City of Bowling Green Code Compliance Officer Heather Lashley (right) answers questions from her husband, Bowling Green Fire Department Capt. Kevin Lashley (left), as they record a new episode for the city’s new podcast, TalkBGKY, at City Hall on Friday, March 8, 2024. (Grace Ramey/grace.ramey@bgdailynews.com)

Ronnie Ward, public information officer for the Bowling Green Police Department, said on two separate occasions he has been told by individuals with drugs in their pockets “these aren’t my pants.”

“I remember him saying he spent the night at a buddy’s house and he was wearing his buddy’s pants,” Ward said. “I don’t understand exactly how he could pick a pair of pants that didn’t belong to (him) that had drugs in the pocket.”

Ward shared this story on the first episode of TalkBGKY, a podcast launched by the City of Bowling Green on Monday. The episode was titled “‘These aren’t my pants’ and other policing absurdities.”

The podcast is available on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, YouTube, Vimeo and the City’s website.

New episodes are posted on the first and third Monday of every month. Ward said in an upcoming episode he will discuss the unsolved homicide of Louis Reynolds, an attendant at a gas station in Bowling Green who was shot and killed in a robbery in 1966. Ward said this case is the oldest open case the department has.

Deborah Highland-West, public information officer for the city and the occasional host of the podcast, said it will help increase transparency within city government.

“Government transparency is absolutely vital to accountability and to an informed citizenry,” West said. “This is just another way we can inform people and be transparent about what we do.”

West said five episodes have been taped so far. Along with humorous police stories, the podcast will examine unsolved homicides, cybersecurity, safe driving practices and parks and recreation activities.

She said anyone working with city government can host the podcast or be interviewed on it, so long as their supervisor OKs it. She said once episodes are recorded, they are checked by the interviewee and their superiors before they are posted.

“I’ve gotten out and told lots of folks, ‘hey, I really want I really want to hear from everybody on these podcasts,’ So if you’ve got an idea, let us know,” she said.