Alex S. Vitale is Professor of Sociology at Brooklyn College and author of “The End Of Policing.” In this discussion, Alex describes the current state of policing in the US, and well as provides a historical and sociological context as to why policing functions as it currently does in this country. Alex describes the policies that have lead to the current problems many segments of the American population have with police and the tactics police employ. From the War on Drugs to the War on Terror, Alex describes how the political class operates on a very flawed view of human nature, and how that has inevitably lead to policies that have lead to the horrendous experience many have had with police. Putting this all in context allows us to address the underlying issues with policing as a whole, and work to change the way social issues are dealt within our local communities.

“Incidences of police brutality happens daily across America. Some, for whatever reason, get highlighted by the media. More and more, people are waking up to the reality of what police departments real function in this nation really is: preserving the status quo. If the status quo is unjust for a great portion of the population, so be it. No amount of diversity training for police departments is going to change that. The problems with policing run deeper than a few reforms put forward by the political class. To end this, we need to understand the history of policing as we currently understand it, as well as the cultural premises and conditioning that underlies the policies of our criminal justice system. The changes that need to occur in our society run much deeper than mere reforms can produce.”

Episode Notes:

- Find out more about Alex's book "The End Of Policing": https://www.versobooks.com/books/2426-the-end-of-policing

- You can also purchase "The End Of Policing" at your local bookstore, or on Amazon: https://goo.gl/sqRahx

- Learn more about Alex's work, as well as keep with upcoming events: http://www.alex-vitale.info

- Follow Alex on Twitter: https://twitter.com/avitale

- The music featured in this episode: "Our," "Forgiven," and "Corner" by Actress from the album "Ghettoville"

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