When Harvard-trained sociologist Peter Moskos left the classroom to become a cop in Baltimore's Eastern District, he was thrust deep into police culture and the ways of the street—the nerve-rattling patrols, the thriving drug corners, and a world of poverty and violence that outsiders never see. In Cop in the Hood, Moskos reveals the truths he learned on the midnight shift.
Through Moskos's eyes, we see police academy graduates unprepared for the realities of the street, success measured by number of arrests, and the ultimate failure of the war on drugs. In addition to telling an explosive insider's story of what it is really like to be a police officer, he makes a passionate argument for drug legalization as the only realistic way to end drug violence—and let cops once again protect and serve. In a new afterword, Moskos describes the many benefits of foot patrol—or, as he calls it, "policing green."
Peter Moskos is assistant professor of law, police science, and criminal justice administration at John Jay College of Criminal Justice and at the City University of New York's Doctoral Program in Sociology. He is a former Baltimore City police officer.
Table of Contents
Acknowledgments ix CHAPTER 1: The Departed 1 CHAPTER 2: Back to School: The Police Academy 19 CHAPTER 3: New Jack: Learning to Do Drugs 38 CHAPTER 4: The Corner: Life on the Streets 64 CHAPTER 5: 911 Is a Joke 89 CHAPTER 6: Under Arrest: Discretion in the Ghetto 111 CHAPTER 7: Prohibition: Al Capone's Revenge 158 EPILOGUE: School Daze 184 AFTERWORD TO THE PAPERBACK EDITION Policing Green 197 Notes 213 Bibliography 233 Index 257
What People are Saying About This
From the Publisher
"A devastating critique of America's failed war on drugs. Cop in the Hood is a powerful and truly unique document in the sociology of criminal justice. Using an original blend of personal experience, adroit cultural interpretation, and hard-edged sociological analysis, Moskos sympathetically dissects the social context of the drug users' world, and shows us this tragedy close up from the police perspective."—Orlando Patterson, Harvard University"Cop in the Hood is a thoughtful, highly entertaining record of a police officer's year spent patrolling one of the country's toughest urban districts, delivered by Moskos, who wore the uniform. For those who are interested in crime and how things work, and for readers seeking a reasoned look at the war on drugs and its implications, this is the handbook."—George Pelecanos, writer and producer for The Wire"This riveting tale of policing begins honestly and continues with great sincerity and pathos. A sensitive and timely account of the daily trials of police work by someone who knows Baltimore's streets firsthand, Cop in the Hood challenges journalists, social scientists, and others who profess knowledge of the inner city to walk those streets before making bold declarations and righteous claims for policy and redress. A must-read."—Sudhir Venkatesh, author of Gang Leader for a Day: A Rogue Sociologist Takes to the Streets"Peter Moskos, a sociologist by training, somewhat inadvertently became a police officer. Cop in the Hood is the fortuitous and fascinating result. It gives the reader the real dope from someone with the training and ability to put the street into the larger context. Highly recommended."—Alex Tabarrok, George Mason University, cofounder of marginalrevolution.com"Cop in the Hood is an extremely valuable study centered on patrolling a drug-infested Baltimore police district. Readers interested in drug policy, criminology, or policing cannot help but to learn a lot from this book. I know that I did, and I am grateful to the author. Many of his insights are eye-opening. His voice is unique and essential in debates concerning drug-policy reforms."—Jim Leitzel, University of Chicago
