Writer's Detective Bureau

Oct 17 2024 141 ep. 20 mins 344
Writer's Detective Bureau Podcast artwork

The Writer's Detective Bureau is a podcast hosted by retired Police Detective Adam Richardson. Adam answers questions about criminal investigation and police work posed by crime-fiction authors and screenwriters writing crime-related stories. To submit a question, visit https://www.writersdetective.com/ask

  Arts  True Crime
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Bunco Crimes, Investigator Associations, Retired Cops, and POVs

Oct 17 2024 17 mins  
Adam talks about bunco crime investigations, the value of belonging to investigator associations, the trope of retired cops being forced back to work for one last case, and a different kind of POV. Submit a question: writersdetective.com/ask

Cybercrime, Trap and Trace, and Concealed Carry

Sep 20 2024 15 mins  
Adam talks about cybercrime investigations, how wiretap investigations involve "trap and trace" and "pen registers" tools, and how undercover detectives conceal their firearms. Submit your own question to the podcast: writersdetective.com/ask

Core Character Question, Celebrities, and An Unnoticed Serial Killer

Sep 09 2024 17 mins  
The Writer's Detective Bureau podcast is BACK and now ad-free! Adam has retired from law enforcement and is back answering writers' questions. Adam shares a core character question that he contemplated at the end of his career that could inform how you plot a character arc. Adam then answers questions about celebrity-related investigations and an unnoticed serial killer. Submit a

Alcoholic Beverage Control, Military Murder Investigations, and Tribal Police

Oct 01 2023 14 mins  
Adam answers questions about: California’s Alcoholic Beverage Control agency, who investigates murders involving the military, and the surprising limitation on Tribal Police law enforcement powers.

International Crime Rings, FBI Legal Attaches, INTERPOL, Proactive Investigations, and Transnational RICO Cases

Aug 02 2023 20 mins  
In this episode, Adam answers questions about investigating international crime rings, FBI Legal Attaches, INTERPOL, the difference between reactive and proactive investigations, and where prosecutions might happen for transnational RICO cases.

DA Investigators, Warrantless Arrests in the Home, and Cover-Ups

Jul 26 2023 14 mins  
Adam talks about a DA Investigator moving over to a police department as a detective, the legalities of making a warrantless arrest inside a suspect's home, and how to conduct a cover-up.

Threads App, Life Insurance Lookups, VINELink, Confidential Name Changes, Restraining Order Violations

Jul 11 2023 12 mins  
Adam talks about the new THREADS app, whether detectives can find out if someone is listed as a beneficiary on a life insurance policy, victim notifications when an inmate is released from prison, confidential name changes, and violating protective orders.

WGA Strike, Mini Rooms, AI, Phone Warrant in a Homicide, and California Crime Labs

Jun 20 2023 22 mins  
In this episode, we dive into the ongoing WGA strike. We'll also explore the role of artificial intelligence in writing and storytelling, and how it's poised to change the way we create and consume content. Then, we'll answer some of your writing questions, including the logistics of obtaining phone records in a homicide case and which agencies can use California state crime labs.

Federal Inmate Escapes, Hawaiian Floaters, and a Foreign Leader Murder Suspect

May 02 2023 14 mins  
This week we are talking about what happens when a federal inmate escapes from prison, a body in Hawaiian waters, who handles the investigation if a murder victim is found in a visiting world leader’s hotel room.

Disaster Fraud, Moving to a New State, and Percipient Witnesses

Mar 14 2023 13 mins  
This week, Adam answers questions about financial crimes, how a detective could go about becoming a police chief in another state, and he explains what it means to be a percipient witness.