Before the Badge by Samantha J. Simon is a groundbreaking and incisive exploration of the critical role that police academy training plays in shaping law enforcement practices and, ultimately, police violence. Simon meticulously investigates how the curriculum, culture, and values instilled in recruits can influence their behavior on the streets, providing a vital lens through which to understand the complexities of policing in America.

The book is exceptionally well-researched, drawing on extensive interviews, data analysis, and case studies to build a compelling argument. Simon’s writing is clear and engaging, making complex concepts accessible to a broad audience while retaining academic rigor. She adeptly navigates the intricacies of police training programs, exposing how certain approaches can perpetuate aggressive tactics and a culture of violence.

One of the standout aspects of Before the Badge is Simon’s ability to humanize the issue by incorporating personal stories from both recruits and community members affected by police actions. This narrative approach not only highlights the real-world implications of training practices but also fosters a deeper understanding of the systemic issues at play.

Moreover, the book goes beyond mere critique, offering thoughtful suggestions for reform that emphasize the need for comprehensive, community-oriented training. Simon’s vision for a reimagined police academy model is both inspiring and necessary, making this book a crucial read for anyone invested in the future of policing and community safety.

Overall, Before the Badge is an essential contribution to the ongoing conversation about police reform and accountability. Samantha J. Simon has created a powerful and enlightening work that should be required reading for policymakers, law enforcement professionals, and advocates alike. This book not only sheds light on an urgent issue but also serves as a call to action for meaningful change in how we approach police training and violence prevention.

Sociologist Samantha J. Simon spent a grim but captivating year immersed in several police academies in an unnamed Southern U.S. state, observing and sometimes participating in training that transforms recruits into cops. Instructors overwhelmingly emphasized violence as both a deadly danger to police and a necessary skill to master. Trainees were repeatedly shown footage of notorious killings of officers and told in no uncertain terms that failure to physically take control of situations could kill them and their coworkers. Training in de-escalation techniques was minimal and vague by comparison—recruits were heavily critiqued and even drummed out for reluctance to use force, and the public was often portrayed as naive for wanting kinder, gentler police. Simon, a keen observer and captivating writer, found herself receiving some unpleasantly sexist comments from academy staff, in what she describes as deeply gendered and male-dominated environments. She also saw herself affected by the training, developing a more commanding presence and more suspicious approach to her day-to-day surroundings. Her experience ultimately convinced her that abolition, not reform, is the solution, even as she acknowledges that exactly what this means remains a bit fuzzy. “After spending a year at police training academies, I do not see any other way forward,” she writes.

Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for this eARC.

In her thought-provoking book, "Before the Badge", sociologist Samantha J. Simon takes readers on an immersive journey into the heart of American police academies. With a year spent training alongside cadets, Simon provides a firsthand look at how officers are selected, trained, and socialized within this critical institution.

Synopsis:
The book delves into every stage of police training, from recruitment to tactical instruction. Simon's approach is deeply embedded and embodied, allowing her to experience the physical and psychological demands placed on cadets. As she runs laps, shoots guns, and learns to use handcuffs, she uncovers the hidden dynamics that shape the future of law enforcement.

Key Insights:

The Myth of Danger: Despite data showing that policing is safer than ever, the academy instills in cadets the belief that their job has become exponentially more dangerous. This adversarial worldview selects for candidates who embrace violence enthusiastically or competently.

Dehumanization: Simon reveals how training encourages cadets to view Black and Latino/a members of the public as enemies. The process socializes them into a system of state violence, perpetuating harmful patterns.

Lack of De-escalation Training: Surprisingly, de-escalation training remains a buzzword rather than a core curriculum component. Simon's interviews with officers highlight this gap.

Thoughtful and Nuanced:
Simon's conclusions are both bleak and clear, supported by rigorous research. She brings the subject to life, sharing genuine rapport with officers and cadets. While the writing occasionally leans towards the academic, the book remains accessible and impactful.

Victim Blaming And Typical Academic Ideologies Mar Otherwise Remarkable Work. Primarily in both the early and late sections of the book, the author frequently goes the typical anti-capitalist, everything is racist rants so common throughout both Academia and the field of sociology in particular. While the "everything is racist" bit is also found in the middle, it is toned down a bit as the author more proactively describes what she actually saw during her year of embedding herself within police academies to study exactly how new police cadets are trained.

It is within this section in particular that the book truly shines - and the problem of police brutality is exposed as beginning even in the earliest stages of a cop's career, in how they are forced to think just to survive training. The psychopath David Grossman and his "Killology" are briefly discussed, though Radley Balko's work tracing the militarization of police and the increasing frequency of police brutality in his seminal work The Rise Of The Warrior Cop is never mentioned at all. Through this section, we see in stark detail just how police are trained and what at least some of their instructors seem to genuinely believe - and while many will agree with these positions, many more will see just what any attempts to reform policing are truly up against.

It really is the conclusions, where despite Simon claiming to have no real suggestions on how to proceed, then proceeds to make sweeping suggestions of how to proceed, that mars this text more than anything - and I openly admit here that this is absolutely one of those points that will encourage many to buy the book and encourage many others to burn it. Here, Simon proceeds to blame the victims of police brutality for being victims of police brutality via claiming that because guns are so prevalent in the United States, cops are of course warranted in assuming that everyone is armed at all times and thus of course their lives are in danger at every moment - exactly what Simon exposes they are trained from the very beginning to believe. She also ultimately believes that policing as we currently know it should be completely abolished *and replaced with some other system*, seemingly not realizing that *any* State system is force from its very nature, and that ultimately *any* State system of policing will result in exactly the same problems the abolition movement claims it is trying to solve.

Still, the text is reasonably well documented, with its bibliography clocking in at about 21% of the overall text, and the actual reporting of what she saw and experienced was quite well done. Truly, even those who may want to burn this book after reading it *should still read it first*. And then either defenestrate it or burn it, if you feel so led. :D

Seriously, read this book no matter your thoughts on policing in America. At minimum, you'll gain a much more detailed understanding of how police officers are recruited and trained, and ultimately more knowledge - even when so skewed as this text is - helps make stronger arguments for whatever position one may have on any given issue. Recommended.

This book is required reading for anyone working on carcerality. It clearly demonstrates the ways policing requires violence, in every part of the process, and will be so useful to those studying carceral values.