Law Enforcement Talk: True Crime and Trauma Stories
Episode: The Kensington Philadelphia Drug Market, Real Story
Host: John "Jay" Wiley
Guest: Tristan Kilgallen (Former Philadelphia Warrant Investigator, Lawyer, Professor)
Date: November 23, 2025
Episode Overview
In this episode, host John "Jay" Wiley interviews Tristan Kilgallen – a former member of the Philadelphia Warrant Unit, lawyer, and professor – about his experiences tackling crime in Kensington, Philadelphia’s notorious open-air drug market. The conversation moves from street-level realities and the complexities of addiction, to law enforcement policy, legal careers, and shifts in higher education.
Key Discussion Points & Insights
1. Background – The Warrant Unit & Policing in Philadelphia
- Tristan’s Unconventional Entry:
- Unlike many, Tristan didn’t grow up wanting to be a cop. He was a grad student and part-time bail interviewer who transitioned to warrant investigations (04:01).
- Operations of the Warrant Unit:
- Specialized in bench warrants/detainers; streamlined no lengthy paperwork meant they could arrest “20 people in a night sometimes…there were literally tens of thousands of wanted people” (04:35).
- Worked in teams: driver, recorder (front door), and runner (foot chases or perimeter) (05:23).
- Mostly dealt with repeat, low-level offenders (07:21).
Notable Quote
“It was to some extent like shooting fish in a barrel.”
— Tristan Kilgallen (04:01)
2. Kensington: From Blue-Collar to Epicenter of Crisis
- Decline of a Neighborhood:
- Once a bustling working-class area, Kensington was devastated by deindustrialization. By the early 2000s, it became emblematic of drug-fueled decay (13:04).
- Disturbing Realities:
- Today, it resembles “the Walking Dead…open-air drug markets…million-dollar drug corners…people with open sores…defecating in the streets” (13:39).
- Law enforcement can’t keep up: “If you just threw a big fishing net and caught 30 people, 27 of them would have warrants and all of them would have drugs on them. And you just simply can't do that. We don't have the manpower” (14:18).
- Personal Impact:
- “Needle Park” – a childhood hangout turned into a “heroin users’ camp…a place where you used to play stickball, you can't even go there now because it's just needles everywhere…” (14:59).
Notable Quote
“It's just open, open air drug markets. I mean, these are million dollar drug corners and there's people everywhere you look.”
— Tristan Kilgallen (13:28)
3. Drugs, Gangs, and Shifting Threats
- Different Neighborhoods, Distinct Dangers:
- Kensington: “Overwhelmingly drug users...with million-dollar drug corners comes drug gangs.” Dealers, many from outside the US, present a real threat (15:56).
- South Philly’s reputation (from “Rocky” etc.) is tough, but each area brings its own criminal element (16:46).
- Evolution of Substances:
- Early 2000s: ramp-up in heroin; more recently, fentanyl and unpredictable synthetic mixtures (18:00).
Notable Quote
“Most of the time when you're dealing with that neighborhood, you're dealing with a lot of guys from overseas…Dominican Republic, Puerto Rico...they're running it there.”
— Tristan Kilgallen (16:39)
4. Drug Addiction, Crime, and the Cycle of Desperation
- The Criminal-Behavior Dilemma:
- Both agree: “I don't have a problem with people who are drug addicts…their behavior is another matter. If you do crimes to feed your drug habit, which most do, then that's where the problem lies” (19:10).
- Fates of Many Users:
- There are no “functioning heroin addicts.” Downward spiral: recreational use, stealing, job loss, then sex work (19:49).
- “Most of them had the same story…boyfriend got them into drugs, then they start doing heroin recreationally. You start selling off everything you own. You then start stealing…eventually you've got nothing left” (19:49-20:42).
5. Transitioning from Law Enforcement to Law and Academia
- Pushed by Danger and Low Pay:
- “Do I want to get shot in the face for 35 grand? Eventually my wife’s like, hey man, try law school” (09:12).
- Law School and Academia:
- “If you do have an interest in the law and enforcing…the other one is by serving as an attorney, especially if you're going to do criminal work…” (23:49).
- Many older cops and military vets follow this path (24:51).
Notable Quote
“Law school was awesome…hanging out was great. Learning about the law was great. But nothing compares to working a warrant unit.”
— Tristan Kilgallen (31:02)
6. The Reality Gap: Policing vs. Academia
- Theory vs. Experience:
- Criminal justice textbooks: “My Lord, this sounds great. But none of this actually works…Law school is similar…not to knock academia, but…a lot of the folks in it have never actually done the things they claim to be great at” (25:29).
- Shift in Universities:
- Hostility and politicization increased after 2016 election.
- Students less prepared (“If a kid gets anything other than an A, you get in trouble…students are less prepared now than they were 15 years ago.”) (29:07; 29:55).
- AI is now making things worse for students’ writing skills (39:55-40:59).
Notable Moment
“[Teaching], if I mess up…who cares? No one's going to die…if I can walk into crack houses in Kensington, I can look at the department chair, some loser who's never had a real job in his life, right?”
— Tristan Kilgallen (41:49)
7. Final Notes: The Book and Redemption
- Philly Warrant Unit (the book):
- Co-authored with partner Mark Fusetti; a collection of short, real stories—some harrowing, some funny, some redemptive (43:20).
- “Some of the girls and we're almost out of time. Get more information about the book and Tristan at the Facebook page Philly Warrant Unit Book…” (44:00).
Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments
-
On Systemic Limits
“You simply can't do that. We don't have the manpower.”
— Tristan Kilgallen (14:18) -
On Illegal Drug Impact
"I've never met a functioning heroin addict…not something that you can dabble with on the weekends.”
— Tristan Kilgallen (19:49) -
On Law School vs. Real Life
“Law school is similar…not to knock academia, but one of the problems…is a lot of the folks in it have never actually done the things they claim to be great at, right?”
— Tristan Kilgallen (25:29) -
On Academia’s Politics
“I just refused to partake in their ridiculous strikes over the election…I'm not going to engage. I'm not playing that game.”
— Tristan Kilgallen (36:37) -
On Writing Skills and Technology
“They can't write at all now…the biggest problem we run into now is going to be AI because you have these kids who couldn't write or read two weeks ago. Now all of a sudden, AI wrote their paper and it looks better…”
— Tristan Kilgallen (39:55)
Timestamps for Key Sections
- [01:01]—Introduction to Tristan Kilgallen and his career path
- [04:01]—Operations and structure of the Philadelphia Warrant Unit
- [13:04]—History and decline of Kensington and present-day realities
- [15:56]—Comparing dangers across Philadelphia neighborhoods
- [18:00]—Changing drug trends: heroin to fentanyl
- [19:10]—Drug addiction, crime, and social consequences
- [23:49]—Transitioning from cop to lawyer to professor
- [25:29]—Academic theory vs. street-level realities
- [34:45]—How Tristan entered academia; culture changes after 2016
- [39:55]—Writing skills, student preparedness, and AI impact
- [41:49]—Teaching vs. warrant work: risk and reward
- [43:20]—About the "Philly Warrant Unit" book
Summary & Takeaways
This episode offers a raw, inside look at Philadelphia’s war against drugs from someone who lived it. Tristan Kilgallen pulls no punches about the scale of the problem in Kensington, the limitations of law enforcement, and the deep-seated cycles of addiction and crime. The discussion pivots to reveal how legal and academic practices often miss these gritty truths, and how higher education is shifting away from open debate and rigorous standards.
Listeners are left with empathy for the lives caught in the system, admiration for the officers who put themselves in harm’s way for little reward, and a bracing look at what happens when policies and realities diverge.
For those interested in firsthand stories of life behind the badge, be sure to check out “Philly Warrant Unit” on Facebook.