New edition! An Examination of the history of police violence from a radical, yet pragmatic and highly readable perspective. Written for lay readers and scholars alike, we're shown that police misconduct isn't just a matter of 'bad apples,' but a function of the very nature of policing in the United States. Williams examines the populations most often subjected to police abuse and the forms it takes. Studies of modern police forces evolved from slave patrols and protection rackets, racism in law enforcement, critiques of 'community' policing, and suggests strategies for combating police violence. He also includes a chapter on prison economics, with an emphasis on how police have cooperated with politicians to increase the number of prisons. Practical guidance to activists, and the future to making police obsolete.