The Story
The dangers of "progressive policing" as told through a study of Portland, Oregon.
Policing the Progressive City tells the story of how Portland's "law and order" has been shaped for over two hundred years by business interests, political climbers, and social campaigners--as well as its history of mass resistance to police brutality. With meticulous research and expert storytelling, Kristian Williams exposes how the city's progressive veneer enables its police to weather scandals, co-opt critics, and refurbish its reputation through carefully limited reforms. Time and again, the record reveals the Portland Police Bureau's legacy of racism, violence, and exploitation, even in one of America's most loudly liberal environments.
Author: Kristian Williams
Publisher: AK Press
Published: 02/10/2026
Pages: 480
Binding Type: Paperback
Weight: 1.55lbs
Size: 9.20h x 6.30w x 2.10d
ISBN: 9781849354288
About the Author
Kristian Williams has been writing about and organizing against the police since the mid 1990s. He is the author of seven books, including Our Enemies in Blue: Police and Power in America and lives in Portland, Oregon.
Description
The dangers of "progressive policing" as told through a study of Portland, Oregon.
Policing the Progressive City tells the story of how Portland's "law and order" has been shaped for over two hundred years by business interests, political climbers, and social campaigners--as well as its history of mass resistance to police brutality. With meticulous research and expert storytelling, Kristian Williams exposes how the city's progressive veneer enables its police to weather scandals, co-opt critics, and refurbish its reputation through carefully limited reforms. Time and again, the record reveals the Portland Police Bureau's legacy of racism, violence, and exploitation, even in one of America's most loudly liberal environments.
Author: Kristian Williams
Publisher: AK Press
Published: 02/10/2026
Pages: 480
Binding Type: Paperback
Weight: 1.55lbs
Size: 9.20h x 6.30w x 2.10d
ISBN: 9781849354288
About the Author
Kristian Williams has been writing about and organizing against the police since the mid 1990s. He is the author of seven books, including Our Enemies in Blue: Police and Power in America and lives in Portland, Oregon.
