From: "Koval, Michael" <MKoval@cityofmadison.com>
Date: March 18, 2015 at 8:42:05 AM CDT
To: All Alders <allalders@cityofmadison.com>
Cc: PD GROUP <PDGROUP@cityofmadison.com>
Subject: Feedback From Chief Koval
Alders~
As the City has been through a lot over the past l0 days, an uneasy peace has settled in until we await
the next seminal decision from the District Attorney’s Office. The tension on the streets is palpable and
my officers are doing the best they can to remain pro-active and relational. Not an easy task given the
various veiled and stark threats to police officers that have been made through various social media
networks and on the streets. I have challenged my officers to stay true to our values, adhere to our
training in situational awareness, and to resist the urge to adopt a “bunker” mindset. The women and
men of MPD have done more than their share of risk taking for this community and it is high time you did
yours!
In the course of a few days (from March 13-last night’s Common Council meeting), I have seen you
muster to create a letter to the family of Tony Robinson as well as to hastily convene a public “hearing” for
those who want to express their views. While the letter of condolences to the family of Tony Robinson
was entirely appropriate (I did the same thing), there was no mention of support---either in that letter or in
any corresponding letter which could have been circulated at the same time---acknowledging the
exceptional steps taken by women and men of MPD in doing their part to maintain public safety while
facilitating robust dissent. Last night, I sat patiently listening to people accusing MPD of everything from
being sanctioned murderers to racists. Given the nature of the proceedings, I was left with no recourse to
respond to any of these diatribes, falsehoods and shock value missives. One of my responsibilities is to
defend those valued employees---sworn and non-sworn—that take pride in providing a premium service
to the citizens and guests of our City. People can attack me all they want---I’m old and what service time
I have left is not going to be deterred by fringe elements who foist themselves upon me with righteous
indignation. But I have a duty to speak up when the good people who work for me have to contend with
unchecked, unilateral attacks on them and the legacy of the MPD . . .and I failed them by not being able
to go to bat for them under the constraints of the hearing protocols last night. In short, your collective
silence is DEAFENING and that is why I chose to write to you today. Don’t think that I haven’t noticed or
that my employees haven’t noticed---we have!
It is unacceptable for elected officials to remain silent while an institution like the MPD is sullied with driveby disrespect. The practice of whispering in my ear in the hallways of the CCB, sending me a text, or
giving me a phone call saying “Stay the course, Chief. We support you” won’t hack it anymore. You must
be more public and more intentional about support for the MPD and our employees. Of course, if you
don’t feel that way, stand down as we only want those who believe in the authenticity of our work to speak
up. But at the end of the day, I am not an elected official who worries about my polling numbers---when
this sort of reticence surfaces, there will be pushback from me.
While there were many various topics raised last night, the one substantive item that raised questions
was the willingness to open up the MPD Policies and Procedures Manual for independent review. Have
at it. Those substantive elements being discussed last night on the use of force are the same template
used throughout the State of Wisconsin. At the outset, it should be noted that the overwhelming number
of cases we respond to our resolved through presence and dialogue. Period. Given the ever-increasing
violent nature of our society, we train diligently on the use of force. A plethora of time is given to nonlethal alternatives and tools. Deadly force training include countless reps of disengagement, movement,
distance, and cover. Furthermore, we incorporate numerous training exercises where the outcome is
predicated on “no shoot” outcomes. Graham v. Connor is the U.S. Supreme Court case that dictates
what constitutes whether police used excessive force (the test is an objective one, that of “objective
reasonableness.”). While we are always looking to adopt best practices in how use of force outcomes
can be improved, we will not be departing from the same standards that govern police use of force across
this state (and country). By the way, MPD has never had a “shoot to kill” mantra. . .
I would be happy to have the Public Safety Review Committee (PSRC) examine all of our policies to
check for concerns that may lead to unintended consequences. Or, if there is a different entity that you
would like to have review responsibilities, that would be fine with me as well.
I close with this. Police and citizens alike are expected to conform to rules. The decorum that I
witnessed last night where certain people were allowed to trammel those rules with a gentle
admonishment to respect the rights and minutes of others was laughable. My suggestion is that the rules
of order should apply to everyone or those in non-compliance should incur the consequences. The
hearing became a kangaroo court and while you don’t care what civics looks like on cable television, I do.
Respectfully~
Michael C. Koval, Chief of Police
Madison Police Department
211 S. Carroll Street
Madison, Wisconsin 53703
www.madisonpolice.com
mkoval@cityofmadison.com
(608) 266-4664