Here’s What We Need to Do Now!

David Couper

I have some suggestions as to what police need to do, and do it quickly, if we are take advantage of this moment in history to ease our way forward.

It is that police must raise their standard for using deadly force. They must commit to a sanctity of life by adopting the European Union standard of “absolute necessity.” It must be absolutely necessary when police officers in our country takes the life of another person.

This one act will significantly reduce the number of persons killed by police each year (which has been approximately 1,000 persons per year over the past six years. About 1/3 are persons of color).

This will be a huge step in rebuilding trust between communities of color and our nation’s police. It should also help police move away from police seeing themselves as “warriors” instead of the guardians most Americans expect them to be. If we believe “Black Lives Matter,” we will demand this happen and happen now.

From this one act should flow a series of improvements regarding de-escalation, consideration of less-than-deadly force, peer intervention, and a closer working relationship between communities and their police.

_____________________

View my video on the subject HERE.

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 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.

5 Comments

  1. about 1/3 are of color?so 2/3 not of color? then why the hell use that stat?are you pointing out that the racist card is a joke? if it isn’t a typo, then you are just another person trying to use stats to continue race baiting. stop it.

    Do THAT now.

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply

  2. I think many people presume that absolute necessity already is the standard. And that, therefore, if an officer used deadly force, it must have been necessary. Of course there are more examples than ever now where it’s documented that killing suspects was entirely avoidable, as with George Floyd.

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply

    1. I wish we were able to have an open, public conversation about how and when deadly force should be used by police and how people in their communities may or may not support their use of deadly force in these situations.

      Liked by 1 person

      Reply

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