Christopher Klinge
Madison Police Chief Mike Koval says he’s just looking for a little respect for his officers.
In an interview with Isthmus Thursday afternoon, Koval stood by a sharply worded blog post on funding for a police study, but acknowledged pent-up frustration over lack of support for his department.
Koval says he would like to see the city’s elected officials support his officers with more than just budget votes. He notes an absence of any council members at events in honor of National Police Week, which was held in May.
“It wouldn’t have been that much of a stretch for somebody — somebody — to say, thanks, Madison police, for all that you do,” Koval says. “There were no alders that showed up at our citizen and police joint award ceremony. Seldom are. There were no alders that could spare 45 minutes of their time walking up to Pinckney on the Square at the law enforcement memorial at noon, just to be seen by a couple of cops. We just don’t see that.”
“Typically there’s only a handful of alders that stop in at their district [station],” he adds.
Koval posted a blog Sunday evening criticizing the council for contemplating spending $400,000 on a consultant to analyze the department’s procedures. The call for police oversight grew out of the police killings of two young unarmed men — Paul Heenan in November 2012 and Tony Robinson in March 2015.
While Koval insisted he welcomes a departmental review, he questioned the cost. “When not-for-profits and community leaders and activists are begging and bemoaning funding for engagement initiatives that are urgently needed, particularly as we head into summer months with youth out of schools and in dire need of constructive options, the city is marching forward demanding a total of $400,000 to get a report card on MPD,” he wrote. “Heck! Why stop there? Why don't we double that amount?”
He also criticized Madison’s culture. “The ‘perpetually offended’ of Madison who use their small but vocal numbers to dictate agendas has an incredible grip on this City...but no one dares to raise a voice lest they be marginalized in the PC world of Madison.”
Koval says that while he regrets some of the offense people took over his comments, he is unapologetic about forcefully asking the Common Council to give his department some love and recognition.
“These officers and I have been waiting to see, when it isn’t convenient, some measure of acknowledgement and validation for their work,” Koval says. “Clearly, across the country, enrollment to academies and departments has plummeted. In the 17 years I recruited for the Madison Police Department, I never saw the dearth of numbers that we saw this last year for the class that was hired.”
“This is still a profession that’s predicated on selfless service and nobility,” Koval adds. “It’s very hard to continue to push that imagery, especially here locally, when all you get is a demonstrable ambivalence about the police department, beyond the tacit, yes, I run for election, so I’m going to show I’m big on law and order, I’m going to vote for this budget.”
Many read Koval’s blog as showing contempt for the city and its culture of deliberation and process. Ald. Mark Clear told The Capital Times that the chief “was trying to rile up a crowd of white people to have a fight with the council over the budget." And Ald. Mike Verveer told the Wisconsin State Journal, “I’m struggling with how to attempt to repair a working relationship with the chief.”
Koval says Madison’s culture has changed since he was a kid from one of tolerance and debate, to one of harsh dogma where people are expected to fall in line. “The newest sort of strategy is rather than agree to disagree, you go on the attack, create polarity and you marginalize, especially on the hot buttons using race, subliminally.”
Koval says he is going to start notifying council members about events where they can come to recognize the department. “Here are some opportunities for you to celebrate the good works of the Madison Police Department and its officers,” he says. “I’m literally going to get to that level, so there absolutely can be nowhere to run and nowhere to hide. Show up now and then. That’s what life is, you show up now and then.”
Koval says he does regret some of his rhetoric — such as writing that council members “are being watched. And be on notice: this is a preemptive first strike from me to you. I am going to push back hard when MPD is constantly used as a political punching bag and you are nowhere to be found.”
“I meant people are watching, I’m watching, and you ought to be put on notice of that,” he explains. “By the time I emerged crawling from the council chambers, that meant everything from aerial surveillance to having homes staked out to being a domestic stalker.”
“I can concede there would be some double meanings inferentially,” he adds. “It was not intended.”
Although some people have started calling for Koval's resignation, he says he has no plans to leave.
"I base my work relationship on what I hear from constituents, what I hear from neighborhoods, what I hear from officers, what I hear from people. I don’t think it’s risen to that octave," he says. "So long as I’m shown to be effective, I’m going to continue to advocate for public safety."
