Alex S. Vitale

I'd been trying to read more book on abolition, so when I saw this on sale at Verso, it seemed like an obvious choice. Most of the abolition books I had previously read focused on prisons, and not much on policing itself, so this filled some holes for me in helping to unlearn a lot of bullshit I was still holding onto despite lots of evidence to the contrary.

This book's whole thesis is that it is the basis of policing itself, not overpolicing, not a few bad apples, not a lack of oversight, show more not a lack of "diversity training," not something are can fix with another reform bill or more body cameras, that is the problem. From the historical origins of policing to the way it exists on the ground today, it has always been used as a tool to criminalize and control the poor, minorities, anyone upsetting to those in power, all in the name of "safety," without ever saying out loud whose.

All that said, this book should not displace the works of Black feminist and anti-capitalist activists, whose work is more intersectional and rooted in justice and healing. show less

Whereas this book does a fantastic job in showing where the police are utterly ineffective at solving the problems they purport to solve, there is a fundamental flaw. Coming from the perspective of a social democrat, the author does not challenge the command and control mentality of the police, but the police within a context of neoliberal capitalism and the dismantling of the welfare state. Political repression could be better performed by other means, he reports in a later chapter.

Vitale show more provides an invaluable resource in his debunking of police's strengths, but ultimately it appears his mission is to strengthen the state rather than build popular power outside of the state. I would much rather live in a world that he describes than our current neoliberal hellhole, but the rationalization of the drug war or the war on sex trafficking or the political repression of violent activists is not my project. Abolition of the police is. show less

Interesting, albeit polemical, statement of why turning every social problem over to the police has been a disaster, and how more enlightened programs might improve lives and communities more productively. A stark argument is made that a policing system designed to suppress the people on the losing end of injustice cannot be reformed, but only cut back: that you cannot have both racialized ghettos marked by poverty, joblessness and insecure housing, and also friendly community policing to show more control them. I don't know if such radical pessimism is necessary.

The slogan of "end" or "defund" or "abolish" the police needs a rethink: the idea is to take away from the police the responsibilities they should never have been given (dealing with homelessness, drug addiction, mental illness, school discipline, etc.) and to build up programs that will work better than punishment, incarceration, and probation to heal and help people.

Wonderful as a thorough progressive reconstruction of America would be, it's not likely to happen. I still hope that less ambitious but critical and feasible reforms could change the nature of how America's disadvantaged communities are policed. Above all, Congress can legislate to reform the qualified immunity of the police to civil and criminal sanctions for excessive force and other constitutional violations. If it's all or nothing, as this book contends, then I fear for the future. show less

Best for: People who know that there’s a deeper problem with the police than most of our society will acknowledge, but don’t have all the evidence at their fingertips.

In a nutshell: Sociology professor Vitale offers a logical and thorough examination of the many different areas where police are seen as necessary but are, in reality, making things worse. And, more importantly, offers alternatives to police involvement in those areas.

Worth quoting:
“At root, they fail to appreciate that show more the basic nature of the law and the police, since its earliest origins, is to be a tool for managing inequality and maintaining the status quo.”
“A kinder, gentler, and more diverse war on the poor is still a war on the poor.”
“We must break completely with the idea of using police in schools. They have no positive role to play that couldn’t be better handled by nonpolice personnel.”
“We must move beyond the false choice of living with widespread disorder or relying on the police to be the enforcers of civility.”
“They need stability, positive guidance, and real pathways out of poverty. This requires a long-term commitment to their wellbeing, not a telephone referral and home visits by the same people who arrest and harass them and their friends on the streets.”

Why I chose it:
I know that the police (in general) in the US are not helping. But even suggesting that perhaps their power needs to be tamped down is often greeted with disbelief and the suggestion that they are necessary. I wanted a book that would provide me with the facts I needed to counter the disbelief.

Review:
This is a well-researched, well-sourced, well-written discussion of the state of policing in the US. Author Vitale starts with a history of policing to redirect readers from the idea that the police were created to protect people. He then breaks down policing into eight areas where they are often seen as ‘necessary:’ police in schools, police as responders to people in mental health crisis, police sweeping up those experiencing homelessness, police “saving” sex workers, the war on drugs, police in gang areas, police at the border, and police silencing political opponents.

My favorite part of this book is that Vitale offers not just descriptions of the problems, but also attempted reforms (and why they aren’t sufficient), and then offers ALTERNATIVES. That is what, I feel, is missing in so many books that take on this topic. They share important information and outline the problems, but then sort of throw up their hands in a ‘yup, it sucks’ manner. Vitale instead points out what will actually work, and it’s often much better (and cheaper) for the community.

The best examples of this are in the sections on police in schools, police and homelessness, police and those with mental illness, police at the border, and police as political silencers. The solutions offered in the police and sex work and police and the war on drugs sections require a bit more on society’s part, but are definitely do-able. The solutions offered on gang violence, however, admittedly require a much larger shift in how we provide support to our communities than many people accept.

The section on the border patrol was especially poignant given what is going on in the United States right now; I know many of us would like to see ICE abolished, and this book certainly helps make that case.

The only thing that was missing, and that I would have liked to see, would be a discussion of the need (or not) for police to investigate crimes. Does Vitale think that in situations where murders have taken place, we could have a small police squad? Or does he think the community could manage that as well? I’m unsure what that could look like, but would enjoy reading his thoughts on that. show less