Plot:
Rosa Brooks was a forty-something law professor when she decided to become a Reserve Police Officer in Washington, D.C. Reserve police officers in Washington D.C. carry a gun, respond to emergency calls, go out on patrol – they serve in a volunteer capacity, but hold much of the same responsibility of any other police officer. Tangled Up in Blue chronicles Brook’s journey through police school and her experience of being a cop in our nation’s capital. She both shares personal stories of her shifts, and takes a step back to examine the larger culture of police officers and the criminal justice system at large. This book comes out in a couple of weeks – make sure you grab a copy!
What I loved most:
This book is described as being both for people who think police can do no wrong, and people who think police can do no right. Obviously, people have THE strongest opinions on policing right now. Y’all know that I am personally fascinated by the criminal justice system, and I just had to backspace a bunch in this review to take out what was turning into a lengthy monologue on the need for the system to be completely overhauled. But here’s what I love about this book: Rosa Brooks doesn’t make excuses for the real disparities between how different races are treated by the criminal justice system. She doesn’t claim that all police offers are perfect and infallible. But she also shares the real experiences of police officers in this day and age, showing that there are just so many good police officers out there trying to keep their communities safe. We as a society love to see things in black and white, good or bad, absolute terms. Tangled Up in Blue rests in the grey.
Read this book if you like:
Criminal justice, taking the time to listen without preconcieved notions, acknowledging systemic inequalities, sociology, memoirs
Book details:
- Author: Rosa Brooks
- Publisher: Penguin Press
- Date of Publication: February 9, 2021
- Age Recommendation: Adult
The Lamp Post 