Police chief turned pastor David Couper came to the University of Wisconsin-Platteville to discuss police misconduct in the United States. With events such as the Ferguson Riots and recent officer-involved shootings in Madison and South Carolina, Couper shared his views on changing the police force for the better.
Couper holds a graduate degree from the University of Minnesota and has a master’s in sociology and religious studies from Edgewood College in Madison. He has also been ordained as a priest in the Episcopal Church.
During his lecture Couper spoke of the current rise of police misconduct that is happening and how he thinks the ongoing problem can be fixed. Couper served as the police chief in Burnsville, Minn., which became the first department to require a four-year degree for officers. After Burnsville, Couper became the police chief in Madison where he stayed from 1972 to 1993. While in Madison he attempted to bring peace to the streets and better integrate the department.
Couper spoke of the racial separation between police and citizens. He believes in diversity in the police department and it can ultimately lower the amount of officer misconduct involving officers.
He also spoke about the militarization of police and that it is happening more while crime trends continue to drop.
“If police were authentically respectful to everyone that they came in contact with that would make a world of difference,” Couper said.
He said that departments need to hire people with compassion in hopes that misconduct will begin to decrease.
Travis Nelson, coordinator for the social and environmental justice program, was a part of the council that selected Couper as a lecturer. Nelson said that a member of the SEJ council had heard Couper speak briefly on the radio and he would be a good speaker because of his ties to the Madison area. Nelson introduced Couper as “police chief, poet, priest, pungent.”
Senior business administration major, Rob Husfield attended Couper’s lecture after hearing about it from a friend. He said that the lecture was more informational than he thought it would be.
“I would definitely go see Mr. Couper talk again,” said Husfield.