The Jordan Harbinger Show
1160: Tegan Broadwater | How a White Cop Infiltrated the Crips Part One
27 May 2025
Undercover work is psychological warfare in designer jeans. Ex-cop Tegan Broadwater explains how authenticity beats acting when lives are on the line. [1/2]Jordan's must reads (including books from this episode): AcceleratEdFull show notes and resources can be found here: jordanharbinger.com/1160What We Discuss with Tegan Broadwater:Drug enforcement is akin to treading water. Police work prevents drug problems from worsening rather than eliminating them, putting officers at extreme risk just to maintain the status quo.Undercover cops never use drugs. Officers use clever tactics like fake courthouse visits to build street credibility without compromising their cases or health through actual drug use.Gang operations are surprisingly business-like. Crips run complex enterprises with rental properties, specialized roles, and supply chains, though internal conflicts limit their effectiveness.Trust is the currency of illegal business. When drug dealers invite outsiders to their houses, it represents a major security breach and indicates significant trust in their criminal relationships.Authenticity beats acting under pressure. An undercover agent needs to stay true to their core personality rather than adopting elaborate personas that fall apart under high-stress situations that might out them in the field. Stay tuned for part two of this episode later this week for more tactical insights!And much more...And if you're still game to support us, please leave a review here — even one sentence helps! Sign up for Six-Minute Networking — our free networking and relationship development mini course — at jordanharbinger.com/course!Subscribe to our once-a-week Wee Bit Wiser newsletter today and start filling your Wednesdays with wisdom!Do you even Reddit, bro? Join us at r/JordanHarbinger!This Episode Is Brought To You By Our Fine Sponsors:The Cybersecurity Tapes: thecybersecuritytapes.comFactor: 50% off first box: factormeals.com/factorpodcast, code FACTORPODCASTProgressive: Free online quote: progressive.comAudible: Visit audible.com/jhs or text JHS to 500-500Boll & Branch: 15% off first set of sheets: bollandbranch.com, code JORDANLand Rover Defender: landroverusa.comSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
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Today on the show, former undercover cop Tegan Broadwater, who infiltrated the infamous Crips street gang. We dive into the drug war and how we are not going to arrest our way out of the dope problem.
We also explore undercover tactics and strategies, close calls that almost cost him his life, becoming close friends with gang members, building trust, building rapport, and how he dealt with a leak inside his own police department. This is a really good, solid two-part episode here that I know you'll enjoy. Here we go. Part one with Tegan Broadwater.
Yeah, because that's one of those jobs where everybody says, various interviews have been like, my stress was so high, one of my teeth started falling out. And where my stress was so high, blood work said I was going to basically die young because my cortisol was through the roof or had no cortisol or whatever it was. My stress level was so high, I was addicted to hydroxycut.
And it's just one legal substance after another. And that's the stuff they can say on air because they don't want to lose their job or their pension. Like, I was on meth. I'm sure that some of these guys probably do get hooked on that stuff.
Yeah, some of them. There's some rogue undercovers and there's some straight-up trained everything-by-the-book undercovers. I've talked to a number of them. And there's been a bunch of books out there, too. Some of those are also trashed. But when I did my research, I figured it was kind of a cop-out, no pun intended, to get yourself to do the dope and then get stuck on it. I don't get it.
I just thought... Man, the easiest way to get in is to just be willing to say, okay, well, then that's fine. I'm going to go down the street and find somebody else to do business with.
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