“The Wire’s” David Simon Talks About Improving Policing

David Couper
“Police need to walk away from the drug war…”
Unknown
David Simon

“Long before Freddie Gray’s death in police custody made Baltimore an epicenter of the Black Lives Matter movement, David Simon had covered police for the Baltimore Sun.

“He used his experience to write two books and two television series, including the critically acclaimed ‘The Wire.’ The New Yorker’s Jelani Cobb rides around West Baltimore with Simon to talk about what’s gone wrong with policing, and how to fix it.”

HEAR THE INTERVIEW from the New Yorker Radio Hour (14:00 min.)
Unknown's avatar

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.

2 Comments

  1. Criminalization of drugs is based on the underlying assumption that only through government coercion can we reduce harmful substance abuse. Other alternatives have not been adequately explored. We fail to confront the brutal realities of the second and third order harm from coercive strategies.

    I too believe police need to get out of the drug business. Withdrawal from that endeavor will free up precious resources that can be focused on more effective policing.

    Like

    Reply
  2. Pingback: Most Active Posts Last Week – Improving Police

Leave a comment

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.