Mike Teeter is an educator and career police officer who serves as a police practices expert providing training, consulting, and expert witness services related to leadership, use of force, policy, significant incidents, accountability, human resources and training. Current and past clients include the U.S. Department of Justice, Washington State's Criminal Justice Training Commission, King County (in Washington State), and counsel representing cities and individuals. He uses the extensive experience garnered leading force investigations, training, policy development, human resources and force review boards for the Seattle Police Department during Seattle’s reform journey to help other organizations improve and reform their processes, practices, training, and leadership development. The overall goal of Teeter’s work is to improve public trust and confidence in law enforcement through meaningful reform, timely and relevant training, solid supervision and effective accountability systems and measures including thorough, objective, and transparent investigations of police actions. In addition to building community trust and confidence, this work is intended to improve professionalism, wellness, and officer safety and ultimately, to reduce force related injuries and deaths recognizing the sanctity of human life.
Teeter rose through the ranks of the Seattle Police Department where he served for nearly 30 years before retiring in 2022 as a Captain. He has a broad range of experience which has prepared him to serve others as a consultant and expert, and to teach current and aspiring criminal justice professionals. In addition to the assignments noted above, Teeter 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. Other roles he’s held in his police career include impaired driving enforcement, drug recognition expert (DRE), field training officer (FTO), internal investigations sergeant and lieutenant, patrol sergeant and shift commander, and recruiting/background investigation lieutenant.
Teeter is now serving as the Graduate Program Director for Salve Regina University's online criminal justice and cybersecurity program. He teaches graduate level criminal justice courses, advises students and is responsible for the overall content and quality of this program.
In addition to his work at Salve Regina, Teeter’s current consulting work includes serving as an expert regarding police use of force incidents and internal investigations, serving on the Springfield Compliance Evaluator team, and conducting leadership training for Washington State police leaders.
Teeter earned two Bachelor of Science Degrees from the University of Washington and a Master of Science Degree from the University of Southern California.