It was a Tuesday, June 7 of last year when Steve told me he was planning to go to a common council meeting to express support for Chief Koval & Madison PD. They were voting on the $400, 000 "review" of MPD, and alders were still bristling because Chief Koval publicly defended his officers. (A politician Chief Koval is not, and that is a big reason why we love him so much.) The last place I wanted to be on a June evening was in an old government building, but I reluctantly joined Steve. Looking back, I know I made the right choice. The evening started poorly and went downhill from there. I was unprepared when I got up to speak - and it showed. An alder interrogated me. Outside the room, another situation ensued in which the chief had to ensure Steve & I made it safely outside of the building. Not the great evening I had planned. The most painful thing was flipping on city channel when we got home, and watching as the alders ganged up on the chief. (Give the man a break, I thought.) After experiencing this display, I vowed to join Steve in supporting Chief Koval & MPD. During this past year I've met a group of people (whom I now consider friends) with the rare quality of the courage of their convictions. As a group, we've improved department morale (that's what I'm constantly told) with our yard signs, open house events, press releases, counter letters to the WI Department of Justice, appearances at council & other public meetings, letters to editors, letters to alders - and of course, this petition. With our efforts, we've pushed back on the council. We've let them know that we're watching them, and will counter any anti-police decisions they make. Despite our efforts, there are still groups who despise Madison PD. (I've come to believe that at least some of these never learned a healthy respect for authority, but that's for another conversation.) And the Council is still setting up landmines for local law enforcement. Case in point: Tomorrow evening (Tuesday) they'll be voting on a resolution, that will in part, give them power over PFC decisions. Some of you have shown me responses from your alders, but I'm not buying them. (Updated 6/6/17: The resolution was introduced. It will be referred to committees and discussed before it's returned to the Council for a vote, which will be in about a month.) Please click the link below to read my 5/25 post on this issue. And if you haven't already, please write to your alder (info in the link). https://www.change.org/p/support-madison-police-department-stop-the-public-attacks/u/20365181 Questions, comments? Hit me up at paula@pjpublications.com To my subscribers - thanks for sticking with us all this time. All the best. --Paula Fitzsimmons