A City and Its Police: Minneapolis

David CouperJanuary 28, 2022Uncategorized

I know I have retired from active posting on this site, but I have to include this excellent interview with the former Minneapolis chief of police, Medaria Arradondo.

I had the privilege of talking with him during the Floyd Jones murder crisis. I was impressed by the values he has developed and maintained over the years. A good leader he is — in a most difficult era of American policing.

You might recall in my history that I served seven years as a street cop and detective in Minneapolis during my youthful years. I have to say that not much has changed over those many decades.

Minneapolis is a modern, innovative, Midwest city that has great wealth and potential. Somehow, all that is lost when it comes to its manner and style of policing.

For more on my thoughts and future of policing, I suggest you read my new 3rd edition of “Arrested Development: A Veteran Police Chief Sounds Off…”

Here is that great interview with former chief Medaria Arradondo by Ruben Rosario: https://www.twincities.com/2022/01/23/minneapolis-police-chief-medaria-arradondo-qa/

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 calling for police improvement (for example, How To Rate Your Local Police, and with my wife, Sabine, Quality Policing: The Madison Experience). 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 Black Earth. After losing Sabine, my wife of 40 years to cancer, I met Christine, a retired nurse and widow. We were blessed to find love again and married in 2021. View all posts by David Couper