To Protect and Serve

In this bold and urgent book, former Seattle police chief Norm Stamper tells us how we can finally turn warrior cops into neighbourhood-oriented community police.

“"This is a book America has been waiting for-a top cop's searing expose of corrupt, bigoted, brutal and trigger-happy policing in America and how to fix a broken system. It's the inside story, an MRI from former Seattle Police Chief Norm Stamper, showing good cops taking risks to protect us all, to cities balancing the books with police fines, militarization run amok, and a police culture off the rails. Now, says Stamper, the mindset behind the badge has to focus first on public safety, crime, and collaboration not confrontation, with communities asserting control and clear federal standards to insure accountability. And he shows how it can be done." -Hedrick Smith, author of Who Stole the American Dream? and Executive Editor of Reclaim The American Dream "Most of the nation's approximately 18,000 police departments receive scathing criticism from one of their own.... A vivid, well-written, vitally important book." -Kirkus Reviews , Starred Review "A blistering structural critique of U.S. law enforcement... By emphasizing institutional change, Stamper makes a brave attempt to answer the common question (one asked whenever another unarmed African-American is shot by police), where are all the good cops?" -Publishers Weekly”

"This is a book America has been waiting for--a top cop's searing expose of corrupt, bigoted, brutal and trigger-happy policing in America and how to fix a broken system. It's the inside story, an MRI from former Seattle Police Chief Norm Stamper, showing good cops taking risks to protect us all, to cities balancing the books with police fines, militarization run amok, and a police culture off the rails. Now, says Stamper, the mindset behind the badge has to focus first on public safety, crime, and collaboration not confrontation, with communities asserting control and clear federal standards to insure accountability. And he shows how it can be done." --Hedrick Smith, author of Who Stole the American Dream? and Executive Editor of Reclaim The American Dream "Most of the nation's approximately 18,000 police departments receive scathing criticism from one of their own... A vivid, well-written, vitally important book." --Kirkus Reviews, Starred Review "A blistering structural critique of U.S. law enforcement... By emphasizing institutional change, Stamper makes a brave attempt to answer the common question (one asked whenever another unarmed African-American is shot by police), where are all the good cops?" --Publishers Weekly

Norm Stamper was a cop for thirty-four years, the first twenty-eight in San Diego, the last six (1994-2000) as Seattle's police chief. He is credited as the architect of the nation's first community policing program and has a PhD in leadership and human behavior. He is the author of Breaking Rank: A Top Cop's Expose of the Dark Side of American Policing (Nation Books, 2005).

He served as a founding member of President Clinton's National Advisory Council on the Violence Against Women Act, and as an advisory board member of Law Enforcement Against Prohibition, along with numerous other boards dedicated to violence prevention, drug policy reform, and social justice. He has been called as an expert witness in approximately twenty police misconduct cases. He has written essays and opinion pieces for such publications as the New York Times, the Nation, Time Magazine, the Guardian (UK and US), Playboy, the Los Angeles Times, San Diego Union Tribune, Penthouse, American Police Beat Magazine, and YES! Magazine.

In this bold and urgent book, former Seattle police chief Norm Stamper tells us how we can finally turn warrior cops into neighbourhood-oriented community police.

This item is eligible for free returns within 30 days of delivery. See our returns policy for further details.