January 30, 2017 1:52 PM

As Chief, I am frequently contacted with suggestions from those who want to influence MPD policies and procedures; suggestions for new initiatives and calls for the dismantling of current protocols. These come to me through concerted letter writing campaigns, coordinated emails, community … [read more]

January 17, 2017 8:46 AM

The below blog is written by Wisconsin State Representative Melissa Sargent. Remember riding the seesaw as a child? There was that one point as you were riding where you and your friend could find the center of balance and stay at the same level, miraculously hovering across from one … [read more]

December 21, 2016 3:25 PM

In light of recent national scrutiny of police practices, community members in some cities have questioned the type, quality, and emphasis of training provided to their local agencies. Citizens have questioned whether their local department embraces community interests. We agree that citizens … [read more]

December 2, 2016 1:05 PM

In October, The Justice Department and the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) released a comprehensive report examining the barriers and promising practices in recruitment, hiring and retention of officers in the advancing of law enforcement diversity. The DOJ and EEOC engaged with … [read more]

August 24, 2016 2:16 PM

Each year, the Madison Police Department offers an internship program; the vast majority of students flock to our summer openings. Typically, we have 40-60 students competing for an average of 20 unpaid internship positions. The work placements for the internships vary but students have been … [read more]

August 1, 2016 2:21 PM

Today's guest blog was authored by Lt Dan Olivas "Are you really just here to help people?" The police officer paused in their conversation with the front desk clerk and turned to the woman who had just walked in the front door of the motel. "We sure are," responded the officer. The officer … [read more]

June 27, 2016 8:54 AM

The Madison Police Department’s longstanding reputation as a pioneer in community policing carries with it a tradition of innovation and a commitment to continuous improvement. We strive to identify trust gaps and challenges to our service mission in order to uphold our stated promise and to put … [read more]

April 19, 2016 9:13 AM

This past Friday marked the conclusion of two weeks worth of interviewing applicants who are competing to be a part of MPD's fall pre-service class. The finalists have survived a gauntlet of assessments including written testing, take-home essays, timed essays, physical agility standards, oral … [read more]

April 1, 2016 11:32 AM

During a recently completed series of neighborhood forums, a few people inquired about the challenges of maintaining “quality and control assurance” measures with a work force of over 600 employees, spread out over five separate shifts, covering approximately 90 square miles in five districts? … [read more]

February 26, 2016 3:25 PM

The Madison Police Department’s 23 newest recruit officers will be hitting the streets in early March. These women and men have completed close to 900 hours of training, conducted over the last five months, prior to field training (the State of Wisconsin Law Enforcement Standards Board requires … [read more]

February 11, 2016 7:18 AM

Last week, our nationally recognized specialized police response program serving people with mental illness in our community took another leap forward with the addition of a dedicated in-house Crisis Worker from Journey Mental Health Center. This type of co-located or co-responder model has … [read more]

February 5, 2016 2:13 PM

One of the things that I relish doing as Chief is spending time with our recruits at the Training Center. Having spent seventeen years with the Personnel and Training Team, I can certainly attest to the fact that these aspiring police officers come to us filled with resolve and hope, emphatic in … [read more]

January 21, 2016 9:34 AM

In the wake of public demonstrations and protests over police use of force, President Obama created a Task Force of police practitioners and academics to address increasing tensions between local law enforcement and the communities they serve. In March 2015, The President’s Task Force on 21st … [read more]

November 19, 2015 3:07 PM

Like many of you, I often head off to work in the morning taking the dreaded Beltline (if ever there was a more compelling reason to take the bus, this is prima facie proof)! Since I am typically in the office downtown between 6:30-7:00 a.m., traffic flow is not at gridlock (yet) and I often … [read more]

August 17, 2015 8:49 AM

Community Partnership exists as one of the Core Values of the Madison Police Department. For many years we were incredibly fortunate to partner with Dr. Darren Bean. Under his direction, the MPD became one of the first police agencies in the country to implement ‘Cardio Cerebral Resuscitation, … [read more]

February 11, 2015 2:24 PM

This blog was authored by Assistant Chief Randy Gaber. For the past year, I have had the opportunity and privilege of representing the Madison Police Department in a group of law enforcement officers from around the country that has looked at why we need to replace our broken immigration … [read more]

January 12, 2015 11:33 AM

On January 9, 2015, the group known as the Young, Gifted, and Black Coalition sent an "Open Letter to Police Chief Koval" and recipients including Mayor Paul Soglin and City of Madison Alders. While there were many concerns and "demands" that were directed to me, one paragraph stood out … [read more]

December 16, 2014 1:02 PM

As our nation struggles with looking to improve measures taken to provide for greater transparency, accountability, and sensitivity of our police toward the citizens we are sworn to protect and serve, I have been asked what steps are being taken by MPD.  While there is no one-size-fits-all … [read more]

December 10, 2014 2:11 PM

For the last 14 years, officers from the Madison Police Department have been volunteering their time to shop with economically disadvantaged children from our community.  The “Shop with a Cop” program started in 2000 and has grown over the years to include the following agencies who work … [read more]

August 26, 2014 10:47 AM

The Madison Police Department has a long history of working with our community and has developed a great deal of experience in facilitating and responding to pre-planned demonstrations, events, assemblies, marches, and spontaneous incidents.  Our primary goal while managing large crowd … [read more]

August 19, 2014 2:40 PM

In an attempt to stay engaged with constituent questions and concerns, a number of community forums have been scheduled for the month of September.  These sessions are an opportunity to provide me with direct feedback and there will also be a representative from the hosting District should you … [read more]

June 2, 2014 11:23 AM

Earlier this year the Wisconsin Council on Children and Families released a report on "Race to Equity" which showed some staggering statistics about racial disparities in Dane County.  In addition to this report, Rev. Dr. Alexander Gee, Jr.'s "Justified Anger" story that ran in the Capital … [read more]

March 26, 2014 1:16 PM

There is a new effort and partnership between the Madison Police Department and the residents of the Parkside Apartment complex, located at the corner of W. Washington Avenue and S. Park Street.  The area consists of a mix of public and private housing complexes commonly known as the … [read more]

January 24, 2014 11:33 AM

The Madison Police Department recognizes racial disparities within the criminal justice system and is committed to helping mitigate the issues that impact this problem.  One of our core values is that we value diversity.  We value diversity in our community and also as to the make-up of our … [read more]

January 13, 2014 9:31 AM

One program, a 3 year time period, a socioeconomic savings of over $11 million dollars and a 96.5% reduction of criminal charges is what the SIU is about.  Please continue to read on to see the importance of this program and the huge impact it has had on our community!  Several years ago … [read more]

January 6, 2014 2:46 PM

19 well-deserved children, 23 Madison Police Department staff members, community agencies and members working together…..this all led to another successful Shop with a Cop event in 2013! The Shop with a Cop event was created in order to reach out to those less fortunate around the … [read more]

December 18, 2013 4:15 PM

Community Policing is an approach to policing that is a cornerstone to how we fulfill our mission here at the Madison Police Department.  It is about working with the members of our community to build trust and positive relationships in order to have a great city in which we can all live, work … [read more]

November 6, 2013 11:37 AM

When you watch the news or read the news it is almost a certainty that you will learn about negative issues, concerns or problems in a community.  It is a reality that these issues exist.  I like to bring attention however to positive events in our community that you may or may not be aware … [read more]

October 31, 2013 4:30 PM

The law enforcement profession is a very rewarding field to work in but it is also a very dangerous line of work.  Although we are fortunate here at the Madison Police Department that overall our city is a safe place to live and work, the men and women that sign up for this profession in our … [read more]

July 5, 2013 11:43 AM

Each day, the men and women of the Madison Police Department can be seen responding to traffic crashes, assisting citizens, processing records, and performing other important tasks. Through my 29 years with the Madison Police Department, I continue to take pride in the commitment of the … [read more]