Dave Ogilvy spent 22 years with the Delta Police Department — most of them quietly doing the work that most officers only dream about. SWAT operator, ERT medic lead, police trainer, Cops for Cancer veteran, and one of the most respected voices in the room that nobody outside of it has ever heard from.

In this episode, Dave opens up about all of it.

We cover what it's really like to be involved in a police shooting, how he prepared himself — and his family — long before that day ever came, and what the aftermath actually looks like when the cameras aren't rolling. Dave also gets honest about losing two fingers on his gun hand, refusing to accept an adjusted physical standard, and fighting his way back onto the ERT on his own terms.

But this conversation goes deeper than tactics. We talk about what happens to your identity when the team is your whole world and then suddenly it isn't. We talk about the silent epidemic of cops who are great at the job and strangers at home. We talk about why seeking help is not weakness — and why waiting until you're in crisis to find a psychologist is already too late.

Dave is the kind of mentor that most people in this profession never get access to. Humble, direct, and completely without ego. He doesn't post on social media. He doesn't chase recognition. He just shows up, does the work, and makes everyone around him better.

This one is worth your full attention.

Topics covered:

What a police shooting actually feels like — before, during, and after

How to prepare your mind and your family for a critical incident

Losing two fingers and passing the same physical as everyone else

Identity loss after leaving the ERT and how to rebuild

Why policing is not family — and why that distinction matters

Cops for Cancer and 12+ years of giving back

Mental health stigma in law enforcement and how to break through it

The difference between the will to win and the will to train to win

What great police trainers actually do differently

Advice for anyone wanting to get on a tactical team

🎙️ Police Mentors is a podcast dedicated to sharing the hard-earned wisdom of experienced law enforcement professionals — the kind of conversations that don't happen in briefing rooms or on social media, but absolutely should.

#PoliceMentors #LawEnforcement #PolicePodcast #SWAT #EmergencyResponseTeam #PoliceMentalHealth #FirstResponders #PoliceTraining #TacticalPolicing #PoliceCulture #CopsForCancer #MentalHealthMatters #FirstResponderMentalHealth #PoliceLife #BlueLine #ThinBlueLine #PTSDAwareness #Resilience #LeadershipDevelopment #policeofficer

00:00 Police-Mentors Podcast Episode 3 with Dave Ogilvy

00:10 Introduction

03:53 Leaving Emergency Response Work

09:01 Identity

11:51 Overcoming Injury

15:58 The Will To Train To Win

17:59 Cops For Cancer

23:25 Positive Impact

25:51 There's Magic In The Uniform

29:26 Thin Blue Line

37:41 Fallen Officers

39:45 Shared Danger In Policing

40:39 Understanding Violence

46:48 "Did I Treat You Fairly?"

49:48 "Cuff Tuff"

51:08 Treating People Fairly

53:17 Helping People

58:36 Mental Health

01:09:00 Understanding Lethal Force

01:13:33 Self-Stigma

01:17:31 Police Bonds

01:21:22 Integrating Trauma

01:26:05 I've Got A Problem

01:33:46 Advice For New Members Of A Team

01:41:54 Team Before Self

01:42:51 Conclusion

Here is a link to a free chapter of my book on my website:

https://markbouchard.ca/stigma/

Or you can buy a paperback copy on Amazon here:

https://www.amazon.ca/Setting-My-Sights-Stigma-Thoughts/dp/1738943003/ref=sr_1_1?crid=UT5YKTZC6EKM&dib=eyJ2IjoiMSJ9.3NhFgyk5IO9ESyDyBLRTuA.3pAVYHo9cIwh3z4-o5aoNDlfFc3_tkNxtZGDx_PZVqs&dib_tag=se&keywords=setting+my+sights+on+stigma&qid=1772649553&sprefix=setting+my+sight%2Caps%2C114&sr=8-1