Walk the Walk

From “one of the most interesting sociologists of his generation” and a former cop, the story of three departments and their struggle to change aggressive police culture and achieve what Americans want: fair, humane, and effective policing What should we do about the police? After the murder of George Floyd, there’s no institution more controversial: only 14 percent of Americans believe that “policing works pretty well as it is” (CNN/SSRS, April 27, 2021). We’re swimming in proposals for reform, but most do not tackle the aggressive culture of the profession, which prioritizes locking up bad guys at any cost, loyalty to other cops, and not taking flak from anyone on the street. Worse, this culture is not essential—and is even detrimental—to public safety. Walk the Walk brings readers deep inside three unusual departments—in Stockton, California; Longmont, Colorado; and LaGrange, Georgia—whose chiefs signed on to replace that culture with something better, using models focused on equity before the law, community-mindedness, racial reconciliation, and the preservation of life. Informed by research, unflinching, and by turns gripping, tragic, and inspirational, this book follows the chiefs, officers, and detectives as they grapple with changing how cops do their job. While every community faces unique challenges with police reform, Walk the Walk opens a window onto what policing could be if we took seriously the charge of creating a more just America.