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perusing_panels's review against another edition
challenging
informative
reflective
medium-paced
4.5
This book is a great introduction to the rationale behind defunding and dismantling the police, with concise well organised chapters focusing on different areas of policing and the ways in which they fail to keep everyone (particularly poor and marginalised people) safe.
The book discusses issues with systemic racism, classism, ableism, and other biases rooted in the misguided ideologies behind current policing systems and methods. It also explains why reforms aren’t enough, the system needs to be dismantled and redefined focusing on community lead alternatives that ensure equal protection and aid for everyone, not just the privileged and wealthy.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Ableism, Misogyny, Police brutality, Racism, Sexism, Slavery, Suicide, Torture, Trafficking, Violence, Xenophobia, Islamophobia, Sexual assault, Gun violence, and Murder
book_enjoyer's review
challenging
informative
medium-paced
4.25
A thorough breakdown of the failures of American police. I don't know that this book would sway a hardcore cop supporter, but it's a great introduction to the problems in our current system and some potential solutions to push for. Each chapter covers a different aspect of policing--the war on drugs, the school-to-prison pipeline, etc--and provides an overview of how the law enforcement works, empirical evidence of how that enforcement doesn't benefit society, and some possible alternatives. It's a heavy read but a very necessary one, and I appreciated how detailed and specific Vitale is.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Ableism, Addiction, Alcoholism, Child abuse, Death, Domestic abuse, Drug abuse, Drug use, Gun violence, Hate crime, Murder, Pedophilia, Racism, Sexual assault, Torture, and Police brutality
talonsontypewriters's review
informative
inspiring
medium-paced
Content Warnings
Graphic: Police brutality, Violence, Gun violence, Death, Racism, Ableism, Drug use, and Xenophobia
Moderate: Misogyny, Homophobia, Transphobia, Rape, Sexual assault, Alcoholism, Addiction, Islamophobia, Child death, Trafficking, and Mental illness
Minor: Pedophilia, Animal death, and Torture
Police violence (especially against people of color, mentally ill people, homeless people, sex workers, and children) and abuse of power, on both a systemic and individual level, is covered in fairly explicit detail, with many specific cases described. Dated terminology ("transgendered") is used in passing.
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