Retired Police Captain and MARI Project Coordinator.
Safe Communities Madison-Dane County, Inc.
Captain Joe Balles (Retired), City of Madison, WI Police Department
In January 2016, Captain Joe Balles retired from the City of Madison, WI Police Department after completing a thirty two plus year career. Captain Balles earned a Bachelor’s Degree in Criminal Justice from the University of Wisconsin-Platteville (1983), and a Master’s Degree in Public Affairs from the La Follette Institute of Public Policy at the University of Wisconsin-Madison (1988). Captain Balles is also a graduate of the prestigious F.B.I. National Academy (2006).
Captain Balles served in a variety of “operational” and “support” roles during his years of service with the Madison Police Department. In his last seven years with MPD, he served as commander for the MPD’s South Police District overseeing 50 plus officers, detectives, supervisors and command staff. The MPD’s South District is located in one of the most demographically diverse areas in Madison, yet has a reputation of being one of MPD’s police districts with the strongest connections to the community and neighborhoods throughout the district.
Captain Balles has been busy in retirement providing safety and security related services and technical assistance to police departments across the United State and the Madison Metropolitan School District. In March 2017, Captain Balles collaborated with Safe Communities of Madison-Dane County and eventually selected by the City of Madison to provide Project Coordinator Services for the MPD's Madison Area Recovery Initiative (or MARI). This new and innovative approach to addiction establishes a “pre-arrest diversion pathway” or process whereby MPD police officers are be able to refer and facilitate clinical assessment and treatment for individuals battling the disease of addiction.
