MPD captain recognized nationally as a rising police leader

MADISON, Wis. - A Captain with the Madison Police Department was recognized in Las Vegas last week as a rising police leader and for her research on domestic violence homicides.

Captain Stephanie Drescher was honored with the 2024 Past President Scholarship at the National Association of Women Law Enforcement Executives (NAWLEE) conference.

At the conference, Captain Drescher served on a panel discussing the Policing Leadership Academy through the University of Chicago Crime Lab and how it has benefited local communities.

Captain Drescher was part of the inaugural cohort for the Police Leadership Academy, a police management and training course designed to address gun violence.

The first class featured 25 police leaders from 24 cities across the country and the United Kingdom. For six months, they would spend a week at the University of Chicago, learning from one another and others making positive changes to policing.

Each participant was also required to conduct a community capstone project of their choice. Captain Drescher chose to research domestic-related homicides after noticing a recent increase of this type of violence in the Madison community.

There were 10 homicides in Madison last year. Of those, four were domestic violence-related. As part of her research, Captain Drescher worked closely with Domestic Abuse Intervention Services (DAIS) on prevention, outreach and ways MPD can support those who have or are experiencing this type of violence.

"You can see how much Captain Drescher cares about people in her work product. She has a compassion for helping others. Our department is learning a lot from her research and she is demonstrating our department's dedication to Evidence-Based Policing," said Madison Police Chief Shon Barnes.

Captain Drescher joined MPD in 2009. She currently serves as the Executive Section and Operations Captain.

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