— Observations and experience of a veteran police chief from a 33-year career. — Studying and reflecting on the nature…
The Thin Blue Line: A History
Policing a Free Society Dane County Historical Society — April 19, 2026 I had the pleasure (and blessing) of sharing…
The Future of Policing and the Policing Covenant
A Covenant for Democratic Policing The Future Policing Institute (FPI) is a nonpartisan, nonprofit think tank founded and led by…
Your Bounden Duty: Seven Precepts for a Police Officer in a Free Society
Introduction When I was a young boy growing up in the Episcopal Church, I was given a small pamphlet called My…
Community-Oriented Policing: A Conversation Still Worth Having
There are moments in reflecting back to the work I did in policing to remind me why it matters. My…
Silence is Surrender
If Democracy Is To Hold, Local Police Must Resist I have watched American policing change—sometimes painfully slowly, sometimes faster than…
Remember What We Built
As a growing presence of federal law enforcement comes to our towns and cities and looms in our future, let’s…
The Thin Blue Line
A Crisis of Allegiance A dangerous collision is imminent between federal overreach and the front-line reality of local policing. Across America,…
Interview with Commissioner Bill Bratton
This post contains a link the podcast Chat with the Chief, hosted by Sarasota Police Chief Rex Troche. It features…
Tension on the Street
Several cities and states are adopting measures that restrict how federal law enforcement conducts civil immigration operations, placing local police…
Not In Our City, Not On Our Watch!
A Call to Active Duty City, County and State Police I served over three decades as a city cop. I know…
Improving Police: A Necessary Conversation 