Relying on narratives collected in Ferguson MO and Baltimore MD, this talk argues for a paradigmatic change in academic policing literature and the administration of policing. While foundational academic police literature readily grounds U.S. policing within a colorblind, ahistorical lens—and within Sir Robert Peel's principles of policing, this talk argues that policing in the U.S. is far more complicated and nuanced. We also argue that U.S. policing is unequivocally a development unto its own. Relying on narratives collected from African Americans, we propose a more historical and intersectional understanding of policing as a racialized system of control for some groups rather than solely a peacekeeping force. New ways of contextualizing and studying policing as an institution are discussed.
Jason Williams is an Assistant Professor of Justice Studies at Montclair State University.
