In this second conversation with recently retired Chief Scott Hughes, PolicingTV goes deeper into what culture change actually feels like once a chief starts trying to move an organisation forward. Speaking with Tim Kucerovy, Hughes explains why the early wins matter, how he identified informal leaders inside the department, and why visibility, accountability and trust had to come before any lasting change could take hold.

The interview also captures the emotional side of leadership. Hughes is clear that doing this work properly is stressful, political and often deeply personal. But he argues that if leaders come in for the right reasons, stick to the fundamentals and refuse to quit when the pushback comes, they can leave a department better than they found it. It is a practical and honest discussion about toxic culture, buy-in, resistance and why leadership is never a half-hearted job.

Key takeaways

• Speakers repeatedly stress that witchcraft-related abuse and ritualistic abuse are real, current and still too often misunderstood.
• A major theme is that better recognition depends on professional curiosity, trauma-informed practice and the courage to ask difficult questions.
• The conference brings together perspectives from policing, academia, safeguarding, victim support and faith settings.
• Several contributors highlight the international dimension of the issue, including examples and learning from Bangladesh and Australia.
• NAPAC and other speakers emphasise how shadowed, stigmatised and difficult this area remains for victims to disclose.
• Another key message is that lack of data and lack of understanding still hold back progress.
• The conference is presented as an important step towards collaboration, visibility and more effective safeguarding responses.
• The overall message is that these cases should not be dismissed as too strange or too complex, but approached with care, evidence and persistence.

Chapters
01:03 – Picking up the culture conversation
03:18 – Why trust comes before change
05:37 – Finding the unofficial leaders
08:01 – Turning a difficult employee into an ally
10:22 – Why change never feels instant
13:13 – Raising standards and holding people accountable
19:59 – Leadership is hard and you cannot quit
23:50 – Knowing when it is time to step away

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