how adversity sparked purpose. Rather than harboring resentment after being beaten and jailed for "resisting arrest" while doing nothing wrong, Jeff became fascinated with criminal justice—eventually working as a corrections officer in the very jail where he'd been detained! This transformative experience, combined with his unique upbringing in a multiracial adoptive family during the 1960s, equipped him with exceptional perspective on community-police relations.

Jeff shares how his sociology professor father shaped his critical thinking without ever telling him what to do, and how his struggle with dyslexia taught him that dedicated effort trumps natural talent. His commitment to excellence shone through when he graduated as honor recruit from the Sheriff's Academy despite colleagues mocking his determination to exceed minimum standards.

Most telling was Jeff's deliberate choice to work in LAPD's 77th Division—ground zero for the Rodney King riots—because it offered the greatest learning opportunity in a community that "justifiably hated" the police. His story illuminates how resilience isn't just about recovering from setbacks but transforming them into stepping stones toward greater purpose and understanding.

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Chapters

• 0:06 Reigniting Your Inner Fire
• 3:19 Jeff's Path to Law Enforcement
• 6:01 The Transformative Incident
• 12:11 Family Background and Values
• 20:15 Excellence in Police Training
• 24:05 Choosing the Challenging Path
• 28:21 Podcast Closing