Hate Crimes Investigations: An IACP Podcast

Ronald L. “Ron” Davis is an American law enforcement executive who served as the 12th Director of the U.S. Marshals Service (USMS) from September 27, 2021, until his retirement on January 17, 2025.
Davis has more than 28 years of policing experience, beginning his career in 1985 with the Oakland, California Police Department, where he held roles including SWAT team leader, academy director, investigations commander, and inspector general. He later served over eight years as Police Chief of East Palo Alto, California, where he became known for advancing community policing strategies that significantly reduced crime and violence.
At the federal level, Davis served from 2013 to 2017 as Director of the U.S. Department of Justice’s Office of Community Oriented Policing Services (COPS Office). During that time, he was also appointed Executive Director of the President’s Task Force on 21st Century Policing, helping shape national policing reform efforts.
As Director of the U.S. Marshals Service, Davis led the nation’s oldest federal law enforcement agency, overseeing judicial security, fugitive apprehension, witness protection, prisoner operations, and asset forfeiture across 94 federal judicial districts.
He holds a bachelor’s degree from Southern Illinois University and completed executive education at the Harvard Kennedy School of Government.

Garrett Te Slaa currently serves as a commander with the Santa Barbara County Sheriff’s Office, and is the founder of The Squad Room, a podcast and personal development training platform for law enforcement leaders. Garrett has previously served as the chief of police services for the cities of Solvang, CA and Buellton, CA and currently oversees the agency’s Operations Support Division which includes Training, Human Resources, Dispatch, Records and Wellness. Garrett holds a Masters in Public Administration with an emphasis in Organizational Leadership and Public Sector Management from California State University at Northridge, and is a graduate of the Sherman Block Supervisory Leadership Institute. He is a TEDx speaker, podcaster, and contributing writer for PoliceOne and Law Enforcement Today, and has held previous assignments in operations, professional standards, gang investigations, community relations, and judicial services among many others 

Joel Zink is a Chief Deputy District Attorney for Colorado’s 18th Judicial District and an elected member of the Littleton City Council who serves as a leading voice in the investigation and prosecution of hate crimes. As the founder of his office’s Hate Crimes Team, Joel played a pivotal role in drafting and passing landmark legislation to modernize Colorado’s hate crimes laws and strengthen victim protections. As a subject matter expert, Joel regularly trains law enforcement agencies and prosecutors in bias-motivated crime investigation and prosecution. Joel also fights for institutional transparency to strengthen public trust in law enforcement through initiatives like the Colorado Prosecutorial Dashboards project, bridging the gap between high-level policy, emerging technology, and courtroom excellence.