On Police and their Health
Improving Police Blog
by David Couper
4d ago
I can strongly attest to the necessity and effectiveness of policies and programs to improve the health and wellness of our police officers. Mid-career, after seven years as chief of police, I was burnt out, “a crispy critter”… after years of fighting with the police union while my marriage was breaking up. I asked my mayor, Joel Skornika, for a leave of absence. He agreed (He could have said no and I would, at the time, have simply quit). My time off was unpaid. I took out a loan and off I went to heal… travelled, met old friends, skied and hiked mountain trails. But most important was that ..read more
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Goon Squads
Improving Police Blog
by David Couper
1w ago
“The officers did not have a warrant, and some called themselves ‘The Goon Squad’ because of their willingness to use excessive force and not to report it.” GOON: A violent, aggressive person who is hired to intimidate or harm people; a thug. [My note: Over the years, we have heard about “bad apples” in policing; the idea being that “bad apples” do, in fact, spoil “the barrel;” that is, the police organization. But these guys were more than “barrel-spoilers,” they undermined the entire concept of policing a free and diverse society. So how does this continue to happen in the 21st century? Hasn ..read more
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Reimagine Our Criminal System
Improving Police Blog
by David Couper
2w ago
“Reimagining Safety,” a new (2024) documentary on Amazon Prime. In it, ten experts discuss how policing and incarceration create more harm than good, why the system persists, and what changes can be made to make everyone safe. The following is from their website. “Worldwide protests following the 2020 murder of George Floyd included calls to defund or abolish the police until a sharp rise in crime gave politicians and police supporters the fuel they needed to suppress the movement. Unfortunately, a detailed conversation about transforming public safety was never had. In this film (shot on iPh ..read more
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Three Powerful Words
Improving Police Blog
by David Couper
3w ago
Three words for police leaders to enable personal and organizational transformation and continuous improvement 1. Passion To be deeply committed and have a strong belief in what you are attempting to accomplish. Seek out allies. 2. Persistence To continue forward through strong, entrenched resistance by teaching, modeling, selling and persuading others of your vision for the future. Enlist allies. 3. Patience To remember that transformations, lasting change, takes time. Give others the grace to come to believe what you are doing and where you are going. Collaborate with allies. These three vi ..read more
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Fatal Police Pursuits
Improving Police Blog
by David Couper
3w ago
To Pursue or Not? [Note: I am posting a trending note today from Chuck Wexler, Executive Director of my professional organization, The Police Executive Research Forum in Washington, DC. Chuck takes on a most urgent topic (and one that has been overlooked over the years — “When (and when not) should police pursue a fleeing motor vehicle?” In my early days, we knew this was a problem — it was dangerous not only to the communities, but also for our officers. One of the first things I did when I came to Madison, was to put into policy (and revamp training) that the dispatch sergeant had the auth ..read more
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Using Physical Force
Improving Police Blog
by David Couper
1M ago
Sociologist Egon Bittner (1921-2011) defined the role of the police as “a mechanism for the distribution of non-negotiably coercive force employed in accordance with the dictates of an intuitive grasp of situational exigencies.” In short, policing is about applying coercive force to uncooperative citizens; “I’m asking you to do this; if you refuse, I will force you to do what I have lawfully requested of you. Your choice.” I encourage you to read Bittner’s full essay. You can find in the NCJRS Virtual Library. Here is a further quote from Bittner: “Society has also fa ..read more
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Policing a Free Society
Improving Police Blog
by David Couper
1M ago
Here’s a link below to a recent presentation I made about policing a democracy. You know, policing a society that is neither free nor democratic is quite easy — all it takes is a show of power followed by threats, fear, force and prison. (See the recent police actions in Moscow on the death of Mr. Navalny.) On the other hand, policing a free society takes thought, care and concern. Yes, policing in America (and other places like us) requires the participation of thinking men and women who look to, and follow, a high standard of social behavior. I am hoping the link below which contains 100 P ..read more
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Burnsville Tragedy!
Improving Police Blog
by David Couper
1M ago
“Into your hands, O God, we commend their souls. We ask you to bless and comfort their loved ones and colleagues.” Burnsville Police Officers Paul Elmstrand and Matthew Ruge, along with Paramedic Adam Finseth, were killed in the line of duty on Sunday morning, February 18, 2024 while negotiating for hours during a domestic dispute. While I have been gone from the police ranks in Burnsville since 1972 and those I worked with have also long retired, I have admit I choked up when i received a message from a fellow officer. It is a time like this that we who serve and have served feel close connec ..read more
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Georgia’s On My Mind
Improving Police Blog
by David Couper
1M ago
Why Georgia’s on my mind — what I learned while working with police in Georgia and why I now have more hope for the future of our police. Two months ago, an old friend contacted me. It was Michael Nila, founder of the popular “Blue Courage” values program for police. Years ago, Michael and several colleagues got together with me to talk about developing a positive, values-driven program for our nation’s police.  Michael told me that a new police chief had formed a new police department just south of the Atlanta area and had read my book on policing. He asked Michael if he could brin ..read more
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How to Police a Free, Diverse, and Democratic Society
Improving Police
by David Couper
1M ago
Envisioning a Powerful, Community-Oriented Future in Policing This coming Friday (February 16), I will be in Stockbridge, Georgia, just south of Atlanta, talking to police officers and their leaders about what I’ve learned about policing and restoring public trust and confidence. We will primarily be talking about my book, “Arrested Development” (3rd ed. 2021) and topics that i have blogged on this site during the past decade (see below). Stay tuned as I connect with Stockbridge police who created a new police department in this city two years ago. Let us press on… ____________________ Here ..read more
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