Description:
The police are viewed as guardians of public safety and enforcers of the law. How accurate is this? Given endemic police violence which is often aimed at racialised and minoritised groups and the failure of many attempts at reform, attention has turned to community-generated models of support. These include defunding the police and instead funding alternatives to criminalisation and incarceration.
This book is the first comprehensive overview of police divestment, using international examples and case studies to reimagine community safety beyond policing and imprisonment.
Showcasing a range of practical examples, this topical book will be relevant for academics, policy makers, activists and all those interested in the Black Lives Matter movement, protest movements and the renewed interest in policing and abolitionism more generally.
Brief description: Chris Cunneen is Professor of Criminology at Jumbunna Institute for Indigenous Education and Research at the University of Technology Sydney and is a Fellow of the Academy of Social Sciences in Australia.
Review Quotes:
"A clear analysis of the worldwide 'insurrection' against deadly use of force by the militarised police. Cunneen shows that death in custody and resistance are problems for all and not just for groups like BLM." Onwubiko Agozino, Virginia Tech
"A persuasive and powerful articulation of the critiques of policing and an evidence base for alternative approaches from one of the world's most eminent and erudite criminologists ... an absolute must-read." Larissa Behrendt, University of Technology Sydney
"A much-needed global overview of the failures of police to provide either safety or justice, which lays out the principles and concrete strategies that can lead us toward a police-free future." Alex S. Vitale, Brooklyn College CUNY