The Riders Come Out at Night: Brutality, Corruption, and Cover Up in Oakland

This essential investigation into the cycle of brutality and corruption within the Oakland Police Department, both of which have manifested in policing across the United States, is also a critical call to action in the vein of State of Emergency and Police State. Over the last sixty years, more has been done in Oakland, California, to reform policing than in any other American city—and yet, Oakland has failed to reign in the tendencies of its police to prey upon, rather than protect, its communities. Why is this, and what does it mean for both the city and the country? A timely investigation by two award-winning reporters, The Riders Come Out at Night is the authoritative account of the Oakland Police Department’s troubling history of violence, secrecy, and mismanagement, reflecting why reform has been an elusive goal for the entire nation. From the toxic atmosphere within police culture to the corruption of city hall and through on-the-ground reporting and exclusive interviews, this portrait of a city—and a nation—in crisis features the actions we need to take to finally and effectively improve policing in the United States.