Cleveland Police Launch 'Ride Along Radio' Podcast to Share Real Stories from the Force

CLEVELAND, Ohio — The Cleveland Division of Police officially launched its first podcast, Ride Along Radio, on July 18, offering residents a candid look at law enforcement and community issues. The debut episode featured Sergeant Freddy Diaz, Officer Mariah Rodriguez, and Officer Smith discussing their roles, experiences, and the goals of the new platform.

“Welcome to Ride Along Radio, where the ride tells a story, and there is no badge required,” Officer Smith said in the opening moments of the episode.

The podcast, which will air every other Friday at 4 p.m. Eastern Time on YouTube, aims to provide what Sergeant Diaz described as “unfiltered, real, raw” conversations. “This is kind of an exciting time for us, the Division of Police. We are kicking off our podcast, the first podcast show in the Cleveland Division of Police. That’s huge,” Diaz said. “I think it’s a good change that we’re making to educate the public, educate the community on the things that we do.”

Officer Rodriguez, who joined the department in 2021, emphasized that the podcast is meant to bridge the gap between officers and residents. “We’re humans, first of all, right? Not robots,” she said. “It brings a bigger tie to where you work. So you have that place that’s home outside of when you’re just working. You want to make sure you’re giving that best service.”

The first episode highlighted upcoming topics for future installments, including the Take Me Home program, which helps locate and return vulnerable individuals, such as those with special needs, who may go missing. The team also plans to feature the Crisis Intervention Team and detectives from the homicide unit to discuss the realities of investigations that often extend beyond the “Hollywood” portrayal of cases being solved in 48 hours.

“We have so much content that we can share,” Diaz said. “Educational topics, informational topics, safety topics — the amount of stuff that we can discuss and put out there, it’s really never-ending.”

Patrol work, which Diaz called “the backbone of our division,” will also be a recurring focus. “These men and women are out there working hard every single day, protecting our community, responding to calls. Non-stop sometimes. Non-stop,” he said.

Community reaction to the podcast launch has been mixed. Supporters expressed excitement about hearing directly from officers, while some questioned whether the podcast will be fully transparent. “Will the ‘real’ police be talkin’, or just the ‘talking heads’ who say what they’re told to?” one commenter asked on Facebook.

Still, the department is encouraging feedback and future topic suggestions. “Any content that people might want to hear, put it on our social media page,” Rodriguez said. “We are open for all.”

The tagline, “No Badge Required,” underscores the department’s goal of inviting all residents — supporters and critics alike — to join the conversation. “A lot of stuff can get solved just by simply having a conversation,” Diaz said.

Ride Along Radio is available on the Cleveland Division of Police’s official YouTube channel, @ClevelandDivisionofPolice.

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