Reimagining Police: The Future of Public Safety

Large-scale protests, marches, and demonstrations in cities all over the globe have followed high-profile fatal encounters involving law enforcement and people of color. Citizens have taken to the streets and demanded answers to the chronic problems of police violence and lack of accountability, particularly at the intersection of law enforcement and race in the United States. Many have demanded reform, defunding, and even the outright abolishment of police departments.

How did we get here? And what does the future of public safety look like?

US police forces took shape in colonial times when private groups sought to suppress Indigenous peoples, enforce slavery, and preserve the economic interests of the ruling class. Law enforcement and the societies it serves have evolved since, but the dark roots of policing have endured, resulting in centuries of historical pain and trauma in Black and other communities of color.

In Reimagining Police, Dr. Artika R. Tyner explores this troubled past and present, as well as the underlying problems of a flawed criminal justice system and unjust social structures. By examining various alternative policing models—and addressing systemic societal issues such as breaking the poverty cycle, instituting restorative justice, and investing in education and community resources—Tyner debunks the misconception that calls for change are anti-police, while offering hope for a more harmonious future between law enforcement and the people it swears to protect and serve. Tyner encourages readers to get involved in this difficult conversation and to feel empowered to lead social change that helps build safe and strong communities.