What does good police leadership actually look like today?
That’s the question Chief Tom Wetzel set out to answer in his book, “A Cop and a Coffee Cup.” Written in a conversational, experience-driven style, the book lays out practical lessons on supervision, trust, discipline and officer wellness — the kind often shared informally between veteran officers and those stepping into leadership roles.
Drawing on more than three decades in policing, Wetzel argues that many of the profession’s biggest challenges are tied to leadership — and that the solutions are often already inside the agency, if leaders are willing to listen. I spoke with Wetzel about why he wrote it and what today’s leaders need to rethink.
What inspired you to write this book?
I wanted to create something simple that would resonate with today’s police leaders. Over the years, I’ve read a lot about leadership and gone through training, but I felt like we needed something more direct and practical. The idea was to keep it like a conversation — one cop sharing what matters most with another. If you only had one chance to pass that on, what would you say?
You argue that leadership is at the center of many of policing’s challenges. What’s going wrong?
A lot of officers feel like they haven’t been getting good leadership, and that creates real problems inside departments. We talk a lot about officer wellness, but too much of the stress officers deal with comes from inside the organization. Leadership can either reduce that stress or make it worse.
You say the answers are already inside most agencies. What do you mean by that?
The people doing the job every day have ideas, experience and insight that often go untapped. In roll call rooms and everyday conversations, there are solutions being talked about all the time. But too often, no one is really listening or taking those ideas seriously.
You describe leaders as needing to be “idea incubators.” What does that look like in practice?
It starts with actually asking for input and listening to it. Leaders should be creating an environment where officers feel comfortable sharing ideas and helping solve problems. That can be through conversations, surveys or simply asking, “What do you think?” and meaning it.
Trust comes up repeatedly in your book. Why is it so critical?
Trust is the most important tool a leader has. People will follow you because of your position, but if they trust you, they’ll go further than that. They’ll commit to the job and to the organization.
How should leaders approach mistakes from their officers?
Mistakes are going to happen — that’s part of the job. The key is how you handle them. You correct them, use them as learning opportunities and help people improve.
You talk about finding a balance between discipline and motivation. Why is that important?
If you’re too strict, officers become afraid to act. If you’re too lenient, standards drop. There’s a middle ground where officers are both motivated and held accountable. That’s where performance and morale improve.
You also connect leadership directly to officer wellness. How so?
Leadership decisions don’t stop at the end of a shift. What happens inside the department affects officers at home — their stress, their families and their overall well-being. Poor leadership can carry over into their personal lives in a negative way.
Who should read this book?
It’s for supervisors, officers who want to promote and leaders at any level. Anyone responsible for people — or thinking about becoming responsible for people — can take something from it.
If there’s one takeaway you want leaders to remember, what is it?
Your officers are your best resource. If you trust them, listen to them and involve them in solving problems, you’ll get better results and a stronger organization.
Order your copy of “A Cop and a Coffee Cup.”
