Some stories are about a career change. Others are about survival, purpose, and finding a new way to serve after life forces a hard pivot. In this North Idaho Experience episode, Eric and Seth sit down with Nick McCarthy, a former Daly City police officer from the San Francisco Bay Area and founder of the Code 33 Project. His story includes proactive police work, a life-altering officer-involved shooting, PTSD, leaving California, moving to Idaho, and building a mentorship program for the next generation of law enforcement officers.

Nick’s story is not polished or easy. It is honest. It speaks to the realities of modern policing, the weight officers carry, and the need for strong mentors who can help young officers understand what the job really demands.

Life as a Proactive Bay Area Street Cop

Nick began his law enforcement career in 2014 with the Daly City Police Department, just south of San Francisco. Daly City is only about seven and a half square miles, but with more than 100,000 people and proximity to San Francisco, Oakland, and other urban areas, it gave officers plenty of work.

Nick describes Daly City as an agency with high expectations. He came from a law enforcement family, with relatives who had built respected careers before him, and he felt the pressure of carrying that name well. Instead of backing away from that pressure, he used it as motivation.

His goal was to become a proactive, well-rounded street cop. Not just someone who answered calls, but someone who knew how to find crime, make good cases, and protect the community. He credits the officers around him for setting the tone. They worked hard, expected competence, and taught him that police work was not about going through the motions.

That mindset became the foundation for what he now teaches through the Code 33 Project.

The Reality of Modern Policing

A major theme in the conversation is how dramatically law enforcement has changed in many cities and states. Nick and the hosts talk about the effects of decriminalization, policy decisions, lack of accountability, and local leadership that often leaves officers unsupported.

For proactive officers, this creates a frustrating environment. They may know what needs to be done, but they also know that political leadership, public pressure, or department policy may punish them for doing the work.

Nick does not pretend every officer is great. In fact, one of the most important parts of the conversation is his honesty about the profession. He explains that law enforcement does not just have a “bad apple” problem. In many places, it has an insufficiency problem. Some officers may not have bad intentions, but they may lack the judgment, stress tolerance, physical ability, emotional control, or decision-making skills required for the job.

That distinction matters. The public needs good officers. Other officers need good backup. Communities need men and women who can handle high-pressure situations with competence, restraint, and courage.

The Traffic Stop That Changed Everything

Nick shares in detail the officer-involved shooting that changed the course of his life. In April 2021, he was working as a K9 officer and came across a suspicious truck with a flat tire. The vehicle had recently been recovered out of San Francisco, and the driver appeared slumped over the steering wheel.

What began as a welfare check quickly turned into something much more serious. As Nick contacted the occupants, he noticed signs that something was wrong. The passenger was visibly agitated, wearing latex gloves, holding a meth pipe, and acting far more nervous than someone worried about a minor drug issue.

Nick tried to slow the situation down while waiting for backup and using verbal skills to keep everyone calm. When additional officers arrived, they began removing the driver. As Nick moved the driver back toward his patrol car, another officer warned him about the passenger’s hands.

Nick turned and saw the passenger holding what appeared to be a Glock-style handgun. The man pointed it directly at Nick’s face. In that moment, Nick saw his partners behind the suspect and made the split-second decision not to fire because of the risk of hitting them.

The suspect fired first.

The weapon turned out to be a CO2 pellet gun, but Nick did not know that in the moment. He believed he had been shot in the face. The incident ended with other officers firing, the suspect dying, and Nick left to process the aftermath of an event that could easily have killed him or one of his partners.

PTSD, Survivor’s Guilt, and the Aftermath

The shooting left Nick with questions that could not be answered easily. Why was he lucky enough to survive? What if it had been a real firearm? Should he have made a different decision? Did his decision force another officer to carry the burden of firing the fatal shots?

Those questions became part of his struggle with PTSD.

Nick is clear that therapy helped him. He is also clear that therapy alone was not the full answer. He had to take responsibility for how he was living, how he was coping, and how his pain was affecting his family. He talks openly about using alcohol, making bad decisions, and eventually reaching a point where he knew he had to rebuild.

That honesty is one of the most powerful parts of the episode. Nick does not use trauma as an excuse. He recognizes the impact of the job, but he also recognizes the responsibility to change.

For many first responders and veterans, that message will hit home. Trauma may explain certain struggles, but healing requires ownership.

Leaving California and Finding Idaho

After the shooting, media pressure, threats, protests, and rising crime made Nick and his family reconsider their future in California. He describes incidents near his own home and the growing realization that local leadership was allowing problems to worsen.

Eventually, he and his family visited Idaho. They rented a house in Boise, explored the area, and quickly fell in love with the state. Within months, they had made the move.

For Nick, Idaho offered safety, community, and a place where his family could breathe again. It also gave him the space to begin thinking about how he could stay connected to law enforcement even though his own police career had ended earlier than expected.

For families considering whether it is time to make the move to North Idaho, Nick’s story reflects a common theme. Many people do not leave places like California because they stopped loving where they came from. They leave because the place changed, the policies changed, and the future they wanted for their family no longer felt possible there.

What Is the Code 33 Project?

The Code 33 Project is Nick’s way of staying in the fight. In police radio language, “Code 33” generally means emergency traffic only or secure the channel. For Nick, it represents urgency, focus, and the seriousness of the mission.

The project is designed to mentor both current officers and people preparing to enter law enforcement. Nick wants to help officers develop the mindset, work ethic, judgment, and professionalism needed to do the job well.

His message is not that every officer has to be the same type of cop. Departments need different strengths. Some officers are excellent investigators. Some are proactive street cops. Some are strong communicators. Some are gifted with victims, paperwork, crashes, DUIs, or complex cases.

But whatever role an officer fills, Nick believes they should do it well. Mediocrity is dangerous in a profession where decisions can affect lives, freedom, and public trust.

Mentoring the Next Generation

Nick is especially passionate about helping young officers understand the seriousness of the job. Many new recruits may lack life experience, physical confidence, or a realistic understanding of violence, stress, and responsibility. Police work is not just another job. It requires maturity, humility, courage, discretion, and emotional control.

He also emphasizes the importance of knowing when and how to communicate. There is a time to be firm and a time to de-escalate. There is a difference between a true threat and a frustrated citizen. Good cops understand that distinction.

At the same time, Nick believes officers must be prepared to protect. The public may not always see the danger that exists around them, but proactive policing can prevent crime before it reaches someone’s family, business, or neighborhood.

That is the heart of the Code 33 Project: build better cops so communities are better protected.

Purpose After the Badge

Nick’s career did not end the way he expected, but his mission did not end. Through the Code 33 Project, he has found a new way to serve law enforcement, support officers, and pass on lessons earned through real experience.

His story is a reminder that service can change shape. Sometimes the badge comes off, but the calling remains. For Nick, that calling now looks like mentorship, accountability, and helping officers become the kind of protectors their communities need.

In a time when law enforcement is under pressure from every direction, voices like Nick’s matter. They bring honesty, experience, and a willingness to talk about the hard parts of the job without losing sight of why the job matters in the first place.