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Title details for The Riders Come Out at Night by Ali Winston - Available

The Riders Come Out at Night

Brutality, Corruption, and Cover Up in Oakland

by Ali Winston
Darwin BondGraham
Audiobook
1 of 1 copy available
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1 of 1 copy available
From the Polk Award–winning investigative duo comes "a meticulously researched and enraging account" (Shane Bauer, New York Times bestselling author) of the systematic corruption and brutality within the Oakland Police Department, and the more than two-decades-long saga of attempted reforms and explosive scandals.
No municipality has been under court oversight to reform its police department as long as the city of Oakland. It is, quite simply, the edge case in American law enforcement.

The Riders Come Out at Night is the culmination of over twenty-one years of fearless reporting. Ali Winston and Darwin BondGraham shine a light on the jackbooted and sadistic cops known as "The Riders," and the lack of political will and misguided leadership that have conspired to stymie meaningful reform. The authors trace the history of Oakland since its inception through the lens of the city's police department, through the Palmer Raids, McCarthyism, and the Civil Rights struggle, the Black Panthers and crack eras, to Oakland's present-day revival.

Those who have fought for reform are also revealed, including Keith Batt, a wide-eyed rookie cop turned whistleblower, who was unwittingly partnered with the leader of the Riders, and Jim Chanin and John Burris, two dedicated civil rights attorneys. Meanwhile, Oakland's deep history of law enforcement corruption, reactionary politics, and social movement organizing is retold through historical figures like Black Panther Huey Newton, drug kingpin Felix Mitchell, district attorney and future Supreme Court Justice Earl Warren, and Mayor Jerry Brown.

"As thrilling as the best noir fiction" (Whiting Foundation, 2021 Creative Nonfiction Grant Jury), The Riders Come Out at Night is the story of one city and its police department, but it's also the story of American policing—and where it's headed.

  • Creators

  • Publisher

  • Release date

    January 10, 2023

  • Formats

    • OverDrive Listen audiobook

      • ISBN: 9781797150109
      • File size: 570599 KB
      • Duration: 19:48:44

  • Languages

    • English

  • Reviews

    • Publisher's Weekly

      November 7, 2022
      Reporters Winston and BondGraham debut with a comprehensive look at why the Oakland, Calif., police department has been under federal oversight for two decades, longer than any other department in the country. Sketching the history of Oakland’s insular “cop culture” from early crackdowns on labor movements through the war on drugs, the authors spotlight the Riders, a group of police officers who abused and framed predominantly Black suspects in the 1990s. Rookie police officer Keith Batt exposed four of the Riders, leading to their expulsion from the force (though none were convicted of misconduct charges), and civil rights attorneys Jim Chanin and John Burris sued the department on behalf of 119 victims, resulting in the 2003 “consent decree” requiring reforms under the supervision of independent monitors. In granular detail, the authors describe the fits and starts of the department’s efforts at reform, taking note of improvements in diversity training and transparency, as well as fatal police shootings of unarmed suspects, a botched SWAT team raid that resulted in four officers’ deaths, and other scandals. Though occasionally plodding, this impressive work of reportage highlights the challenges of changing police culture. Agent: David Patterson, Stuart Krichevsky Literary.

    • Library Journal

      June 10, 2024

      Robin Miles expertly voices journalists Winston and BondGraham's incisive debut exploring the Oakland Police Department's decades-long resistance to outside oversight. The culmination of 20 years of reporting, this nearly 20-hour audio delves deep into the department's history, checkered with brutality, unwarranted surveillance, and systemic issues that prevented the police from addressing their failures. After the conviction of a vicious gang of police officers known as the Riders, Oakland's police force underwent a series of reforms. However, scandals, including senseless murders of young Black and brown men, excessive use of force against protestors, and sex crimes, continued to surface. With a steady pace and authoritative tone, Miles allows Winston and BondGraham's content to speak for itself, providing listeners with an immersive survey of wrongdoing committed by political figures, citizens, and officers. Rich with Bay Area history, listeners learn how Oakland's activism assists in keeping the police department in check. VERDICT A magnum opus for the well-worn aphorism "the police cannot police themselves," this audio's impact lies in the wealth of examples emphasizing that this abusive conduct is etched in place by pattern and practice. The authors make a powerful case that public pressure is essential in making police departments accountable.--Lizzie Nolan

      Copyright 2024 Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

Formats

  • OverDrive Listen audiobook

subjects

Languages

  • English

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