The problem is not overpolicing, it is policing itself
LOS ANGELES TIMES
BESTSELLER
Recent years have
seen an explosion of protest against police brutality and repression.
Among activists, journalists and politicians, the conversation about
how to respond and improve policing has focused on accountability,
diversity, training, and community relations. Unfortunately, these
reforms will not produce results, either alone or in combination. The
core of the problem must be addressed: the nature of modern policing
itself.
This book attempts
to spark public discussion by revealing the tainted origins of modern
policing as a tool of social control. It shows how the expansion of
police authority is inconsistent with community empowerment, social
justice—even public safety. Drawing on groundbreaking research from
across the world, and covering virtually every area in the
increasingly broad range of police work, Alex Vitale demonstrates how
law enforcement has come to exacerbate the very problems it is
supposed to solve.
In contrast, there
are places where the robust implementation of policing
alternatives—such as legalization, restorative justice, and harm
reduction—has led to a decrease in crime, spending, and injustice.
The best solution to bad policing may be an end to policing.