Skip to content
Bad Cops podcast artwork

PODCAST · news

Bad Cops

by BBC World Service

In Baltimore, Maryland, an elite group of plainclothes officers called the Gun Trace Task Force gets hundreds of illegal guns off the streets every year. Secretly, however, these detectives are also robbing people, selling drugs, planting evidence and framing innocent people. When some of the officers go too far, it triggers an FBI investigation that reveals the Gun Trace Task Force as one of the most corrupt police squads in American policing history. Jessica Lussenhop tells the story of the rise and fall of this once-powerful unit of officers, and its leader Sergeant Wayne Jenkins. And she asks: why do good cops go bad?

Publisher-supplied feed metadata · PodParley refreshed Apr 16, 2026 · Source feed

Episodes

  1. 7. The golden boy

    Wayne Jenkins, now serving 25 years in prison, tells his side of the story. What do the crimes of the Gun Trace Task Force reveal about the city of Baltimore?

  2. 6. The fallout

    A shocking tragedy occurs. Conspiracy theories spread. The trial of the Task Force officers begins, but who will speak out?

  3. 5. The takedown

    Is the FBI's cover about to be blown? Agent Jensen suspects the Task Force is onto her.

  4. 4. The man behind the curtain

    He earned a formidable reputation. But Sgt Wayne Jenkins is leading a double life. Not all the drugs he's seized are making it to the evidence room.

  5. 3. The warning signs

    How many red flags were missed? Years of complaints come to light. Victims of Task Force members share their stories.

  6. 2. The wiretap

    One name stands out as the FBI gets to work. Why does a member of the Gun Trace Task Force have links to a major heroin ring? A whole new level of criminality is revealed.

  7. 1. The tracker

    Civil unrest spreads across Baltimore after 25-year-old Freddie Gray dies in police custody. Meanwhile, a detective makes a troubling discovery when he arrests a major heroin dealer. It’s time to call in the FBI. Presenter: Jessica Lussenhop Producer: Ben Crighton

  8. Introducing: Bad Cops

    The true story of the rise and fall of Baltimore’s Gun Trace Task Force. Why do good cops go bad? Episode one available August 14th. With Jessica Lussenhop.

Type above to search every episode's transcript for a word or phrase. Matches are scoped to this podcast.

Searching…

We're indexing this podcast's transcripts for the first time — this can take a minute or two. We'll show results as soon as they're ready.

No matches for "" in this podcast's transcripts.

Showing of matches

No topics indexed yet for this podcast.

Loading reviews...

ABOUT THIS SHOW

In Baltimore, Maryland, an elite group of plainclothes officers called the Gun Trace Task Force gets hundreds of illegal guns off the streets every year. Secretly, however, these detectives are also robbing people, selling drugs, planting evidence and framing innocent people. When some of the officers go too far, it triggers an FBI investigation that reveals the Gun Trace Task Force as one of the most corrupt police squads in American policing history. Jessica Lussenhop tells the story of the rise and fall of this once-powerful unit of officers, and its leader Sergeant Wayne Jenkins. And she asks: why do good cops go bad?

HOSTED BY

BBC World Service

Produced by BBC

CATEGORIES

Frequently Asked Questions

How many episodes does Bad Cops have?

Bad Cops currently has 8 episodes available on PodParley. New episodes are automatically indexed when they're published to the podcast feed.

What is Bad Cops about?

In Baltimore, Maryland, an elite group of plainclothes officers called the Gun Trace Task Force gets hundreds of illegal guns off the streets every year. Secretly, however, these detectives are also robbing people, selling drugs, planting evidence and framing innocent people. When some of the...

How often does Bad Cops release new episodes?

Bad Cops has 8 episodes. Check the episode list to see recent publication dates and frequency.

Where can I listen to Bad Cops?

You can listen to Bad Cops on PodParley by clicking any episode. We provide an embedded audio player for direct listening, and you can also subscribe via your preferred podcast app using the RSS feed.

Who hosts Bad Cops?

Bad Cops is created and hosted by BBC World Service.
URL copied to clipboard!