Next Steps Show

Today, Gates Police Chief Robert Long joins Peter Vazquez for a candid conversation about the responsibilities behind the badge and the questions following the fatal October 4 encounter in Gates. Long discusses decisions made under pressure, the importance of an independent investigation, and why accountability and due process must apply before conclusions are drawn.
The discussion moves beyond one incident to mental-health emergencies, marijuana and changing drug risks, New York bail and discovery reforms, and the distance between laws made in Albany and the realities of policing local streets. Long also describes community policing, listening to residents, training and the qualities his department seeks in future officers.
Topics: The Gates encounter and ongoing investigation; split-second decisions and officer training; mental health and drug-related calls; criminal-justice reform; community trust and recruitment.
Original broadcast: October 8, 2026. The Next Steps Show with Peter Vazquez. Putting People First.

What does America owe the people who ran toward danger on September 11? And when government promises economic justice through marijuana legalization, who measures the results?
Today, Peter Vazquez welcomes retired NYPD Detective Sergeant and 9/11 survivor Mike Codella, who recounts rushing to the World Trade Center, surviving the collapse of the South Tower, and the importance of teaching duty, faith and history to the next generation. Codella also discusses his law-enforcement career and his forthcoming book, The Evil That Walked New York.
Terris E. Todd of Project 21 examines the promises surrounding cannabis legalization, the hurdles to Black business ownership, neighborhood concentration of dispensaries, public-health concerns and political accountability. Their conversation challenges the distance between a policy's stated intentions and its measurable outcomes.
Show notes: Mike Codella on 9/11, survival, public service and remembrance. The Evil That Walked New York and questions surrounding historic criminal cases. Terris E. Todd on Project 21, cannabis ownership and economic opportunity. The public-health and neighborhood consequences of legalization. Original broadcast: October 7, 2026. The Next Steps Show with Peter Vazquez. Putting People First.

Originally broadcast on October 6, 2026, this archival edition of The Next Steps Show is hosted by Peter Vazquez.The Next Steps Show | Putting People First. NextStepsShow.com

Originally broadcast on October 5, 2026, this archival edition of The Next Steps Show is hosted by Peter Vazquez.The Next Steps Show | Putting People First. NextStepsShow.com

Originally broadcast on October 1, 2026, this archival edition of The Next Steps Show is hosted by Peter Vazquez.The Next Steps Show | Putting People First. NextStepsShow.com

Originally broadcast on September 30, 2026, this archival edition of The Next Steps Show is hosted by Peter Vazquez.The Next Steps Show | Putting People First. NextStepsShow.com

Originally broadcast on September 29, 2026, this archival edition of The Next Steps Show is hosted by Peter Vazquez.The Next Steps Show | Putting People First. NextStepsShow.com

Originally broadcast on September 28, 2026, this archival edition of The Next Steps Show is hosted by Peter Vazquez.The Next Steps Show | Putting People First. NextStepsShow.com

Originally broadcast on September 25, 2026, this archival edition of The Next Steps Show is hosted by Peter Vazquez.The Next Steps Show | Putting People First. NextStepsShow.com

Originally broadcast on September 24, 2026, this archival edition of The Next Steps Show is hosted by Peter Vazquez.The Next Steps Show | Putting People First. NextStepsShow.com

Originally broadcast on September 23, 2026, this archival edition of The Next Steps Show is hosted by Peter Vazquez.The Next Steps Show | Putting People First. NextStepsShow.com

Originally broadcast on September 22, 2026, this archival edition of The Next Steps Show is hosted by Peter Vazquez.The Next Steps Show | Putting People First. NextStepsShow.com

Originally broadcast on September 21, 2026, this archival edition of The Next Steps Show is hosted by Peter Vazquez.The Next Steps Show | Putting People First. NextStepsShow.com

Originally broadcast on September 18, 2026, this archival edition of The Next Steps Show is hosted by Peter Vazquez.The Next Steps Show | Putting People First. NextStepsShow.com

Originally broadcast on September 17, 2026, this archival edition of The Next Steps Show is hosted by Peter Vazquez.The Next Steps Show | Putting People First. NextStepsShow.com

Originally broadcast on September 16, 2026, this archival edition of The Next Steps Show is hosted by Peter Vazquez.The Next Steps Show | Putting People First. NextStepsShow.com

Originally broadcast on September 15, 2026, this archival edition of The Next Steps Show is hosted by Peter Vazquez.The Next Steps Show | Putting People First. NextStepsShow.com

Originally broadcast on September 14, 2026, this archival edition of The Next Steps Show is hosted by Peter Vazquez.The Next Steps Show | Putting People First. NextStepsShow.com