David C. Couper

police chief, priest, poet, and social activist

FOLLOW my blog "IMPROVING POLICE" on leadership, training, organizational transformation, and current/critical issues.


​WHY FAITH?
​A "question and answer" interview with me regarding my faith. (See page on upper right.)
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“Restoration Point" contains a number of poems I have written over the past half-century.
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My newest book of poetry includes many police-related events in my life.
You can order this book HERE

​CONTACT

​davidccouper
​@gmail.com
​
​Phone: (608) 444-7207
Who Am I?

Family: Married to Christine Brown Couper (retired R.N.). Hobbies/Interests: Physical activity. Travel. Martial Arts. Poetry. Social Commentary.

Career Experience:​
  • Priest in Charge, St Peter’s Episcopal Church, North Lake, WI., January, 2005 to present.
  • Lecturer in Criminal Justice, University of Wisconsin at Platteville, 2016-2018.
  • Priest in Charge, St. John the Baptist Episcopal Church, Portage, WI, December, 1995 to 2005.
  • Resident Chaplain; Meriter Hospital, Madison, WI, September, 1994 to August. 1995.
  • Chief of Police; City of Madison, WI, 1972-1993.
  • Director of Public Safety (Police and Fire Chief); City of Burnsville, MN, 1969-1972.
  • Detective, Police Trainer, and Police Officer, City of Minneapolis, MN, 1962-69.
  • Graduate Teaching Assistant; University of Minnesota, Department of Sociology, 1968-1971.
  • Police Officer, City of Edina, MN, 1960-62.
  • Active Duty: U.S. Marine Corps, 1956-60; Reserve Duty, 1962-68
Education:
  • Edgewood College, Madison, M. A., Religious Studies, 2005.
  • Seminary, Nashotah House, Certificate in Anglican Studies, 1994.
  • University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, M.A., Sociology (Criminology and Deviant Behavior), 1970.
  • University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, B.A., Russian Language, 1968.​
Other Articles and Publications:
  • "Quality Leadership: The First Step Towards Quality Policing," with Sabine Lobitz in The Police Chief magazine, April, 1987.
  • "Police Department Learns Ten Hard Lessons, "Quality Progress Magazine, Milwaukee, October, 1990.
  • Quality Policing: The Madison Experience, with Sabine Lobitz, Police Executive Research Forum, Washington, DC, 1991.
  • "Effective Community Oriented Policing: Vision, Leadership and the Problem Solving Method," with Sabine Lobitz in The Police Chief Magazine, May, 1991.
  • "Forgiveness in the Community: Views from an Episcopal Priest and Former Chief of Police," in Exploring Forgiveness, Robert Enright and Joanna North, editors, University of Wisconsin Press, 1998.
  • Books: How to Rate Your Local Police (1983, 2015), The Quality Leadership Workbook (2017), Arrested Development: A Veteran Police Chief Sounds Off About Protest, Racism and Corruption and the Seven Steps Necessary to Improve Our Nation's Police (2012, 2017, 2021), Restoration Point: A Book of Poetry (2011), and Telling It Like It Is: Couper on Cops (2017).
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