This book takes an in-depth look at the LAPD over a 60-year period, exploring the ways in which the use of force, particularly deadly force, has been controlled (or not) by internal and external forces.

The Department has been at the center of numerous controversies, including the killing of Eula Love (1977), the beating of Rodney King (1991), the riots that followed the acquittal of officers in the King beating (1992), the Rampart scandal (1999), questionable officer-involved shootings (OISs), and the complaints of over-policing during the George Floyd protests (2020). At the same time, however, the Department has been at the forefront of change and innovation. It continuously revises its policies regarding use of force, implements new training curricula, and has developed an extensive accountability process. Some of these changes have occurred voluntarily, others have been imposed or mandated upon them. Yet, despite these changes, the LAPD and its officers continue to be embroiled in issues regarding controversial shootings, charges of racial bias, and questionable tactics during social justice protests. The book is grounded in data, analysis, historical documents, and personal observations by the author. It provides details about each of the controversies and solutions that occurred, and, most significantly, it includes recommendations about how to make these positive changes permanent.