Author: davidccouper

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. At the present time, I serve a small church in North Lake (WI), east of Madison. Sabine and I have nine adult children, eleven grandchildren and four great-grandchildren. She is also a retired police officer and we both continue active lives.

Why Uvalde Matters

Uvalde matters because this is the time when our nation’s police need to restore public trust; without it, police cannot … More

Why Did He Die?

Police officers in Colorado shot and killed a terrified young man whose car got stuck in a dirt road after … More

Preventing Suicide

National Officer Safety Initiatives PREVENTING SUICIDE AMONG LAW ENFORCEMENT OFFICERS: AN ISSUE BRIEF [Editor’s Note: This month is Suicide Prevention … More