Give me the top five reasons Madison is a terrific city. I’ll wait. Now, how many of you have one of the best police departments in the world on your list? Interesting. Among other assets that make Madison a great place to live is a diverse group of cops who are highly educated, well-trained, patient, compassionate and even-tempered. We have one person in particular to thank for it: former chief David Couper.

Couper came to Madison in 1972 to head up a police department that was white, male, military in style and appearance and best known for whacking anti-war demonstrators on their long-haired noggins. A lot of officers on the force at that time didn’t like Couper. Change did not come easily. But it came. And now the Rev. David Couper…