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On May 25, 2020, George Floyd was murdered by a police officer during an arrest in Minneapolis. The incident exploded into the largest nationwide protest in more than 50 years. Some groups demanded the abolition of the police, often with renewed accusations that the American criminal justice system is inherently racist.
In some circles, calls rang out to “Defund the Police.” In others, exhortations went forth to “Back the Blue.” Amid a whirlwind of competing claims about bias and brutality, most people simply wondered how to find the facts, what reform ought to look like, and whether systemic justice might ever be achieved.
Although passions have subsided in recent months, the conversation remains as important as ever. And we now have the blessing of two books written by criminal justice insiders, both of whom seek to bear faithful Christian witness.
Daniel Reinhardt, a seminary professor who worked in policing for 24 years, is the author of Rethinking the Police: An Officer’s Confession and the Pathway to Reform. And Matthew T. Martens, an attorney specializing in criminal law, has written Reforming Criminal Justice: A Christian Proposal. Both are intentional in seeking to apply biblical wisdom to their callings.
Rethinking the Police argues that police culture itself leads to abuse on the streets. Reinhardt is generous toward both his former colleagues and current criticisms of the police, from movements like Black Lives Matter to books like The New Jim Crow and Driving While Black. He is an effective witness to police culture in both its shortcomings and its potential.
At its most successful, the book’s argument simply connects the dots between the history and hierarchical structure of police departments, the “toxic leadership” bred into the system, and the biased enforcement patterns that result. Reinhardt encourages police officers and departments to “reflect on how they have influenced” ...