This is a timely and explosive book that should be required reading. It explores police brutality from the perspective of a man who worked on the front lines, Matthew Horace. He himself is a black man who was an officer at the federal, state, and local level for 28 years working in every state in the country. Some people will easily dismiss this work, but those who read it with an open mind will likely come away with a new perspective on a complex issue.

"Even as a federal agent, I have been on surveillance or supporting an operation and have had an officer approach me and say that the neighbors called about a "suspicious" vehicle, which meant it was a black guy driving a car. I’ve been the man in that suspicious vehicle.”

Matthew Horace worked as a cop at the federal, state, and local level for 28 years, and he is plenty sick of the “toxic brotherhood.” The quote above refers to an incident that occurred in Mill Creek, a (very white) suburb outside Seattle, Washington where I live, but it’s not just here; it’s everywhere in the US. Specifically, he tells us about cities where some of the most notorious cop violence has created resistance such as New Orleans, Chicago, Baltimore, and Ferguson.

There are essays provided by police chiefs from some of these places as well as from Kathleen O’Toole, who was chief here in Seattle; O’Toole’s prose reek of electioneering, the sort of style that speaks for itself. Many of these contributors contradict Horace’s own assertion that the problem is endemic, and is absolutely not a case of a few bad apples. More than one of these essays hold the fascination I’d feel if forced to watch a rattlesnake before it strikes; the sanctimony, the grandiose claims of justice supposedly served. The most interesting of them all is from an African-American police chief in Chicago, whose personal stories of her family members having been abused—including her sons—stand diametrically opposed to what she does for a living, and yet she maintains her tightrope walk, determined to make a difference where only the smallest, if any, seems likely.

By now I should have thanked Net Galley and Hachette Books for the review copy, which I received free and early. This excellent book is available to the public Tuesday, August 7, 2018.

There has been a flurry of books published about this subject since it became national news. More than anything, the internet and cellular phones have stripped the gatekeeping capacity of the major news outlets; cops that were able to beat and even kill people and lie about it later are being outed left and right. Even I, who am an old lefty and have never really believed cops were there to protect ordinary people, am shocked by much of what’s been revealed. I wondered, as I began reading, whether Horace could add to what’s already been said and shown. What could he add to the body of information provided by Ta-Nehisi Coates, Angela Davis, and Matt Taibbi? (Many years ago, Norm Stamper, former Seattle police chief, also wrote an expose that included a chapter on why cops beat Black men.)

As it happens, Horace has a lot of information that I hadn’t read, and it isn’t just a matter of fine detail. For example, who knew that in New Orleans, cops were not merely accepting graft, but actively robbing Black-owned businesses, guns drawn, and making off with their cash and other valuables? It’s the sort of thing that lives in your head for a long time after you read it; but then again, it should be.

The sourcing is impeccable.

Those with an interest in Black Lives Matter, in civil rights in general, or with an interest in race issues within the so-called criminal justice system in America should get this book, for full price if necessary, and read it. Read the whole thing. So much of our future depends on how we respond.

This is a very important book, a sad book, a personal book for the author. I want to remember every name mentioned. The victims, the people doing great work in disadvantaged communities, and the good officers. Horace's background gives him a great perspective in which to investigate this book. The title is a bit misleading. You may come to the conclusion from reading the title that Horace was simply a police officer, but rather he has been apart of many intergovernmental task forces through his work with the ATF. This gives him the inroads to give such a complete investigation with this book.

The book is very well written, and although there are times Horace evokes hyperbole, I think it works to keep the reader engaged. There is great focus on systemic problems in Chicago, St. Louis, and New Orleans, which all get multiple chapters. What is interesting about these three cities is that they have similar problems that were caused by different issues within their respective police forces, but similar solutions have been enacted in each City, of which, there has started to be a positive affect. I am sure many of the issues discussed in these chapters are seen throughout law enforcement institutes throughout the country, these need to be acknowledged, but at the same time, it is more important to acknowledge the solution.

Towards the end Horace starts to focus on mental illness. He does not offer any solutions for police engagement with the mentally ill, but does explain that police are not trained as mental illness professionals.

I think the book could cover more on engagement of force on the mentally ill and how they can better handle these situations. I would have liked to see some interviews with psychiatrists and psychologists.

I have often wondered how black members of law enforcement feel about the Black Lives Matter movement, and the tragedies that we seem to hear so often. I am also the type of person who is always conscious that I do not completely understand the experience of another person, and have felt uncomfortable affixing blame, because I am aware that I can not know what the experience is of living as a police officer.

When I saw the description of this book, I immediately knew that I wanted to read it, in search of some additional insight into these events from someone who IS an insider--both a law enforcement official and a black man.

Horace examines a number of recent cases of police violence, and attempts to understand what the culture was that led to the ultimate newsworthy event. He discusses the shooting of Michael Brown in Ferguson, MO, the actions of the New Orleans police on the Danziger bridge during the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina, and many others. He delves into the history of the culture in which each of these events happens; both the history of the police force involved and the history of the community being served. What he uncovers, over and over again, are situations where the political climate in the community, in addition to the often corrupt culture allowed to exist within a particular law enforcement agency has led to officers who behave in a manner that is contrary to their training and best practices. This book is rife with examples of abhorrent behavior on the part of people who are ostensibly supposed to uphold the peaceful functioning of our society.

In fact, one of the things that I felt was missing from this book was the example of situations where things were not so cut and dried. A few years back I heard an interview with a police officer regarding the Freddie Gray incident. Freddie Gray was a 25-year-old black man who was arrested by the Baltimore Police Department. While being transported in a police van, Gray lapsed into a coma and eventually died as a result of spinal cord injuries that he incurred while being arrested and transported. Gray requested medical attention during transport, including statements that he was having trouble breathing, and these statements were ignored by the police. As a civilian, this seems inexplicable--who would ignore the pleas of someone who was claiming that they were having difficulty breathing. However, the interviewed officer (who was actually in favor of indicting the officers in the Gray case) explained that he hears statements like this on a regular basis from people who he is transporting, and although he acknowledged that he has the responsibility to ensure that the suspect remains safe and healthy, that the vast majority of the time, these complaints are just "crying wolf" and rarely indicate something truly wrong with the suspect.

It was partially hearing that interview that made me realize how little I really understood the daily experience of a police officer, and began to wonder whether, in at least a few cases, there were underlying motivations or knowledge that made logically actions that I found incomprehensible. I wish that Horace had provided examples that were more nuanced; where the reader was let into the thought processes of an officer whose behavior arose out of an honest misunderstanding or misconception.

Now that I have finished the book, I can not say whether I feel like I understand things better--but my discomfort now stems from a different source. As many times as I have read about, or heard about the racism in our society and the challenges that black people have--being pulled over for "driving while black" for example--the level of underlying racism that Horace describes in this book is so overwhelming that it is difficult for me to fathom, and I am a Jewish woman, so I have experienced my fair share of prejudice and misogyny. In addition, I have a worldview that believes that the majority of people want to be good people, and it is difficult, if not impossible, to square this viewpoint with the stories that Horace shares in this book.

However, it would not be fair to criticize this book because it does not support my personal world view. Indeed, I think it is an important book with much to say about how our society has landed in the situation that we are in today, and a set of important warnings about how remaining silent about bad behavior can lead to horrific tragedies in the long run.

I received an advanced reading copy of this book from Hachette Books via NetGalley. Thanks!

Thank you Net Gallery for an advanced copy of The Black and the Blue by Matthew Horace.

This is a great book, it follows police brutality from the prospective of a black man. The part about shootings and harassment back in the day by white men to black men doesn't surprise me it's knowing it's still going on. In this book we learn more about police abuse particularly to black officers, the many shootings of young black men like Michael Brown etc. Black Lives Matter. I really didn't know there was that many shootings of black men until reading this book. It's a enormous outcry in my mind. All in all this book is very interesting and kept me reading. I hated what Mr. Horace went through and the other black officers. This story needed to be told and everyone should pass this book around. Thank you Mr. Horace for telling this much needed book, it's about time someone did.

One line will stay with me for a long time: If you call 911 who know who will show up. Scary thought.


Thanks again

Cherie'

Missing Two Very Important Words. In this book by former high ranking ATF agent Matthew Horace, we get an inside look at the problems and perils of policing in America through the eyes of a man who is both black and blue.

The book overall was very surprising to me, as I happen to be a former leader in the Cop Block movement, who has been active in fighting police brutality since a few years before anyone had ever heard of Michael Brown or Black Lives Matter (the organization). It was surprising in its balance, in that he at minimum admitted how bad police are, his own particular abuses, and that this is not "a few bad apples", but the entire system and culture. All of this was refreshing to hear a cop say, and very welcome.

At the same time, however, rather than fully accept responsibility for *not killing people*, Horace routinely makes excuses and says that the ultimate responsibility for ending police brutality lies with politicians, community leaders, mental health providers, businesses, indeed *anyone* but police themselves.

Structure wise, the book spends quite a bit of time - roughly half its 14 total chapters (counting the epilogue as a chapter) - looking at the New Orleans and Chicago police departments specifically. The rest is a more general look using Horace's career as a lens. He looks at a few specific and infamous incidents, including the Danzinger Bridge, the aforementioned Michael Brown case that spawned the Black Lives Matter organization, and the Laquan Mcdonald case that threatened to plunge Chicago into chaos, through the lens of someone who both investigated and trained police in proper procedures, and often makes it a point to point out exactly where the police made the mistakes that resulted in the body bags. Unfortunately there are also a number of grammar errors throughout the book, often a misplaced word similar to a word that was clearly intended.

Overall, this is a recommended book, if only because it is so thorough, balanced, and from this particular viewpoint. I would still recommend Radley Balko's 2013 classic The Rise of the Warrior Cop: The Militarization of Police in America as a better look at the overall issue, but this is a solid companion to that book. I'm going with 3 stars for now, but honestly there was considerable debate within my head between three and four stars, and I can see cases for both.

The reason for the 3 stars? Even while admitting his own abuses, he neglects two very important words America needs to hear from even formerly abusive cops:

I'm Sorry.

What a powerful book that is not on the sensational side or even one sided. What do I mean by one sided well when it comes to race and the police it seems in our modern society that it is that people believe only side. Well this author is not only an African-American but also a police officer so he truly knows both sides. He does not hold back on his views or what he personally has experienced from racist co-workers or what he has seen as a public person. The blatant racism he experienced was sad and should not be happening but sadly it is. The author really shows us how in our modern times we think racism is gone but it really is still there just hidden right under the surface. This was a very powerful book and I highly recommend it.

This book should be required reading for all Americans so that they can understand one of the most pressing issues facing our country today: the interactions between police and African-Americans. The author is an expert with unimpeachable credentials (28 years in law enforcement at state, local, and federal levels). Too often, this subject is shaded as either your fully support police warts and all or you are against police. This book clearly shows that the problems are clear and, unfortunately, numerous.

This is an important read told from a perspective frequently ignored - the black police officer. It is also crucial to our understanding of the intersection of policing with institutional and individual racism. The Black and the Blue should be required reading for everyone working in the criminal justice system. Thanks to NetGalley for a copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.

Thank you Netgalley for my copy of this book. The Black and The Blue was really interesting and reflected back on past incidentsnand crimes and lifes unfortunately lost in police hands . It was very interesting seeing police work through the eyes of a blackman. The stereo type that police officers already get , but being we see that a person of color is difficult on both sides.; In or out of uniform.. People often see black males as dangeous , often fearful of them. What difference is a white male vs black male ? Both can be equally dangerous. This book made good points in those areas that we often jump to conclusions in many areas based on color of ones skin. I would recommend this book .

First of all, thank you to the author for writing this much needed book and the publisher for publishing it. This book is a must read. If anyone thinks that there is no difference between arrest/shootings of people of color, if this book does not have you look at things differently,something is wrong. Precise, clear writing with statistics and first hand thoughts on various encounters between African American people and police officers. It is scary in this day and time that this goes on, but it does. This book will stay with me for a long time. Please read this book, you will be doing yourself an injustice by not reading it. Thanks to NetGalley, the author and the publisher for the ARC of this book in return for my honest review.