Rethinking the Police: An Officer's Confession and the Pathway to Reform

by Daniel Reinhardt

A former officer grapples with the reality of our broken police culture Our society has long been stuck in cultural and ideological battles about police brutality and the police force's broken relationship with our communities. Rethinking the Police promises to start a more hopeful conversation. Daniel Reinhardt spent twenty-four years as a police officer near Cleveland, Ohio. He was long unaware of the ways the culture of the police department was shaping him, but gradually, through his own experiences as a police officer and through the mentorship of Black Christians in his life, his eyes were opened to a difficult police brutality against racial minorities was endemic to the culture of the system itself. In Rethinking the Police , Reinhardt lays out a history of policing in the United States, showing how it developed a culture of dehumanization, systemic racism, and brutality. But Reinhardt doesn't stop he offers a new model of policing based not in dominance and control but in a culture of servant leadership, with concrete suggestions for procedural justice and community policing.

Genres: Nonfiction, Sociology, Politics

224 pages, Paperback

Published November 21, 2023

Reviews

[Mike Schutt · Rating 3 out of 5]

I loved Professor Reinhardt’s humility and approach to this problem. Very clear, thoughtful analysis of what he saw as a police officer and leader. Just so helpful to have this Christian witness from an insider. The big picture approach has one fundamental flaw, however.

My review is here in Christianity Today:

https://www.christianitytoday.com/ct/...

In summary, the author’s conclusions regarding a toxic leadership culture in police departments are unassailable. He speaks with authority and humility. His solutions for reform of departments— servant leaders and shepherds in Christlike leadership— are excellent, but unworkable outside the department.

An employer of cops has a completely different calling than a cop on the street. The civil ruler who bears the sword is not the shepherd who bears the rod. Police officers love others by enforcing the law and punishing bad guys, not by nurturing communities. They cannot be pastors.

It is this difference that I think this book is missing. I still found it helpful and edifying on many levels, and I recommend it as a great addition to an otherwise miserable public discussion.

3.5 stars from me.

[Stephanie’s Ninth Suitcase · Rating 5 out of 5]

I received a complimentary copy of the book from the publisher. Opinions expressed are my own.

Note: This is a book I would highly recommend to Christian readers as a prayerful read, even for readers with differing perspectives on racism.

Scripture Connection
"He has told you, O man, what is good; and what does the Lord require of you but to do justice, and to love kindness, and to walk humbly with your God?" Micah 6:8

Spiritual Themes
This excellent book discusses the meaning of power and servanthood. And it's about promoting justice, as Christians are called to do.

What to Expect
Author Daniel Reinhardt served as a police officer for over 20 years, and Rethinking the Police draws extensively on his experience in the force. Part one (“Drifting Away from Peace Toward Abuse and Brutality”) outlines the history of the police force in the United States, including the ways that systemic injustice was built into the system– and recent examples of it. Part two (“The Pathway Back to Servanthood and Peace”) details a proposed Christ-centered model for reform.

The book is ten chapters total, comprised of four chapters in part 1 and six chapters in part 2.

Part 1
Part 1 lays a solid foundation for the reforms proposed in the second part of the book. In this portion, Reinhardt frequently cites personal experience, while also drawing on data-driven evidence. The author cites the history of policing in England, where it was introduced as a peaceful alternative to incarceration. He discusses the racist origins of American policing: with the enforcement of Jim Crowe mandated segregation, and details various commonalities between the ways in which police officers interact with the public– and with one another, between levels of command.

“Social distance” describes the propensity for police officers to view citizens with an “us-them” mentality. “Dehumanization” occurs as the objective of law enforcement supersedes the individuals being served (or, in the case of systemic injustice, law enforcement necessitates dehumanization), and abuse is perpetrated in conjunction with social distancing and dehumanization.

Reinhardt discusses how these qualities are built into the police culture: not through official rules and regulations, but through an informal ethic that gets passed down from senior officers to the rookies. Just as officers are likely to develop an “us-them” mentality with respect to those they serve, senior officers develop this outlook in relation to junior officers.

In addition to cultural injustice, Reinhardt also tackles systemic injustice, drawing a parallel between Jim Crowe policing and the war on drugs, both of which target communities of color. The author explains how police behaviors (social distancing, dehumanization and abuse) towards their communities feed attitudes of fear and hostility from community members. Between systemic and cultural police behaviors, crime rates increase in areas that have been historically targeted– which continues the cycle of disproportionate police presence in communities of color.

Outlining a hypothetical conversation that “likely occurs every day,” Reinhardt writes, “the police officer answers honestly that he has never targeted anyone for their color” (p. 73). Instead, communities at large are being targeted, based on laws that are targeting these communities, and exacerbated by police culture that feeds and breeds hostility.

Part 2
In part 2, Reinhardt offers a trajectory towards reform: the Servant-Shepherd model. This model is rooted in following Jesus, and it’s based on Jesus’s example of leadership. Throughout these chapters, Reinhardt lays out the model, and then traces out the particularities, explaining the intended outcome of the model, and repeatedly reiterating that reform must find its roots in Christ.

There’s a lot of material being covered here, and one thing I like about the organization is that there are a couple of figures illustrating the concepts discussed in a graphic organizer format for easy reference.

I have to admit that I was able to track with part 1 a bit better, with its wealth of concrete evidence. This is not to say that part 2 lacks in evidence. However, it necessarily deals a lot more in abstraction, because the author is proposing a model. For this reason, a lot of the writing is theoretical. I think that this portion of the book is much more suited to real officers in the field, or those who have more power to affect systemic change.

With that said, I am beyond delighted that 1) a retired Christian police officer is offering a model of reform and 2) that this model is so clearly rooted in Christ. The author predicts that readers may “raise an eyebrow” (pp. 13-14) either at the term “systemic racism,” or else at his Christ-centered model for reform, but I am SO HAPPY to see him broaching this topic! It is refreshing to see a Christian from this line of work advocating for reform. And it is even more refreshing to read a book where following Jesus is presented as a practical and tangible solution to an issue in today’s world.

Favorites
My favorite thing about this book is that it’s written by a Christian police officer. Although Daniel Reinhardt is white, he offers confessional insight from his experiences in the field. It’s also worth noting that Reinhardt grew up in a “racially diverse urban community” (p. 3) and married an African American woman. 

I am also delighted to see a Christian book that tackles a biblical, “progressive,” social justice theme, but without overextending to non-social justice themes. So often, I will read a book about a topic I passionately agree with (environmentalism, social justice), and will feel deeply disappointed when the book champions or references the LGBT movement as a similar “cause.” Social justice is so clearly the heart of the Heavenly Father, but I cannot advocate for a sinful lifestyle. I am so glad that Reinhardt is not doing that. Systemic racism is such a huge problem in the United States– one that should not be diminished by false equivocation.

I so appreciate Reinhardt’s humility. He is honest about his own experiences, and he does not shy away from bold assertions about the relationship between police culture and systemic racism. But he speaks with such gentleness and grace, truly seeking unity in reform as he advocates for servant-based leadership. Absolutely beautiful.

Quotes
"Without specific roots, the foundational ambiguity of servant leadership creates confusion related to the essential nature and categorical identification of a leadership characteristic, which will certainly guide a leader’s ethical actions."
p. 91

This excerpt is from a section on philosophical roots of ideologies, and Reinhardt has just contrasted the apostle Paul’s idea of power with Friedrich Nietzsche’s conception of it. I really like Reinhardt’s unapologetic emphasis on Christ-centered servitude (see also p. 108).

"Certainly, in the wake of George Floyd and Tyre Nichols, ethical adjustment is necessary.

Christian ethics by nature compel a response." p. 116

Yes! Again, I appreciate Reinhardt’s unapologetic language. In this instance, he’s not mincing words about the Christian imperative to respond to injustice.

"Enforcement, therefore, should be understood as a practice that can better the community and promote peace. It must not be used to target and punish aberrant citizens but should be applied as one specific function of the greater mission of peacekeeping." p. 149

I feel that this quote is an excellent synthesis statement.

Recommendation Status
This is my first book review / recommendation of the new year, and this is a title that I am highly, highly recommending. Although “systemic racism” may, indeed, be an “eyebrow-raising” term for many Christians, I do invite readers to prayerfully pick up this book, with a willingness to hear if the Lord will speak to them through it. I would recommend this title to readers on both sides of the Black / Blue Lives Matter divide.

For readers who are mourning systemic injustice, I invite you to read, pray, and take heart at this Christ-centered approach to reform. For readers who are wary of the term “systemic injustice,” I invite you to read, if the Spirit leads you, the perspective of this former police officer.

[Conrade Yap · Rating 4 out of 5]

The general perception of the Police force has taken a beating these days. From Michael Brown to Breonna Taylor, Daniel Prude to George Floyd, instances of police brutality on minority communities are becoming far too common. Those who claim that the issue is due to individual racists will have to explain why in 2023, five African American policemen killed Tyre Nichols, a black. According to author Daniel Reinhardt, the problem is beyond individuals. It is embedded in a system that nourishes systemic discrimination. In other words, if the perpetrators are guilty, the environment that breeds them is worse. As a 24-year-veteran of the police force, Reinhardt knows the system from the academy to street patrols. The question remains. If law enforcement agencies, courts, the federal agencies are aware of the problem, then why is there so little progress for better policing? Reinhardt puts his finger on the lack of changes from the inside out. With so much attention on external factors, internal factors have unwittingly been minimized. These factors refer to culture, worldview, and "implicit social structures." He goes on to describe the three key cultural factors: "Social distance," "Unchecked power," and "social structures."

With public admission of "systemic racism" in the system of policing and the unjust treatment of minority communities, many are clamoring for seismic changes. Reinhardt defines "systemic racism" not as something external like laws or written policies, but as unwritten laws and entrenched practices. He frames the book in two parts. Part One traces the history of the Police and highlights the ups and downs of the force. He asserts that the foundation of the Police was essentially based on Christian principles of fairness, peace, and "judicious exercise of power." The trouble begins when people start to diverge from the original principles. With corruption comes greed. Wth civil protests come power unhinged. The author goes on to describe how the three cultural factors led to dehumanization and abuse. Add to that is toxic leadership that makes positive changes difficult, even impossible. This caused the rise of problems like biased enforcement, brutality, and unjust use of power. The fight against crime led to "zero-tolerance policing." Statistical analysis reduces neighborhoods into mere numbers instead of understanding the contexts of each community. He points out a major cause: That the rules the police followed nourished the spread of systemic racism.

Thankfully, Reinhardt provides us with a bigger writeup in Part Two of the book about reforming for positive change. He calls the policing leadership to go back to the Christian foundations based on servanthood, service, true peace, fairness, and justice. Sharing his personal expression about hitting a wall of resistance, he urges the reformation of police culture toward one of humility and willingness to change. He proposes a model of servant leadership that is based on John David Trentham's principle of integrating social sciences and law enforcement. This includes a "follower-first" practice that includes union, community, and mission. They are summarized as follows:

1) Leaders are followers first, meaning they practice what they preach
2) They are "one" with the people they lead
3) Authority and power are to be used "judiciously and benevolently."
4) Mission as justice and peace

It also includes the need for a "shepherd" attitude and leadership characteristics. He then proposes a "new strategy of peace" that encapsulates the principles he had listed. At the very top are leaders who focus on influencing and inculcating the virtue of servanthood. They lead the way for everyone in that policing is not simply enforcing the law but building relationships with the communities they serve.
The next level of leadership is the officers and subcultures needed to infuse the principle of servanthood. In the interactions, the model must be exercised with the fundamentals of professionalism, respect, equitable treatment, trust, and public cooperation. Community policing means a deeper level of personal interaction with citizens and crime prevention. This calls for a smaller geographical area of responsibility to enable each officer to spend time building rapport with the community. A key focus is on how to improve relations with the African-American community.

My Thoughts
===============
I want to offer three thoughts about this book. First, I feel that the idea of servanthood is sound but the learning curve is steep. The subject of servant leadership has been around for over 60 years but we are still talking about putting such a theory into practice. This proves the age-old maxim that the longest distance in the world is the distance from the head to the heart. I could even venture to say that servant leadership is necessary in all spheres of society. Yet, in some way, the author might have seen this concept as a necessary corrective to what is happening to police forces in America and most of the Western hemisphere. The key driver for reform seems to come from the strong pushback from the public who are fed up with the racist treatments of the Rodney Kings and the George Floyds are becoming more blatant and frequent. Is systemic racism the cause? The author says yes. Is the solution to defund the police? The author says no. That would be a blunt strategy that is likened to throwing the baby out with the bathwater. Perhaps, the way forward for the police is to maintain the mindset of a servant. Like running a marathon, as long as one paces in the right direction, the goal will be in sight eventually. As the author admits, there are "no quick fixes" so readers will need to check their expectations when reading this book.

Second, though difficult, reforming the police is increasingly a necessity. With widespread public negativity, every single mistake by the police will be scrutinized meticulously. There is very little room for forgiveness. As long as positive steps are being put forward and implemented, there is hope. This is not simply about systemic racism. It is about the safety of all communities and the trust between the police and the public. Just like what the German Pastor Martin Neumueller warned about the failure to speak up for the needy, we should not see systemic racism as something affecting any one specific race alone. The biblical understanding of community is that, if one part of the body hurts, everyone hurts. It takes two to tango, so while it requires the police to make changes to their policing, the community needs to play its part to be more cooperative instead of confrontative. Be supportive of reforms. Be patient for as long as possible.

Third, relationships matter and they matter greatly. This is the single biggest takeaway that I have when reading this book. Just like servant leadership needs to be propagated at all levels, relationship-building needs to happen at all levels. That means the police hierarchy and their fellow officers; the cooperation between neighbourhood watch groups and the police; relationships between the authorities among neighbouring jurisdictions; and regular human bonding events between the law enforcers and the public. At the end of it all, we should not simply be defined by the colour of our skin or the uniforms we wear. We need to respect the sanctity of life, to build trusting relationships with the people we live and interact with daily. In this regard, the author is wonderfully positioned to show us the way. As a former police officer, he understands what it means to serve, to protect, and to uphold the law. As a Christian, he knows the gospel as a bridge that brings together law, grace, and peace. Thankfully, he has written this book as a resource to help us think Christianly about policing and the foundations of decent and just policing.

Daniel Reinhardt (PhD, The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary) served as a police officer near Cleveland, Ohio, for twenty-four years. After retiring from the police force, he was assistant professor at the Heart of Texas Foundation College of Ministry at the Memorial Unit, a prison in Rosharon, Texas. Currently, he is associate director of student life and applied ministry at The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary. He lives in Louisville, Kentucky, with his wife, Yvette.

Rating: 4.25 stars out of 5.

conrade
This book has been provided courtesy of InterVarsity Press via NetGalley without requiring a positive review. All opinions offered above are mine unless otherwise stated or implied.

[Kristen Moore · Rating 2 out of 5]

Disclaimer- I won a ARC of this book from Goodreads. While I don’t usually enter giveaways marked “religious,” I must not have been paying attention when I entered this one.

So that being said, I am not the correct audience for this book. I am an atheist and think religion belongs far away from our government and public services. But I won the giveaway and decided that I read and review it.

The author and I disagree fundamentally. I almost put the book down when he admitted not believing in evolution. The book is also tinged with white savior-ism.

That being said, the author has put together a thoughtful book. With ideas that could be transferred to a secular police department. His stories of his time in the police were much more engaging than other portions of the book which bordered on doctoral thesis at times. The book had enough thought provoking moments to keep my interest.

All in all, I wish I could give this 2.5 stars. I disagreed, and it wasn’t my favorite but I’m not mad I read it.

[Bob · Rating 4 out of 5]

Summary: A study of the history of policing in the United States and how a culture of dehumanization has developed, offering recommendations for reform rooted in servant leadership, community-based policing, and procedural justice.

“Defund the police!”

“Blue Lives Matter!”

These competing slogans were shouted at demonstrations all over the United States in the summer of 2020 after a string of incidents of brutality against Black citizens culminating in the death of George Floyd when a Minnesota police office positioned his knee on the neck of Floyd for over eight minutes, despite cries that Floyd couldn’t breathe, despite being filmed by bystanders. Floyd died.

It’s complicated. In many Black communities there are deep resentments against the police going back to Jim Crow and reflected in aggressive policing practices like stop and frisk, vehicle stops and searches on the pretext of minor infractions, and more. At the same time, police put their lives at risk on every domestic violence call, nightclub fight, and vehicle stop. Every. Single. Shift. Officers want to go home to families who fear the day they don’t. In many cases, they must make quick decisions in rapidly evolving situations–decisions to protect lives, sometimes using force, even deadly force. When others flee gunfire, they run toward it.

Daniel Reinhardt is not out to eliminate the police. He served as a police officer for twenty-four years in a racially diverse community, retiring as a Lieutenant. He had assignments as as a community police officer and SWAT team member, school resource officer and defensive tactics instructor and shift patrol commander. He has a deep sense of the honorable aspects of police work and a deep sense of loyalty to his fellow officers. But he also believes police culture in the United States departed from the Christian foundations on which Robert Peel, British Home Secretary established the first police force in London, based on the maxim ‘to keep the peace by peaceful means.” expressed in nine principles including a focus on crime prevention, community involvement, judicious use of force, friendliness, and impartial service.

Reinhardt offers a brief history of policing, showing the increasing tensions between police and racially diverse communities and how they arose. He looks at the development of police culture, in particular the social identity of the police, the social distancing of police from the people they serve (including the move from foot patrols to modern police cruisers), and the dehumanizing “:us versus them” perceptions and stereotypes of those they serve. This is often abetted by toxic leadership hierarchies emphasizing power and control. There is often a disparity between training in the academy and “how it is done on the street.” He points to the utilitarian ethic underlying policing strategies, including stop and frisk, pretextual traffic stops, zero-tolerance and intelligence-based policing in which the ends (arrests, drug seizures) justify the means. He shows how this can lead to excessive force as well as deteriorating relations between police and the communities they patrol.

Reinhardt’s perspective began to change as he observed a pastor who was a servant leader. That set him on a course of considering whether that kind of leadership could be key to addressing the unhealthy aspects of power and control he experienced in police culture. Rooted in the idea of servant-leadership, he formulated four foundational principles for police leadership:

1. Police leaders are followers first.
2. Police leaders are one with the community of officers.
3. Authority and power should be used judiciously and benevolently.
4. The primary mission is justice and peace.

This works out in leaders and officers who are present, protecting, and providing–first for their fellow officers, and then the people they serve. This in turn leads to a different approach to the community. First of all, he emphasizes procedural justice which pursues “professional, equitable, and respectful treatment of all citizens.” Procedural justice rejects an “us versus them” mentality in exchange for an “us with them” mentality, where community and police identify and work on problems together. He also lays out ideas for community policing within the present, protect, provide framework. He shares encouraging stories of his work as a school resource officer, helping coach wrestlers, who in at least one instance, helped him defuse a dangerous crowd situation because he had earned their respect and trust.

The approach Reinhardt outlines makes sense and seems a good example of thinking Christianly about policing. It would seem to address a police culture that can foster implicit bias and racial injustices. My one concern is that the examples Reinhardt shares focus on individuals who practice these principles, sometimes to the detriment of their standing with superiors and fellow officers, even if it yields good outcomes in the community. I would like to see more on how those in law enforcement effect the culture change Reinhardt describes. I’m also curious whether there are instances on a department-wide basis where this has been implemented and what has been learned.

My hunch is that this is an initial model or proposal, albeit one rooted both in experience and research. It certainly harks back to Robert Peel’s ideas, which were put into practice with the Metropolitan Police in London where the focus was on crime reduction and policing by consent. Reinhardt admits there are wider societal issues beyond the scope of this book but writes in the hope that this approach will both alleviate some of the tensions faced between police and racially diverse communities as well as ennoble what he already believes an honorable profession, one to which he has deep fraternal ties. It is to be hoped that it might serve as a template for substantive changes beyond the simplistic slogans of recent years–changes that honor both police and the citizens they serve.

________________________________

Disclosure of Material Connection: I received a complimentary review copy of this book from the publisher.

[Josh Olds · Rating 4 out of 5]

If you’re white, the past few years have exposed the culture of violence that seems inherent in police culture. If you’re not white, then you’ve known that for generations. Whether we’re talking about the blatant corruption of the early twentieth century, the racial violence of the Civil Rights movement that continues into the present day, the militarization of the police force that occurred after 9/11, or the promotion of policing tactics that dehumanize and abuse, there’s really no end or beginning to the subject of police violence and brutality in America. From 1980 to 2018, more than 30,000 people died by police violence in the United States. Many more have been injured, insulted, had their rights violated, or otherwise been a victim of the community meant to uphold peace and safety. Where did it all go wrong?

In Rethinking the Police, 24-year police veteran Daniel Reinhardt evaluates the history of policing in America, shares his own experiences including how he changed his mind regarding policing, and offers a new policing paradigm intended to reduce violence and help police engage more fruitfully with their community. The first part of Reinhardt’s book covers the history and structure of the modern police force. In particular, Reinhardt focuses on the toxicity of police culture—exemplified through the “thin blue line”—and gives personal examples of how police culture dehumanizes and “others” those outside the culture, particularly people of color. Reinhardt is fair and evenhanded in this discussion. He isn’t angry or inflammatory; neither does he make excuses. Readers will get a sense of why police culture has become what it is even as they are shown how it is toxic.

The solution to such an authoritarian and toxic police culture, Reinhardt postulates, is servant leadership. Simply put, police officers must begin to truly believe the sides of their vehicles that say “To protect and serve.” Rethinking the Police alters the policing model to be less hierarchical and more collaborative. It asks police to be part of the communities they serve and to not view themselves as having power over those they encounter. It’s a nice dream.

In fact, I don’t see much wrong with Reinhardt’s postulations in theory. (I think servant leadership has its deficiencies, but it’s a whole lot better than authoritarian hierarchy.) Where the book fails is in telling us how we get there. How do we go from point A to point B? Rethinking the Police is suggesting that virtually everything about police administration and procedure be changed. “If everything was the opposite of what it is now, it would be better” is an insightful statement, but useless if there is no plan for changing that culture.

Do we defund the police? Do we disarm them? Do we make them live within a certain radius of the community they police? Do we demilitarize them? How do we ensure police are hiring officers committed to a servant leadership model? How do we retrain current officers who have lived and worked within an authoritarian culture? Rethinking the Police lays out the stark realities of A and suggests the better alternatives of B, but does very little work in outlining the practicalities of getting from one place to the other.

Look. I’m rather pessimistic about American policing. It is a major factor in why my family no longer lives in the United States. I appreciate Daniel Reinhardt’s change of beliefs and his model for improved policing. I just don’t know how we get there. Rethinking the Police avoids most of difficult subjects. It’s a start to the conversation and I’m glad we’re having it, but I still think it is insufficiently radical. Again, I deeply appreciate this book and its theories, I just wish more had been done to discuss how we make Reinhardt’s dream a reality.

[Panda Incognito · Rating 4 out of 5]

Daniel Reinhardt is a former police officer, and because of his vocational experience, he has an especially helpful perspective. A lot of people have big opinions about this topic without really understanding the issues at play beyond the headlines, and without understanding how law enforcement actually works. Reinhardt's incisive critiques are particularly persuasive because of his experiences, and his ideas for reform take lots of real-world nuances into account. For example, when he writes about problematic leadership structures within law enforcement, he also acknowledges that a strict hierarchy can keep people alive as a dangerous situation unfolds. Reinhardt's real-world perspective and personal experiences greatly enrich this book, and I appreciate his contributions to the wider conversation about police reform.

The first half of this book focuses on defining the problem. Reinhardt explores the history of policing, and he explains ways that our current police culture leads to officers being socially distanced from the people they serve and prone to an "us versus them" mentality. He explains how aspects of police culture can breed dehumanization and abuse, and he points out that attempts at new trainings and policy changes will always fall short as long as they aren't addressing a police department's internal culture, and the way that officers actually do things when they're not going by the book. He also writes about leadership issues within police departments, criticizing the norm of domineering, control-based leadership.

When Reinhardt writes about biases in law enforcement, he summarizes how different models of policing work. He explains that even when individual police officers have never targeted anyone for their race, the prevailing approach targets high-crime areas with extra-vigilant policing, catching tiny infringements and strictly enforcing minor laws that the same officer would let slide in a different neighborhood. Reinhardt explains that even though people will defend this model because it is data-driven, these kinds of interactions create additional hostility and encourage the police to be distant from the people they serve, instead of engaging with the community and building cooperation with residents.

Throughout the second half of the book, Reinhardt explores how a model of servant leadership can help mitigate common problems and encourage a better culture of policing. He clearly explains theories about servant leadership and shares examples of what it looks like in practice, both in terms of how officers relate to the public and how police department leaders relate to their officers. Reinhardt writes from a Christian perspective and primarily directs this book to an audience that shares his beliefs, but even though his critiques and suggestions flow from a Bible-based worldview, he shows how these principles fully apply to secular workplaces. Reinhardt also engages with the different ethical philosophies that different policing approaches embody, and he shares some practical ideas for how police departments can better engage with African American community members.

This book is a thoughtful, nuanced, and helpful look at a controversial issue. Reinhardt makes pointed critiques about American policing while also acknowledging the sacrifices that police officers make, especially when they are working in hostile, controlling departments. All throughout, Reinhardt speaks to a broad audience with nuance and clarity, and his personal experience and deep knowledge can help persuade skeptics while also challenging people who already agree with him to better understand policing from the inside, and how to achieve meaningful and lasting reform.

I received a free copy from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

[Benjamin Shurance · Rating 4 out of 5]

I am so thankful this book exists. The author shows how much blue lives really do matter by expounding on their potential to transform society through Christ-inflected servant leadership. The book contains many accessible insights into organizational culture. If I had friends in law enforcement in the US, I would immediately buy them this book.

[Russ · Rating 5 out of 5]

Listened to audiobook. Would to read again in print.