Skip to content
Improving Police: A Necessary Conversation

Improving Police: A Necessary Conversation

A veteran police chief committed to improving police leadership, trust, effectiveness, and officer safety.

  • Home
  • About
  • Author
  • Links
  • Bookstore

Author: David Couper

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. After retiring from the police department, I answered a call to ministry, attended seminary, and was ordained as a priest in the Episcopal Church. After almost 30 years serving in and leading two Episcopal Churches in the Diocese of Milwaukee, I am "sort-of" in the process of retirement. Life is good.

The Courage to Stand Up

I sense that today many people in our communities are waiting for their police leaders to stand up and declare … More

democracy, lawfulness, leadership, listening, police, respect, standing up, use of force, values

Burnsville (MN) Police: A Great Legacy

MINNEAPOLIS (WCCO) – The Burnsville Police Department has a new chief. Tanya Schwartz is the only woman to ever hold the … More

Burnsville, history, Minnesota, Patrick McInnis, police, professionalism, Tanya Schwartz, woman

Policing is the Art of Solving Problems

If this is true, how are you doing? Well-informed, thinking, and effective police officers know about POP and how to … More

Arizona State University, ASU, best practices, effectiveness, Herman Goldstein, policce, problem oriented policing, problem solving

Interview with NYPD Commissioner Jim O’Neil

Video: James O’Neill looks back on his tenure as the city’s top cop This week, Police Commissioner James O’Neill will … More

change, Dean Meminger, improvement, leadership, New York, NY1, Police Commissioner

Best Police Practices: The COPS Office

Law Enforcement Best Practices: Lessons Learned from the Field [My note: we need more of this and especially “best practices” … More

best practices, COPS Office, police, US DOJ

Body Cameras Will Not Improve Police Behavior!

Research finds police body-worn cameras fall short of expectations “While much of the research is mixed, its conclusion counters some … More

body cameras, Center for Evidence-Based Crime Policy, improvement, leadership, police, technology

Red Flagging: What Happens When an Elected Sheriff Won’t Enforce the Law?

Two articles about Red Flag laws that somehow will not be enforced. A most confusing matter… the world has gone … More

Colorado, non-enforcement, police, Red Flag, Seattle, Second Amendment Sanctuaries, Sheriffs

What We’ve Learned (and failed to learn) About Handling Crowds and Protests

“Authorities, and in particular the police, can often have a profound role to play in producing the very violence that … More

Clifford Stott, crowds, Hong Kong, police, potest, The Pulse, U.K.

Casuistry: Seeing the Particular in Both Sides

Malcolm Gladwell presents a most interesting podcast about “descending into the particular” — Casuistry* (see below). Which is to value … More

Excellence in Policing: What is It?

What is excellence in policing? Try digesting the following nine points and the included links and see what happens. Are … More

Posts navigation

Older posts
Newer posts

Enter your email address to follow this blog and receive notifications of new posts by email.

Join 1,238 other subscribers

Recent Posts

  • Your Bounden Duty: Seven Precepts for a Police Officer in a Free Society
  • Community-Oriented Policing: A Conversation Still Worth Having
  • Silence is Surrender
  • Remember What We Built
  • The Thin Blue Line

Top Posts & Pages

  • How a Traffic Offense Can Be a Ticket to Prison
    How a Traffic Offense Can Be a Ticket to Prison
  • Author
    Author
  • About
    About
  • Hazing and Bullying in the Police Academy
    Hazing and Bullying in the Police Academy
  • Can the Late Dr. Deming Help Police Out of their Crisis?
    Can the Late Dr. Deming Help Police Out of their Crisis?
  • Thinking Police
    Thinking Police
  • What Ever Happened to the Police Baton?
    What Ever Happened to the Police Baton?
  • Making Choices: The Moral Aspects of Policing
    Making Choices: The Moral Aspects of Policing
  • Why Police Matter
    Why Police Matter
  • An Alaskan Village Where Every Cop Has Been Convicted of Domestic Violence
    An Alaskan Village Where Every Cop Has Been Convicted of Domestic Violence
Follow me on Twitter @bocougar

Archives

  • March 2026
  • February 2026
  • January 2026
  • December 2025
  • November 2025
  • October 2025
  • September 2025
  • August 2025
  • July 2025
  • June 2025
  • May 2025
  • April 2025
  • March 2025
  • February 2025
  • January 2025
  • December 2024
  • November 2024
  • October 2024
  • September 2024
  • August 2024
  • July 2024
  • June 2024
  • May 2024
  • April 2024
  • March 2024
  • February 2024
  • January 2024
  • December 2023
  • November 2023
  • October 2023
  • September 2023
  • April 2023
  • March 2023
  • February 2023
  • January 2023
  • December 2022
  • November 2022
  • October 2022
  • September 2022
  • August 2022
  • July 2022
  • June 2022
  • May 2022
  • April 2022
  • March 2022
  • February 2022
  • January 2022
  • December 2021
  • November 2021
  • October 2021
  • September 2021
  • August 2021
  • July 2021
  • May 2021
  • April 2021
  • December 2020
  • November 2020
  • October 2020
  • September 2020
  • August 2020
  • July 2020
  • June 2020
  • May 2020
  • April 2020
  • March 2020
  • February 2020
  • January 2020
  • December 2019
  • November 2019
  • October 2019
  • September 2019
  • August 2019
  • July 2019
  • June 2019
  • May 2019
  • April 2019
  • March 2019
  • February 2019
  • January 2019
  • December 2018
  • November 2018
  • October 2018
  • September 2018
  • August 2018
  • July 2018
  • June 2018
  • May 2018
  • April 2018
  • March 2018
  • February 2018
  • January 2018
  • December 2017
  • November 2017
  • October 2017
  • September 2017
  • August 2017
  • July 2017
  • June 2017
  • May 2017
  • April 2017
  • March 2017
  • February 2017
  • January 2017
  • December 2016
  • November 2016
  • October 2016
  • September 2016
  • August 2016
  • July 2016
  • June 2016
  • May 2016
  • April 2016
  • March 2016
  • February 2016
  • January 2016
  • December 2015
  • November 2015
  • October 2015
  • September 2015
  • August 2015
  • July 2015
  • June 2015
  • May 2015
  • April 2015
  • March 2015
  • February 2015
  • January 2015
  • December 2014
  • November 2014
  • October 2014
  • September 2014
  • August 2014
  • July 2014
  • June 2014
  • May 2014
  • April 2014
  • March 2014
  • February 2014
  • January 2014
  • December 2013
  • November 2013
  • October 2013
  • September 2013
  • August 2013
  • July 2013
  • June 2013
  • May 2013
  • April 2013
  • March 2013
  • February 2013
  • January 2013
  • December 2012
  • November 2012
  • October 2012
  • September 2012
  • August 2012
  • July 2012
  • June 2012
  • May 2012
  • April 2012
  • March 2012
  • February 2012
  • January 2012
  • December 2011
  • November 2011
  • October 2011
Blog at WordPress.com.
  • Subscribe Subscribed
    • Improving Police: A Necessary Conversation
    • Join 966 other subscribers
    • Already have a WordPress.com account? Log in now.
    • Improving Police: A Necessary Conversation
    • Subscribe Subscribed
    • Sign up
    • Log in
    • Report this content
    • View site in Reader
    • Manage subscriptions
    • Collapse this bar
 

Loading Comments...