There’s a New Gang in Town—And They Don’t Answer to You!

A Reflection on Power, Fear, and Constitutional Courage

During my 33 years in policing, including two decades as the Chief in Madison, a critic once told me that I was essentially in charge of “the biggest gang in town”. At the time, I knew they were right—we had the guns, the legal authority, and the organizational weight. Today, however, the tables have turned. In the current “reign of terror,” local police are no longer the heavyweights. That title has been seized by federal agents—ICE “goons” who arrive with more men, more weapons, and zero local accountability. And therein lies the problem.

We are witnessing a standoff not just of personnel, but of wills. The silence from many of our mayors, city councils, and police chiefs isn’t just bureaucratic; I believe it is born of a deep, pervasive fear—from slandering to withholding federal monies. We have seen how those who cross this administration are attacked—from former FBI Director James Comey, Minnesota Governor Tim Walz, Minneapolis Mayor Jabob Frey, and to scores of others. This political “dismantling of democracy” has now reached street level. Many of our leaders are afraid that if they stand up, they will lose city revenues or be the next targets of a federal vendetta.

In the police academy over the years, many of us have tried to instill a specific kind of courage in our officers: the physical courage to run toward “shots fired” while others run away, and the intestinal fortitude to walk a foot beat and patrol a dark alley alone. And, yes, to stand up to bullies. I believe one of the reasons we have police in our society is to do just that – to say no to those because of size, position or wealth, somehow love to abuse others. It can start on the playground… often ends up in a mansion.

But there is a second, rarer form of courage required today: Moral Courage; the courage to “do the right thing” – reminding me of Spike Lee’s great film by that name.

Physical Courage is running toward a gunman.
Moral Courage is telling a group of masked and unidentifiable federal agents: “Not in my town. Not on my watch. Behave yourselves!”

One of the 150 year old nine principles on policing a democracy set forth by Sir Robert Peel was that “the police are the people and the people are the police.” If it is to mean anything, our local officers resist abuse and illegal detentions in their city by federal immigration agents. They cannot claim to be “guardians” if they allow their neighbors to be taken away in the night and say and do nothing.

Chief Brian O’Hara of Minneapolis—a leader with significant frontline experience—has aptly described current federal tactics as leaderless, undisciplined, and devoid of professional self-control. When local police fail to safeguard the right to protest or stand by as federal incursions harm our residents, they aren’t just failing a policy; they are abandoning the very soul of our democracy. For those of us who spent the last half-century building a community-oriented policing model—one rooted in trust, respect, and strictly controlled force—the current chaos feels like a tragic loss we fear may never be restored.

We cannot remain silent while our neighbors are snatched away in the night, stripped of due process and basic civility. To prevent this, local police leaders must implement two immediate, non-negotiable policies:

Mandatory 911 Documentation: Residents must be instructed to call 911 the moment they witness federal or ICE actions. Local officers must be dispatched not as assistants, but as witnesses—to document, record, and create an indisputable public record of federal activity in our neighborhoods.
The Duty to Intervene: Every local officer and deputy must understand their sworn obligation to de-escalate and intervene if they witness federal agents physically abusing residents or violating constitutional rights. Their badge is a shield for the people, not a permit for bystander apathy.

It is time for our nation’s police to reclaim their role as servant-leaders and guardians. They must find the courage to resist federal bullying and stand up for the communities they swore to protect.