Walk the Walk: How Three Police Chiefs Defied the Odds and Changed Cop Culture

U.S. police officers kill more than 1,000 people every year, notes sociologist and former cop Gross (Why Are Professors Liberal and Why Do Conservatives Care?) in this well-researched and hopeful study of efforts to reduce police brutality. Among other factors, he traces the problem to cops’ “social isolation,” which leads them “to believe that lawmen are the only people they can trust and that the most important thing is to protect their brothers in blue, even if it means lying to cover for wrongdoing.” Spotlighting Stockton, Calif.; Longmont, Colo.; and LaGrange, Ga.; Gross details how the chiefs of all three cities’ police departments replaced an “aggressive crime fighter” approach with “healthier, more socially responsible models.” Under Operation Ceasefire in Stockton, police and community organizers reduced a “skyrocketing” murder rate by reaching out to gang members before violence occurred, offering them job training and other “carrots,” while directly communicating the consequences for illegal behavior. In Longmont, a restorative justice program, coupled with a shift toward harm reduction in drug cases, helped turn things around. Gross’s suggestions for reform also include more inclusive recruiting practices and grants for departments willing to experiment with new methods. Tightly focused and consistently persuasive, this is a crucial guide to solving a pressing social issue. (Mar.)