Before the Badge: How Academy Training Shapes Police Violence

by Samantha J. Simon

An inside look at how police officers are trained to perpetuate state violence

Michael Brown. Philando Castile. George Floyd. Breonna Taylor. As the names of those killed by the police became cemented into public memory, the American public took to the streets in unprecedented numbers to mourn, organize, and demand changes to the current system of policing. In response, police departments across the country committed themselves to change, pledging to hire more women and people of color, incorporate diversity training, and instruct officers to verbally de-escalate interactions with the public.

These reform efforts tend to rely on a “bad apple” argument, focusing the nature and scope of the problem on the behavior of specific individuals and rarely considering the broader organizational process that determines who is allowed to patrol the public and how they learn to do their jobs. In Before the Badge, Samantha J. Simon provides a firsthand look into how police officers are selected and trained, describing every stage of the process, including recruitment, classroom instruction, and tactical training.

Simon spent a year at police academies participating in the training alongside cadets, giving her a visceral, hands-on understanding of how police training operates. Using rich and detailed examples, she reveals that the process does more than test a cadet’s physical or intellectual abilities. Instead, it socializes cadets into a system of state violence. As training progresses, cadets are expected to see themselves as warriors and to view Black and Latino/a members of the public as their enemies. Cadets who cannot or will not uphold this approach end up washing out. In Before the Badge, Simon explains how this training creates a context in which patterns of police violence persist and implores readers to re-envision the future of policing in the United States.

Genres: Nonfiction

301 pages, Kindle Edition

Published March 5, 2024

Reviews

[Tedi Beemer · Rating 3 out of 5]

critically important subject matter written in a TOPIC SENTENCE - ANALYSIS - QUOTE - SUMMARY - IN CONCLUSION type format

[Judd Street · Rating 5 out of 5]

"Before the Badge" is a fascinating examination of how police academies shape cadets into the "right" kind of person to become a police officer. It's based on some impressive field work, where Simon herself participated in two different academies' training programs, and then interviewed from a few others.

Simon does a great job of centring the book on a compelling question: how is it that police institutions mould their recruits into the ideologies, assumptions, and character they want their officers to embody? She articulates this early on with a vignette about one such recruit, Hannah:

At the beginning of the academy, Hannah did not know how to use her voice to communicate authority, position her body and operate handcuffs to confine someone's movement, or use violence to incapacitate another person's body. By the end of the academy, she did. How did Hannah, who was uncomfortable even raising her voice loud enough for me to hear her commands, come to be confident in authoritatively shouting orders while physically taking someone to the ground? And, perhaps most importantly, what are the larger implications of the transformation that Hannah, and her classmates, experienced at the academy? (p. 4).

Simon's study is fundamentally one unearthing socialization. While Hannah's journey from unconfident and meek to commanding and authoritative is a symbolic transformation on the outside, it's the cognitive and ideological transformations inside that are perhaps more significant to the types of policing we see in the world today. As Simon explains, "Learning who was considered a friend or foe to police officers was an essential part of the socialization into state violence. This process shrank cadets' world until the only people they could relate to, rely on, or trust were other officers... Others would always be out to get them in one way or another, they were told, an they would need to protect themselves and their new family... from these threats" (p. 64). This explains so much of the police violence we see in the world, and of officers' and institutions' ways of interacting with others: fellow officers are trustworthy, citizens are a mix of vulnerable and evil (there's a systematic campaign by instructors, for example, to refer to "bad guy" members of the public as "shitheads," "shit bags," and "dirtbags" (p. 65)), and their job is to be the thin blue line between the two. As Simon later points out, "They learned that their world were now distinctly different from everyone else's and that they would need to constantly protect this new inner circle" (p. 92) - an insight that is not surprising, for example, when police investigations relentlessly find that police never do anything wrong in violent interactions with the public.

Of many fascinating insights, Simon's exploration of the ways that academies and instructors have learned to "not see race" is particularly intriguing. As pressures have mounted on police to not racially profile, for example, academies have responded by drawing "heavily on an epistemology of ignorance to pretend, knowingly or not, that they were invoking raceless, objective, value-neutral images and explanations in their instruction on profiling 'bad guys.' Police officers do not profile based on race, cadets learned; police officers simply profile criminality" (p. 113). As Simon points out, what happens is really instructors teaching candidates how to articulate what is ultimately racial profiling in non-racial language (e.g., it's not the fact that they were black, but rather their furtive movements!), potentially driving this kind of unethical and problematic behaviour deeper underground and making it more difficult to call out.

The academy uses a variety of techniques to socialize and inculcate officers in particular ways of seeing the world. As described above, much of this comes through teaching, both explicit and implicit: instructing the language, techniques, familial relations, etc that cadets are expected to uphold. But, some of it also comes from kicking out those who are the 'wrong' people to be police officers, such as cadets who are "unwilling to inflict pain" as "the violence that police enact [is] necessary to help others" and "needed" (p. 200). "Violence is an essential, constitutive, and structural requirement of police work," writes Simon: "During my time int he field, violence pervaded every inch of these spaces: it was in posters on the wall, on the clothing officers wore off duty, in the conversations I heard, on the websites officers talked about, and in the videos shown at the academy. This violent ethos shaped the selection and training of cadets, structuring their socialization into state violence (p. 207-208)." Or, put another way, "these departments framed their relationship with the public as a war, which heightens, rather than diminishes the perceived necessity of violence. The cadets at these academies entered a world where bad guys were around every corner, only other officers could be trusted, and evil people hunting down and killing police officers were increasingly gaining momentum (p. 210).

Despite the material above, to be honest, my read of this book was that Simon was, at times, too cautious in holding back from making the critique. I don't know if this stems from a desire to maintain access to her field sites, if it is worry about being seen as 'fair' in the analysis, or something else, but the book was actually about as neutral and perhaps police-friendly as it could be given the evidence being presented. This was frustrating at times, but it really did call attention to the endless examples of the ways that new cadets - even those who want to make a change in the world and make policing better - get encultured into the traditional way of seeing the world as a 'cop,' and kicked out if they refuse to conform.

[Wesley Janicki · Rating 5 out of 5]

Extraordinary book, honestly. I appreciate the author’s attention to giving all of what she experienced a fair shake, before going into what she (and I) consider to be the truth of the matter.

[Jeff · Rating 5 out of 5]

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.

[Pastel · Rating 5 out of 5]

The author put herself through a lot in the pursuit of the knowledge that makes up this book, which I really respect, because it's not something I would be able to do. While I wasn't familiar with ethnography before this (or at least, I didn't know its name and history), I hope to read more ethnographic studies like this in the future (I added some to my TBR from the notes of this book).

When my friend entered training for the military at barely 18, my mom informed me that the same person I knew and grew up with was not going to be the one coming home months later. She told me that the purpose of military training is to "break down a person and build up a soldier". I thought a lot about that while I read this book, because I feel like the police academy is similar (which makes sense, given the militarized nature of especially recent policing). It breaks down people and builds up warriors. Which isn't to say that there's no human or individual left after training, or that an officer's humanity can't come through while on the clock. It's just something I thought about.

There were a lot of things in this book that both shocked me and absolutely didn't shock me at the same time. I think the biggest was how de-escalation really wasn't a thing. It was, but it wasn't. While there were long lists of all of the very physical, often violent PT and DT skills the officers learned, the author said she had a hard time quantifying just what officers learned in terms of de-escalation skills, and noted that there was no de-escalation scenario training like there was for things like restraints, pressure points, and use of lethal force. And even when cadets were ostensibly being taught de-escalation, it was like the entire time, they were also being told all the reasons why they shouldn't use it and should use physical force and commands instead.

I don't know, this isn't really a review so much as it's a bunch of loose thoughts about the book? It was a fascinating read, and it wasn't even on my TBR, I just got it off the shelf at the library because I thought the topic and the ethnographic study would be interesting and enlightening, and they were.

[J Kromrie · Rating 4 out of 5]

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.

[John Haynes · Rating 3 out of 5]

An exhaustively researched book, which one must give the author credit for. I disagree with many of the author’s stances and conclusions. For instance, she lumps together the police with slavery in her list of institutions which should be done away with. She also feels it necessary to tell us the race and gender of everyone in the book (for some reason, “Black” is capitalized while “white” is not).

Her main conclusion is that police academies “position police officers to continue engaging violence.” I think she has a pretty strong argument that police academies encourage violence more than they should. I think other books may have a strong argument that the police are racist, but I didn’t see that throughline in this book (despite the author’s best efforts).

Ms. Simon argues that the police should be defunded and replaced with another institution. Which institution? Well… Despite thousands of years of human existence, somehow the better institution hasn’t been found yet.

Hard to applaud a book which throws stones at an institution without suggesting a realistic replacement, to say nothing of the book’s stilted academic tone. But as I said, the author’s research deserves respect if nothing else (she spent a year of her life involved in several academies). And even if the book is “woke,” the author’s fiercest critics would probably admit she makes some good points on the way to a flawed conclusion.

[Lucy Johanneman · Rating 4 out of 5]

First of all, while I didn’t learn anything particularly new regarding the social sciences of it all, I did think specifically focusing on the police academy was very interesting and informative. I learned a lot about the shaping of personalities that goes on during training and how ultimately! it sucks big time! I particularly liked chapters 4 (“Police Work as Warfare, Officers as Warriors”) and 7 (“The Future of Policing”). Some b*tches hate nuance but Samantha Simon, you are not one of them!

Second of all, Adam - this isn’t you. You can be so much more than a police officer. I can fix you.

[Emily Feldman · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5. this wasn’t what I was expecting in the best way possible! I collected that this was the author’s dissertation and she had been in the field for many months or a year doing these cadet academies alongside the cadets. It was very thorough and insightful. I am a very harsh critic when it comes to balancing experience/memoir and research. I feel that there’s never enough reflection of facts or sociological analysis, but this author is very skilled. She did it perfectly. only took .5 off because I think some of the information was repeated or not presented in a linear way

[S · Rating 5 out of 5]

As a civilian who transitioned to become an officer, completing the academy, earning my badge, and subsequently returning to civilian life, this book offers a valuable and impartial perspective from the viewpoint of a researcher who is a civilian. Sam, the author, presents her candid assessments of the observed phenomena, refraining from taking any favorable positions. Having personally experienced both sides of the law enforcement continuum, I found this book to be deeply enriching in terms of my understanding of the issues from the perspectives of both civilians and officers.

[Chris · Rating 4 out of 5]

A decent book that offers an ethnography of four police training facilities. It particularly exposes the racist, sexist, & masculinity assumptions that guide much of the training even when instructors claim otherwise. A series of interesting observations that normally remain the purview of analysis. However, the writing can at times be somewhat dull and repetitive. The book can read at times like a dissertation, informative but not necessarily engaging.

[Katrina · Rating 5 out of 5]

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.

[Emily Feazel · Rating 5 out of 5]

Woah. My brain feels so big after this. I think I activated new synapses.

[Kate · Rating 5 out of 5]

A clear eyed look at police training. She emphasized with the recruits and saw them a full people - while still being very clear on the brokenness of the system. Sobering.

[Sam · Rating 1 out of 5]

Interesting as an ethnography but the author’s conclusions fall flat. Rosa Brooks’ Tangled up in Blue and Peter Moskos’ Cop in the Hood cover the same ground, or at least very similar, in far more engaging, illuminating, and objective fashion.