#166 The Unicorn Chief, Bryan Williams, Goes Full Send: Why Law Enforcement Leadership Continues to Fail

Welcome to a powerful first-time collaboration between the Iron Sights Podcast and the TTPOA Podcast.

Recorded during the Texas Tactical Police Officers Association (TTPOA) Annual Conference, this episode brings together TTPOA hosts Brandon and Matt, Chief Bryan Williams, and myself, Scott Howell, for an unfiltered and brutally honest conversation.

We dive into the real challenges facing law enforcement today—from broken leadership and cultural barriers to the lack of proper training—and most importantly, we discuss the why behind those problems.

Chief Bryan Williams is known as a cops’ cop—a leader who trains with his people, speaks the hard truth, and refuses to sugarcoat the realities of modern policing. As a USPSA grandmaster shooter and someone who is actively creating change in his department, Bryan brings raw passion and hard-earned insight to the table. This conversation is everything people inside and outside the profession wish they could say out loud. It’s real, raw, and unfiltered, just the way Bryan wants it.

So buckle up, drop the ego, and get ready for an eye-opening episode that doesn’t hold back.

Timestamps:

00:00 Intro

07:05 Bryan Williams’ Background

10:22 Training Standards Matter

13:29 Leadership & Decision-Making

19:38 Systemic Issues in Leadership

33:06 Understanding Community Concerns

36:04 Officer vs. Leadership Disconnect

40:45 Strong Leadership Examples

45:12 Community Policing & Perception

58:23 Real-World Training Gaps

01:07:01 Officer-Involved Shootings

01:14:00 Remembering the ‘Why’

01:25:24 Internal vs. External Promotions

01:30:14 Mid-Level Management Issues

01:38:28 Community Accountability

01:47:04 SWAT Tactics & Evolution