The Reinvention of Policing

Every so often a book on policing comes along that shakes the field of criminology to its core. By calling out the moral and system failures, marshaling the research evidence of the gains made, and charting a path for real reform and social justice, The Reinvention of Policing, by Kelly and Mears, is that book. It is what we need now. It is what we will need for the years ahead. -- Brandon C. Welsh, Professor of Criminology at Northeastern University, and coauthor of The Globalization of Evidence-Based Policing
The Reinvention of Policing fills a critical void in our knowledge of policing in the U.S. The book offers a comprehensive account of the failures of American policing, as well as a model for reforming traditional policing. The authors draw from historical events, federal policies and practices, and the latest policing research to illustrate what works and what doesn’t in crime prevention and public safety. This is a must read for policy makers and justice officials striving for an effective and cost-efficient justice system. -- Nancy Rodriguez, University of California, Irvine
Kelly and Mears bring their decades of experience studying the criminal justice system to the crucial question of how to improve modern policing. This book clearly and comprehensively identifies not just the challenges in how policing currently operates, but also bold, realistic solutions to change practice. Centering crime prevention and public safety in efforts to transform police work offers great promise for fairer and more effective policing in the future. This book should be read by students, researchers, practitioners, and policymakers interested in seriously engaging with what works (and what does not) in improving public safety and applying these ideas to concrete strategies to enhance twenty-first century policing. -- Cody Telep, Arizona State University
In The Reinvention of Policing, Kelly and Mears provide a highly critical but simultaneously constructive account of the crises in policing today. They situate their critique of modern policing in the broader context of a failing criminal justice system, provide a detailed account how we got here, and offer a clear and convincing path towards a model of policing that truly prioritizes public safety through crime prevention. Truly a remarkable accomplishment and a must read for all those who seek transformational reforms in policing. -- Natasha A. Frost, Co-Director, Center on Race, Crime, and Justice, Northeastern University