Published by David Couper
I served over 20 years as the chief of police in Madison (WI), four years as chief of the Burnsville (MN) Police Department, and before that as a police officer in Edina (MN) and the City of Minneapolis. I hold graduate degrees from the University of Minnesota and Edgewood College in Madison. I have written many articles over my years as a police leader. After retiring from the police department, I answered a call to ministry, attended seminary, and was ordained as a priest in the Episcopal Church. After almost 30 years serving in and leading two Episcopal Churches in the Diocese of Milwaukee, I am "sort-of" in the process of retirement. Life is good.
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Improving Police: A Necessary Conversation 
Rep. John Conyers (D-Mich.) said during a Capitol Hill briefing featuring mothers of son who were killed by police. “We have a lot of work to do.” please check into this bill that was passed by both houses…. please report here on your thoughts about this. Community policing is out of control and we have to get more dialogue. Police do what they think the people in the community want…. and it has swung extremely too the dangerous extreme (rather than protecting us)…. we all need to be part of this dialogue….
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Jean, if police were really following the tenets of true community-oriented policing they would by necessity have to ask the community and then enlist the community’s help in solving the problem. I will be posting a piece tomorrow about an interview with a school resource officer in Madison and how what he does could be brought into neighborhood-oriented policing (a term I prefer). Thanks.
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http://www.fatalencounters.org/posts/ I would like you to comment on this site; it is significant that we have a “Death in Custody ” bill passed and people in this country need to know more about the issue. I hope it covers the youth that die in custody in the institutions such as Bridgewater State Hospital — inexperienced, untrained people who hold down a youth who is having a psychotic attack and the person dies. This is unconscionable. Please comment on these issues.
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This looks like a really important site! These are data we simply do not have at the present and the site attempts to answer the question as to how many lives are taken each year as a result of police action. Stay tuned.
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Thank you for the kindness of your reply; I was impressed that Virginia Bobby Scott, MI John Conyers and CT Blumenthal agree; but then they are democrats so I would guess they might agree with my viewpoint; I am in the Warren Wing because we voted for her (and Ed Markey)…. I wanted you to address this issue. I have been in Madison WI and spent some time in the summer at the University; those were halcyon days. It would be helpful if you could look across the states and see where we have a shared purpose and help to move the legislative groups (local and state); I know it is a local matter yet we need the guidance and advice from the places that you represent to help inform us in the different states. thanks for all you do.
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Jean, we’ve got a WHOLE lot of work to do. I know I should be looking more to the legislative process, schools, prosecutors, judges, probation, and prisons… I will try and do this when I come across some bright shining lights. Having said that, I am more recently moved to start the forgiveness process between our nation’s police and people of color… one small step at a time… it will take more than my lifetime, but I will rest a bit better at the time of my death knowing that I tried to move this idea forward… see: http://radio.foxnews.com/2014/12/15/former-police-chief-police-domination-has-to-stop/
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that is a wonderful ethical system; McGovern says that he had seen a reduction in poverty and hunger over his life time and I would like to be able to accomplish similar things…. The best to you and let me know how we should be helping you.
one small step at a time… it will take more than my lifetime, but I will rest a bit better at the time of my death knowing that I tried to move this idea forward… see:
jeanhaverhill@aol.com
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