Michael Teeter

Areas of Expertise

• Leadership, emotional intelligence, police practices, police use of force, organizational culture and accountability systems

Education

• B.S. in electrical engineering, University of Washington (1986)
• B.S. in computer science, University of Washington (1986)
• M.S. in electrical engineering, University of Southern California (1988) 

What's My Why?

I became a police officer to serve, make a difference in my community, connect with people and help people with their immediate and future needs. A 30-year career with the Seattle Police Department allowed me to do all those things and more. Now, at Salve, my service looks a little different. I love building teams and mentoring, I love the study of leadership, I love teaching and I believe that our role as criminal justice professionals is to serve our communities. I am here to prepare and equip our next generation of leaders for their life’s work.

Professional Experience

I retired as a captain from the Seattle Police Department in 2022 after 30 years of service. During my tenure, I led the Seattle Police Department’s Force Investigation Team, Education and Training Section, Policy Section and Human Resources Section. I also commanded the Seattle Police West Precinct, leading a team of 200 sworn officers providing front-line police services to a daytime population exceeding 260,000 in the heart of Seattle's downtown and tourist core. I joined Salve in 2023, where I serve as a lecturer and the graduate program director for the criminal justice and cybersecurity program. In addition to my work at Salve, I serve as a police practices expert providing training, consulting and expert services related to leadership, use of force, policy, significant incidents, accountability and training.

Selected Publications

Police Executive Research Forum. "Refining the Role of Less-Lethal Technologies." February 2020. P. 31. https://www.policeforum.org/assets/reengineeringtraining1.pdf. 

Police Executive Research Forum. "Re-engineering training on police use of force." August 2015. Pp. 26, 57-59. https://www.policeforum.org/assets/reengineeringtraining1.pdf.