Reimagining Police

The Future of Public Safety

  • Interest Level: Grade 6 - Grade 12
  • Reading Level: Grade 8

Large-scale protests, marches, and demonstrations in cities all over the globe have followed high-profile fatal encounters involving law enforcement and people of color. Citizens have taken to the streets and demanded answers to the chronic problems of police violence and lack of accountability, particularly at the intersection of law enforcement and race in the United States. Many have demanded reform, defunding, and even the outright abolishment of police departments.

How did we get here? And what does the future of public safety look like?

US police forces took shape in colonial times when private groups sought to suppress Indigenous peoples, enforce slavery, and preserve the economic interests of the ruling class. Law enforcement and the societies it serves have evolved since, but the dark roots of policing have endured, resulting in centuries of historical pain and trauma in Black and other communities of color.

In Reimagining Police, Dr. Artika R. Tyner explores this troubled past and present, as well as the underlying problems of a flawed criminal justice system and unjust social structures. By examining various alternative policing models—and addressing systemic societal issues such as breaking the poverty cycle, instituting restorative justice, and investing in education and community resources—Tyner debunks the misconception that calls for change are anti-police, while offering hope for a more harmonious future between law enforcement and the people it swears to protect and serve. Tyner encourages readers to get involved in this difficult conversation and to feel empowered to lead social change that helps build safe and strong communities.

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Interest Level Grade 6 - Grade 12
Reading Level Grade 8
Genre Social Studies, Young Adult
Category Diverse Books: Race & Ethnicity, Diverse Books: Social Justice, Diversity, SEL: A Self-Awareness, SEL: B Self-Management, SEL: C Social Awareness, SEL: D Relationship Skills, SEL: E Responsible Decision-Making, Social Emotional Learning
Copyright 2024
Publisher Lerner Publishing Group
Imprint Twenty-First Century Books ™
Language English
Number of Pages 168
Publication Date 2023-10-03
Text Type Informational/Explanatory
BISACS YAN031000, YAN052040, YAN051180
Dewey 363.2/0973
Dimensions 6 x 9
Features Author/Illustrator biography, Awards, Bibliography/further reading, Charts/Graphs/Diagrams, Glossary, Index, Photo captions, Reviewed, Sidebars, Source notes, and Table of contents

Author: Dr. Artika R. Tyner

Dr. Artika Tyner is a passionate educator, award-winning author, civil rights attorney, sought-after speaker, and advocate for justice. She lives in Saint Paul, Minnesota, and is the founder of the Planting People Growing Justice Leadership Institute.

Narrator: Angela Juarez

Awards

  • Minnesota Book Award Finalist, Short-listed, 2024
  • Social Justice Literature Award Recommended Reading List, Commended, 2024

Reviews

Booklist

“This accessible overview provides background information and social context to explain how public opinion about policing policies has evolved over time, from the nineteenth and twentieth centuries through to present day. . .The second half concentrates on solutions and emphasizes the important role citizen protests and civic actions have played in achieving police reform.” — Booklist

Kirkus Reviews

“Readers learn about methods of reform and possible strategies for crime prevention and community building. . . Informative and rousing.”—Kirkus Reviews