Born on October 4, 1928 in Ferrol, Spain, Bouza came to the United States with his family at age 9. After graduating from Manual High School in Brooklyn and serving in the U.S. Army, Bouza worked briefly in sales in the garment industry in Manhattan before joining the New York City Police Department, eventually becoming commander of police in The Bronx. In 1976, Bouza was featured in the seminal TV documentaryThe Police Tapes, and became deputy chief of the New York City Transit Police later that year. He was brought to Minneapolis by Mayor Donald Fraser, who when newly elected in 1980, wanted an outsider and a reformer to head the department following a series of scandals under his predecessor. He retained Bouza for a total of three three-year terms. Bouza had a difficult relationship with the police officers he led in Minneapolis. Within weeks of becoming chief, Bouza reduced the number of police precincts from 6 to 4 and replaced two-member squads with single-member squads in most of the city. Officers blamed the 1981 murder of police officer Richard P. Miller on switch to single-member squads. In a cost-cutting move, he also instituted a promotion freeze that affected hundreds of officers. The citizenry generally noted that Bouza was installed as an agent of change in the police department and that this was a cause of his unpopularity among the rank and file. After stepping down as chief, Bouza served as Minnesota gaming commissioner from 1989 to 1991 and briefly as director of the Center to Prevent Handgun Violence in Washington, D.C.. In 1994, Bouza unsuccessfully sought the Democratic Farmer Labor Party nomination for Governor of Minnesota, with R.T. Rybak as his campaign manager. Bouza was perceived as the frontrunner until about 10 days before the primary election when he called for the confiscation of handguns and his support collapsed.
Others titles and trades
Bouza holds a bachelor's degree in business administration and a master's degree in public administration from Baruch University. Bouza is author of four books: The Police Mystique: An Insider's Look at Cops, Crime, and the Criminal Justice System, A Carpet of Blue: An Ex-Cop Takes a Tough Look at America's Drug Problem, Police Unbound: Corruption, Abuse, and Heroism by the Boys in Blue, and The Decline and Fall of the American Empire: Corruption, Decadence, and the American Dream. He also wrote two technical books: Police Intelligence: The Operations of an Investigative Unit and Police Administration.
Personal life
Bouza's wife, Erica Bouza, who was born in Great Britain, was arrested repeatedly for engaging in anti-militarism protests as part of the Honeywell Project while Bouza was Minneapolis police chief. The irony attracted international attention. The Bouzas have two sons, Anthony Jr. and Dominick.
