Police Power Book Review

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Police Power and the Production of Racial Boundaries is a critical book that examines the police department and policymakers and the criminal justice system. This ethnographic work captures how systemic racism is ingrained in the criminal justice system and rather than doing something to change the system, it keeps getting fed. This book written by Dr. Ana Muniz is an ethnographic book that examines Cadillac-Corning, a city in Los Angeles, where people of color are being criminalized and hyper-policed because they are seen as potential criminals rather than being viewed as model citizens. Throughout this book, Muniz analyzes the actions taken by LAPD and articulates how their actions go back into the era of slavery and black codes, thus fueling …show more content…

Eventually, as a result of the influx white people began moving out of the city (white flight). Furthermore, the white people that remained in the city began creating moral panics to spark a segregationist attitude. Eventually “white teachers, students and administration accused black students of bringing violence, drugs, conflict and militancy to school”(Muniz 28). With strong accusations like this, white people started becoming fearful, us versus them attitudes grew stronger and policymakers started implementing laws and actions that would serve as an ethnic cleansing. As a direct result of the “fear” of white people, more police officers were hired for both the schools and city, communities of color became more hyper-policed, gang injunctions and zero-tolerance policies were implemented and gentrification began. Through gentrification alone, communities began to be rebuilt, rent prices increased, and while the people that could not afford to live in their community anymore had to relocate, the city began attracting affluent white people to own the new “reconstructed” …show more content…

For example here in North San Diego County, the constant shootings of people of color by the police, the constant criminalization, and harassment of people of color and the labeling of communities of color are factors that lead to moral panics, thus creating an ambiance of dismay. When a moral panic is created, moral entrepreneurs state that if deviance starts in the city, then the city should take action and stop immediately or else the deviance will escalate causing a state of chaos. For example, Dr. Muniz shares Coetzee's novel, Waiting for the Barbarians, to compare both the criminalization and persecution of gang members and anyone that “appears” to be a gang member to the barbarian army that would arrive and start chaos. In this scenario, the townspeople and officers gather in solidarity to create one front against the barbarians. In today's reality, Muniz chose this scenario to refer to how the elites of society, those with the means and power, make communities of color out to be criminals, gang members, and portraying them as an imminent threat to society that must be

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