The Gap Between Policy and Practice in American Policing A working paper The Paradox A department can do almost everything … More
Author: David Couper
Learning Hard Lessons
Gaining Deeper Perspectives on Culture, Systems, and Change The first of my “Hard Lessons” occurred during the Deming-influenced quality improvement … More
The Fatal Flaw in Modern Police Reform
Why Graham Keeps American Police Stuck! Across the country, progressive municipal police departments pride themselves on progressive transformation. They invest … More
How Police in America Got Hijacked
From Guardians to Warriors: How 9/11 Changed American Policing — and Why It Hasn’t Stopped I took my first oath … More
Building an Effective Strategy and Coalition
IF EUROPE’S POLICE CAN, WHY CAN’T WE? A Systems-Thinking Case for Improving Police Use of Deadly Force [Executive Summary: Constitutional baselines … More
“I Was Only Following Orders”: The Most Dangerous Words in a Democracy
In a recent talk, “I Was Only Following Orders: The Line Between Duty and Conscience,” I challenged the dangerous notion … More
We’re a 2026 Top Cop Blog!
I am pleased to share some wonderful news with you. Recently, this blog has been selected as one of the … More
The Active Fight is Over. Moving to Reserve Duty
Active Reserve Duty I have fought a long, hard fight for nearly three-quarters of a century. It is now time … More
Breaking Trust: Why Local Police Should Not Enforce Federal Immigration Law
Today’s New York Times investigation highlights a disturbing and dangerous trend in American law enforcement: the rapid expansion of federal … More
Another Sad Tale of Failed Police Reform
It is a bitter irony to watch the cycle of crisis and reform churn in Minneapolis—a city in which I … More
