The recent weekend saw a string of demonstrations across the country called the “No Kings” protests. I was not in attendance but was later reading the local Reddit forum when I saw a number of surprising posts from demonstrators thanking local law enforcement for how they conducted themselves at the protests. There was apparently no riot gear, no mounted police, no animosity with the demonstrators, and none of the features reminiscent of the modern militarized stormtrooper policeman one regularly sees in the media. Reflecting on this, it has always seemed to me that the police in Madison, WI operate in a different way. And apparently – this is very intentional. It was a revolutionary approach to policing brought about by David C. Couper – police chief from 1973 to 1993. He envisioned law enforcement as “social workers in blue”. Now an Episcopal priest, his method has become known as “The Madison Model” and attempts have been made to replicate this method in many cities across the United States.