The End of Policing

In the nonfiction book The End of Policing (2018), sociologist Alex S. Vitale paints a bleak picture of policing in the United States of America. Vitale explores the history of policing in the US and how it was built upon a foundation of abuse, corruption, and racism. It is through this lens that he explores the most persistent issues that continue to plague US police departments today.

Plot Summary

In Part 1, Vitale acknowledges the role that politicians have played in funding what he asserts is a “paramilitary” police force in the US. He associates the development of this police force with a culture of institutional racism toward Black Americans and people of color. The result is devastating for marginalized communities as systemic abuse of power by police continues to lead to human rights abuses.

In Part 2, Vitale discusses how police were historically formed to protect the interests and power of the wealthy and political elite. The moral authority bestowed upon the police was based on white values. This often places policing in direct confrontation with norms and values of people of color. He elaborates upon this in Part 3, where he explores the education system’s failings. He argues that schools have become a school-to-prison pipeline. In addition to long-standing arguments about the inequality of the education system amongst people of color and white people, the introduction of police into schools has devastating consequences on children from marginalized communities. We see the effects of this change in an increase of juvenile criminal records, dropouts, and suspensions. Thus, a culture of surveillance has also led to higher rates of antisocial behavior, depression, and fear amongst youth.

In Part 4, Vitale discusses the consequences of using police for matters best suited to health professionals and community organizations. The use of deadly force, he argues, is a product of police culture in the US. He argues that British police, who are legally prohibited from carrying firearms, are forced to rely not only on communication rather than deadly force, but equally, upon additional agencies better equipped to handle individuals with mental health disorders. This is where the difference lies, and Vitale argues that the police in the US are ill-equipped to handle such interactions and should not be expected to do so.

Part 5 explores the uneasy relationship between the police and unhoused people. Mental health, poor economic opportunities, and pressure from local government (e.g. gentrification) are factors that determine whether encounters with unhoused people turn deadly or if the police provide suitable alternatives via available social services, such as temporary housing or healthcare programs.

In Part 6, Vitale calls for the decriminalization of sex work, as policing this type of activity does more harm than good for sex workers. He compares approaches to sex work in countries with more progressive laws like Sweden and the Netherlands. Vitale also demonstrates how policing in the US is responsible for abusing and manipulating sex workers throughout American history in one form or another. Part 7 explores the war on drugs and how this war was in actuality a war on marginalized people and immigrants entering the US. From opioid and cocaine use in the early 20th century to heroin pharmaceutical prescription medication like OxyContin today, Vitale explains how these types of substance abuse were racially categorized and used as a tool by the US government to maintain control over Black Americans and other people of color.

Part 8 explores moral panics around gang culture. Largely politicized to breed fear into constituents, politicians use these as opportunities to garner votes. Vitale argues that this supposed threat is nothing more than political propaganda. Tactical approaches to combating gangs led to police breaking the laws that they swore to uphold. From searching and seizing goods without a warrant to intimidation techniques like breaking into homes and detaining family members for questioning, Vitale argues that these tactics breed distrust of the police and serve to create sympathizers for gang members.

Part 9 criticizes the history of policing along the border between America and Mexico. He lambasts the police for being criminally violent toward illegal immigrants, a trend that continues to this day. Additionally, an inundated legal system works tirelessly to deport or incarcerate men and women for no crime other than attempting to find a better life. Vitale calls for an approach similar to the European Union (EU), which opened its borders to help develop economic interests between countries.

Part 10 argues that the role of police to hold every citizen accountable regardless of their race or socioeconomic standing is a myth. Their role is surveillance. The police have a history of spying on groups of US citizens deemed a threat to the prevailing white class. This information gathering often leads to entrapment and helps both police and elected officials determine policy, enact laws, and justify the increasing budgetary expenses for police. Vitale concludes by introducing the socio-cultural issues at play today.

Each chapter explores the history, existing reforms, and potential alternatives that could be implemented. His criticism of existing reform policies highlight the inequalities inherently present and why these reforms generally fail.