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Diane Urban is the Chief of Police of Hayward, CA. Obviously she wasn’t appointed chief straight out of the academy. So how’d she get there? She busted her ass and worked hard.
It’s the same work ethic that got her to the CrossFit Games as a masters athlete.
Even in 2016, being a woman in law enforcement often means that your career is filled with firsts. For Diane, that meant:
- First female officer on San Jose PD SWAT Team
- First female sniper in the department
- First female assistant chief at San Jose
- First female chief of police in Hayward
- First female guest of The Squad Room podcast
I’m pretty sure that last one is her proudest moment. I’m almost positive.
Diane came on the show to talk about how she persevered through the challenges of being a female in a career dominated by men. We also talk at length about leadership, and the challenges when she and her department lost an officer in the line of duty last year.
Sgt. Scott Lunger was killed on a traffic stop on July 22, 2015, only hours before Diane was set to compete in the second day of the Games.
Diane was very honest and open about that experience. It provides great insight into what that experience is like from “the top.”
Diane was first exposed to CrossFit while at San Jose PD where they have a robust CrossFit-based physical fitness program. When she made chief in Hayward, she brought it with her and got her command staff on-board. Something tells me they didn’t have a choice.
But she’s seen the benefits of what fitness can do for your career, and what it’s done for hers.
Diane is a leader. That’s obvious. Listen to how she talks about the people she works with, and who work for her. She’s a natural.
This episode is sponsored by SB Tactical and the iCombat Active Shooter Training System. Check out the videos on their website to see the system in action. There’s no site prep, no mess, and a drastically reduced chance of injury over paintball, simunitions or live-fire training.
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