This is not some emotional anti-police rant/manifesto. It is a very measured and well researched piece of theory. Police are a relatively new phenomenon in human society and Kristian Williams shows how they are only necessary to protect capitalist elites. Our Enemies In Blue Traces the genealogy... ...more
Our Enemies in Blue makes a five-star case. As a methodical, scathing indictment of the history, purpose, and origin of the U.S. police, I have never seen such a well-researched and calculated primer from Day 1 to Day Now. The case is so startlingly made that certain facets of it seem somewhat gr... ...more
Despite it's inflammatory title this is an well researched, incredibly detailed, and methodical analysis of the history of policing in the US and the current role of police in our society. As someone with a police officer in my family, I think it would be hard for someone who works or has worked... ...more
this is a must read. couple with The New Jim Crow: Mass Incarceration in the Age of Colorblindness and you will have a clear understanding of many aspects of the current criminal justice system from cops to courts to prisons and beyond. this book in particular is very enlightening and gives great... ...more
IN-FUCKING-CREDIBLE! As I was writing a 50+ page report on the history of rochester's police accountability systems, I had the pleasure of finally getting to read this gem. If you want a solid analysis and history of the origins of police and where they are headed, from an abolitionist position,... ...more
"if we are to understand the phenomenon of police brutality, we must get beyond particular cases. we can better understand the actions of individual police officers if we understand the institution of which they are a part. that institution, in turn, can best be examined if we have an understandi... ...more
Since I have no clue how to start a review let me just begin by saying that I don’t just love this book but I also think it’s about an important and overlooked aspect of our society. One that hopefully is getting more attention these days. It’s one thing to adopt a hashtag mentality when approach... ...more
this book is amazingly researched. many US statistics and anecdotes of police brutality and murder and the recurrent predictable official responses and impunity to these. theoretically, it moves through the origins of modern policing (developed in England) to contemporary manifestations of polici... ...more
While I've always theoretically understood that police were created by many white power nationalists and slave patrols this book really helped me contextualize and understand it historically. Although the title of the book seems like it would be a theoretical tirade and rant against police- this... ...more