Dr. José Luís (Joe) Couto is an associate faculty member in Royal Roads University’s School of Humanitarian Studies and School of Communication and Culture.
Couto is also a part-time professor at the University of Guelph-Humber and Humber Polytechnic in Toronto. His area of research is identity building in law enforcement, with a focus on 2SLGBTQI+ police officers and intersectionality in gender, sexual orientation, and organizational culture.
Couto is the author of Covered in Blue: Police Culture and LGBT Police Officers in the Province of Ontario and Female. Gay. Cop: The Intersectionality of Gender and Sexual Orientation in Police Culture, both a landmark academic studies of gay police officers in Canada. His doctoral work, The Constructing of Canadian Police Officers’ Identity, was published by the Canadian Association of Chiefs of Police.
Experience
Dr. Couto serves as director of government relations and communications for the Ontario Association of Chiefs of Police. He also provides communications services through his company, Tourniquet Communications.
Memberships and Committees
- Association of Black Law Enforcers
- Canadian Association of Chiefs of Police
- Canadian Association of Police Educators
- Canadian Society of Association Executives
- International Association of Chiefs of Police
Education
2023
Doctor of Social Sciences
Royal Roads University
2014
Master of Arts in Professional Communication
Royal Roads University
2009
Leadership, Excellence, Action, & Development for Exceptional Results (L.E.A.D.E.R.) Course
Ontario Police College
2008
Tools for Tolerance for Law Enforcement – Leadership Initiatives for Command Staff Certificate
The Simon Wiesenthal Centre, Los Angeles, CA
1988
Bachelor of Applied Arts (Journalism)
Toronto Metropolitan University
Awards
2024
OACP 20 Years Service Award
Ontario Association of Chiefs of Police
2017
Serving With Pride Ally Award
Serving With Pride
2016
Outstanding New Faculty Award
School of Communications and Culture, Royal Roads University
2013
Queen Elizabeth II Diamond Jubilee Medal
/
2009
Life Membership Award
Etobicoke Youth Soccer Club
2008
Award of Merit
Toronto Soccer Association
Research
Research interest
Occupational identity
Police culture
Publications
Doctoral Thesis, Born to be Blue? The Constructing of Canadian Police Officers’ Identity: A White Paper Prepared for the Canadian Association of Chiefs of Police. Research Synthesis Thesis, Royal Roads University, 2023
Hearing their Voices and Counting Them in: The Place of Canadian LGBTQ Police Officers in Police Culture. Journal of Community Safety & Well-being, 2018, 3(3).
Escuchando Sus Voces e Integrándoles: el Lugar de les Oficiales de Policía Canadienses LGBT en la Cultura Policial. Entre policías: violencia institucional y deseo homosocial (Spanish Language academic journal)
Research Study, Gay. Female. Cop. The Intersectionality of Gender and Sexual Orientation in Police Culture, University of Guelph-Humber, 2018
MA Thesis, Covered in Blue: Police Culture and LGBT Police Officers in the Province of Ontario, Royal Roads University, 2014
Editor, H.Q. Magazine, the official magazine of the Ontario Association of Chiefs of Police, 2004-present.
Lobbying vs. Advocacy – Police Leaders as Advocates for Their Police Services and Their Communities, 2008 (reprinted 2011)