The Policing Machine: Enforcement, Endorsements, and the Illusion of Public Input

Are police departments political actors with their own agendas? That is the question that Cheng (sociology, Duke Univ.) asks, using the New York Police as his reference point. The author could not get formal access to the police, so he used Freedom of Information requests and fieldwork. His book concentrates on two well-attended Brooklyn community councils. He argues police control the public view of councils and other neighborhood groups, channel complaints, and increase their power. He says other groups police don’t recognize or participate in receive adverse attention from them. The book shows that the most common police solution to complaints was increased police presence. If residents could not get action, they would go to elected officials. Cheng concludes that police should not be able to control permits for social events, and he believes they should be barred from using social media. He also wants the police and other community entities to get the same level of resources. While academic in tone, the book is accessible.