I put together a short video on this important topic as many cities across America consider de-funding/eliminating their police departments. Most recently, a majority of city council members in Minneapolis voted to replace their police with a “community-led” model.
Some police officers signed a letter pledging to work toward trust.
I urge you to seriously consider re-imaging — think and then act on the kind of police you wish and hoped served you and your children.
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 25 years leading two Episcopal Churches in Portage and North Lake, Wisconsin, I now serve as Associate Pastor in a growing, dynamic, and Spirit-filled Lutheran congregation in nearby Mazomanie.
View all posts by David Couper
Improving Police: A Necessary Conversation 