Policing the Progressive City - by Kristian Williams (Paperback)

Book Synopsis

The dangers of "progressive policing" as told through a study of Portland, Oregon.

Policing the Progressive City tells the story of how Portland's "law and order" has been shaped for over two hundred years by business interests, political climbers, and social campaigners--as well as its history of mass resistance to police brutality. With meticulous research and expert storytelling, Kristian Williams exposes how the city's progressive veneer enables its police to weather scandals, co-opt critics, and refurbish its reputation through carefully limited reforms. Time and again, the record reveals the Portland Police Bureau's legacy of racism, violence, and exploitation, even in one of America's most loudly liberal environments.

Review Quotes

"A searing and masterful case study of the history and politics of policing. An essential read for anyone who wants to understand the true nature and function of the police institution and why we should be doing everything we can to dismantle it." --Alex S. Vitale, The End of Policing

"A gripping narrative of how people in the Portland area became subject to police rule over two hundred years. ... This book is essential for abolitionist study." --Dean Spade, Love in a F*cked Up World

"By focusing on how progressive policing has, in fact, reinscribed the legitimacy of the police ... Williams has provided a much needed and well-considered warning. ... Now more than ever, Williams's words are urgent in the fight against fascism." --Jessica Pishko, The Highest Law in the Land

"A courageous intervention that forces us to recognize how the 'progress' narrative has expanded and entrenched state violence. Readers far beyond Portland will benefit from this history of expansionist police reform." --Maya Schenwar, Prison by Any Other Name

"An incredible, detailed history. ... A must read for anyone trying to understand why changing the culture of policing is so difficult and why police consistently push back on change." --Jo Ann Hardesty, former Portland City Council member

About the Author