How to Choose a Chief of Police

Selecting a Police Chief in My Hometown: Yes, It’s Personal!

Having served as Madison’s police chief for over 20 years—and having observed the department closely in the 30 years since—I care deeply about who leads our police department. So yes, this is personal. And, by the way, you should, too!

I will be making a short presentation to the commission tonight that will hire Madison’s next chief of police.

Earlier this year, I was interviewed by the Capital Times in their May 25, 2025 article, “What Madison is looking for in its next police chief” by Enjoyiana Nururdin.

The interview gave me an opportunity to reflect publicly on a topic I’ve spent a lifetime thinking about: What kind of leadership does a police department—and a community—truly need?

Back in the 1980s, I wrote a book called How to Rate Your Local Police. Decades later, much of it remains relevant. One of its core messages is this: Communities must hold their police leaders accountable—not just for reducing crime, but for upholding democratic values, building trust, and treating all residents with dignity and fairness.

Here’s part of what I said in the Capital Times interview:

“Police are models of how a government official should work in a free society, and that’s a very important job. When they fail, the trust can quickly be eroded, and it takes years to build that back up.

Within your city, you must have a bank account of trust. And the holders of that trust are generally people you have the most contact with—often poor people, and people of various racial identities. Those are the people who really depend on you to see if you can walk your talk.”

The selection of a police chief isn’t just about enforcing the law. It’s about choosing someone who understands the weight of public trust—and is willing to carry it with humility, courage, and a commitment to justice for all.

Read the full article here.
Find my book How to Rate Your Local Police on Amazon.

I’ll post the remarks I made to the commission on this site tomorrow. Stay tuned!