October 31, 2016
Friedman (The Will of the People), an NYU professor and founder of the Policing Project, instructively examines what he identifies as the crisis in 21st-century U.S. policing. Drawing on landmark court cases, extensive history, and incisive analysis, Friedman takes a hard look at current problems and proposes astute and well-researched solutions in favor of more “democratic and constitutional” policing. He examines contentious law enforcement practices, including stop-and-frisk, and government surveillance in an era of hyperconnectivity and terrorism. Citing ample evidence of government overreaching, he makes a strong case for more police transparency and accountability and for more “public input and debate” into designing policies and laws that protect civilians’ rights. He takes an in-depth look at law enforcement violations of the Fourth Amendment, which guarantees protection against unreasonable searches and seizures, and includes a history of the search warrant and accounts of how police and courts have enabled invasive searches. He argues that the courts have problematically been assigned the role of restoring justice but not the power to check outdated laws, legislators who pander to political whims, and law enforcement agencies that go largely unchecked. This book is the definitive guide to contemporary policing and its necessary reforms. Agent: Don Lamm, Fletcher & Company.