Reflections of an Ex-cop

Journalist and author Rob Zaleski’s new book about me. For what it’s worth!

“In the summer of 1990, I interviewed David Couper for a profile in The Capital Times. Thirty years later, I met with the former Madison Police Chief at his country home for 19 in-depth interviews about his remarkable life. The book launch for ‘David Couper … Beyond the Badge; Reflections of an Ex-cop,’ will be at 6 p.m., Tuesday, Aug. 23, at Mystery to Me bookstore on Monroe Street. Award-winning journalist Doug Moe will be moderating. Hope you can join us!” (His publisher had requested that i not be here at the launch of his book. Maybe later.)

Here’s an excerpt from Doug Moe’s Foreword:

“Zaleski guides Couper into conversations about the current, contentious state of policing in the United States. A theme that keeps resurfacing is Couper’s distress at the military posture many police forces adopted in the wake of the 9/11 attacks. In one of the last interviews, he’s dismayed in 2018 when UW-Platteville police science students resist his efforts to have a frank discussion on policing and institutional racism.

“Yet people who only recall the Couper who as chief put an image of Mahatma Gandhi on his office wall may be taken aback to learn he was a Marine, a martial arts expert, and an accomplished athlete who on a wrestling mat nearly defeated Dan Brand, who represented the United States at the Rome Olympics in 1960.

“Couper is candid about his personal life, marriages that didn’t work and a lengthy third one that did. His family did not escape the scourge of drugs, or accidental death, or illness.

“Those conversations couldn’t have been easy, and it’s clear Couper both trusted and respected Rob Zaleski. Their collaboration has produced an important book. There is even, in an epilogue, a surprise ending. But then, given what we’ve learned about David Couper in the preceding pages, maybe not so surprising…”

It’s my life in 29 in-depth interviews — for what it’s worth!

If interested, you can order HERE.