List Price: $27.99 Details

Save: $8.10 (29%)

FREE delivery April 1 - 6. Details

Only 1 left in stock - order soon.

As an alternative, the Kindle eBook is available now and can be read on any device with the free Kindle app. Want to listen? Try Audible.

[{"displayPrice":"$19.89","priceAmount":19.89,"currencySymbol":"$","integerValue":"19","decimalSeparator":".","fractionalValue":"89","symbolPosition":"left","hasSpace":false,"showFractionalPartIfEmpty":true,"offerListingId":"yOifl2sMkDmS6ER5kIvjkWWJ6s8m80h%2Bcr1H4AW2DuSq4gHSZFVW6dZ1F%2F1AEewNVRAPuzruwf%2FFvcrqRSP3AGLW8KQKA1LLBA86ft0dKwHSBRclSNEVXxyAyW2j%2BDn3%2BN5MKoj76kiw9xu75Q5VMT7wjvI2%2F7g%2ByjTeSpqXXOOtZlcBN3SpLIkBMP460jrV","locale":"en-US","buyingOptionType":"NEW"},{"displayPrice":"$10.39","priceAmount":10.39,"currencySymbol":"$","integerValue":"10","decimalSeparator":".","fractionalValue":"39","symbolPosition":"left","hasSpace":false,"showFractionalPartIfEmpty":true,"offerListingId":"5RKBoDBcx%2FsaeAYAEyf5QQlYad%2F2ZOUxCpXmnutTGFtBp95EFJ1wUqucj9ttHPPdcecIGrmahGbwmjJbVafnw9HXAJV2EYPnO14HTTJYHIKtk54qAOiR4E%2BgkUzS9Qd7OZJQlr6Tvh8JEoLxyhJh15qldc722e01ZgI4GOH1ZaaAJjZJFPBWuA%3D%3D","locale":"en-US","buyingOptionType":"USED"}]

$$19.89 () Includes selected options. Includes initial monthly payment and selected options. Details

Secure transaction

Ships from

Sean Franklin St

Sold by

Sean Franklin St

Details

Ships from

Sean Franklin St

Sold by

Sean Franklin St

Return policy: Eligible for Return, Refund or Replacement.

Get Fast, Free Shipping with Amazon Prime

FREE delivery Friday, April 1 if you spend $25 on items shipped by Amazon. Order within 2 hrs 47 mins

Or fastest delivery Thursday, March 31

Used: Good | Details

Sold by AUTOBANK

Fulfilled by Amazon

Share <Embed>

Other Sellers on Amazon

Added

Not added

$20.50
+ $3.99 shipping

Sold by: noid217

Added

Not added

$24.51
FREE Shipping on orders over $25.00 shipped by Amazon.

Sold by: RNA TRADE LLC

Added

Not added

$24.52
FREE Shipping on orders over $25.00 shipped by Amazon.

Sold by: Zaha Books

Flip to back Flip to front

Listen Playing... Paused You're listening to a sample of the Audible audio edition.
Learn more

See all 3 images

Follow the Author

Radley Balko

Rise of the Warrior Cop: The Militarization of America's Police Forces Hardcover – July 9, 2013

by Radley Balko (Author)

981 ratings

Editors' pick Best History

See all formats and editions

Price

New from

Used from

Kindle

"Please retry"

$2.99

—

Audible Audiobook, Unabridged

"Please retry"

$0.00

Free with your Audible trial

Hardcover

"Please retry"

$19.89

$2.36

Paperback

"Please retry"

$16.15

$13.56

$10.28

MP3 CD, Audiobook, Unabridged

"Please retry"

$17.68

$15.03

Great on Kindle

Great Experience. Great Value.

Enjoy a great reading experience when you buy the Kindle edition of this book. Learn more about Great on Kindle, available in select categories.

View Kindle Edition

Enhance your purchase

The last days of colonialism taught America's revolutionaries that soldiers in the streets bring conflict and tyranny. As a result, our country has generally worked to keep the military out of law enforcement. But according to investigative reporter Radley Balko, over the last several decades, America's cops have increasingly come to resemble ground troops. The consequences have been dire: the home is no longer a place of sanctuary, the Fourth Amendment has been gutted, and police today have been conditioned to see the citizens they serve as an other—an enemy.

Today's armored-up policemen are a far cry from the constables of early America. The unrest of the 1960s brought about the invention of the SWAT unit—which in turn led to the debut of military tactics in the ranks of police officers. Nixon's War on Drugs, Reagan's War on Poverty, Clinton's COPS program, the post–9/11 security state under Bush and Obama: by degrees, each of these innovations expanded and empowered police forces, always at the expense of civil liberties. And these are just four among a slew of reckless programs.

In Rise of the Warrior Cop, Balko shows how politicians' ill-considered policies and relentless declarations of war against vague enemies like crime, drugs, and terror have blurred the distinction between cop and soldier. His fascinating, frightening narrative shows how over a generation, a creeping battlefield mentality has isolated and alienated American police officers and put them on a collision course with the values of a free society.

Print length

400 pages
Language

English
Publisher

PublicAffairs
Publication date

July 9, 2013
Dimensions

6.25 x 1.25 x 9.5 inches
ISBN-10

1610392116
ISBN-13

978-1610392112
See all details

Frequently bought together

Michelle Alexander
13,698
Paperback
124 offers from $4.42
Samuel Walker
258
Paperback
45 offers from $46.70
Alex S. Vitale
413
Paperback
in Government Social Policy
14 offers from $13.09
Patrick Sharkey
98
Paperback
50 offers from $5.68
Peter Moskos
196
Paperback
81 offers from $3.61
Kristian Williams
66
Paperback
24 offers from $8.99

Editorial Reviews

Review

"Jack Dunphy" (nom de plume of a police officer with the Los Angeles Police Department), National Review Online
“For all my cop's quibbles with Rise of the Warrior Cop, I was struck by how much I found to agree with in the book. Balko makes a compelling case that in America today there are too many SWAT teams operating with too little accountability, further exposing the country to the dangers this magazine identified in 1996. ‘No, America today isn't a police state,' he writes in the concluding chapter. ‘Far from it. But it would be foolish to wait until it becomes one to get concerned.' One need not be a libertarian to appreciate the warning.”

Diane Goldstein, Huffington Post
“Rise of the Warrior Cop asks many questions about the proper role of law enforcement and the effect of the drug war, America's longest war, on our communities… Balko interweaves history, the Constitution, and case law to create an account of how the massive expansion of SWAT teams occurred as the perfect storm of politics, ideology and federal fiscal coercion.”

New York Journal of Books
“This historic review of America's police and police tactics is clear and direct in its nondismissal narrative. This is not an anti-police book, but a serious look at the growth and use of SWAT and military style tactics, at America's war on drugs, and the financial incentives that created the new “community police force”… This book is highly recommended for the historic value of the information; it is clear, concise, and well argued. Whether you are a lifetime, card carrying member of the ACLU or the newest law and order politician The Rise of the Warrior Cop provides a clear timeline and important information making it a must read.”

Publishers Weekly
“'Are cops constitutional?' It's a bold and provocative question, and the more Balko delves into the history of law enforcement, the more that question seems worth considering. … After reading Balko, you'll be aware, alright—and scared.”

Ilya Somin, Volokh Conspiracy
“The best new book on a law-related topic I have read so far this year”

Anthony D. Romero, Executive Director, American Civil Liberties Union
“Excessively militarized policing is easy to ignore when a SWAT team is ramming down someone else's door or tear-gassing someone else's protest. What makes Rise of the Warrior Cop so important is that Mr. Balko makes police militarization real for all of us. This is a meticulously researched history book that casts needed light on a central civil liberties issue. Police militarization is something we should all care about, and Rise of the Warrior Cop will show you why.”

Arianna Huffington, president and editor-in-chief, Huffington Post
“With his thorough reporting and compelling storytelling gifts, Radley Balko builds a powerful narrative of the militarization of our police forces, which both liberals and conservatives have allowed to flourish. And he shows the chilling results of both parties' unwillingness to stand up to increasingly aggressive police tactics that often pit cops against those they are sworn to protect.”

One of Gizmodo's Best Books of 2013

Sarah Stillman, NewYorker.com
“A fascinating and at times wrenching new book.”

The Economist
“Mr Balko manages to avoid the clichés of both right and left, and provokes genuine outrage at the misuse of state power in its most brutal and unaccountable form: heavily armed police raiding the homes of unarmed, non-violent suspects on the flimsiest of pretexts, and behaving more like an occupying army in hostile territory than guardians of public safety. “Rise of the Warrior Cop”, Mr Balko's interesting first book, explains what policies led to the militarisation of America's police. To his credit, he focuses his outrage not on the police themselves, but on politicians and the phoney, wasteful drug war they created.”

American Conservative
“Rise of the Warrior Cop diagnoses a grave threat to our constitutional rights. If Americans still possess the wisdom of our Founders, we will heed Balko's warning and turn back our drift towards a police state.”

Charleston (WV) Gazette
“For Americans who care about their core political liberties, Balko's book is a must-read.”

Pacific Standard
“Fascinating and sometimes terrifying”

StoptheDrugWar.org
“In Balko's hands, an entertaining and illuminating story — as well as depressing and frightening — told with verve and gusto, meticulously researched, and filled with telling historical detail… Rise of the Warrior Cop is an important book and deserves to be read by small government conservatives, civil libertarian liberals, police commanders, and politicians alike.”

Simple Justice blog
“It's critical to appreciate the history of policing, to understand that what we now see as normal and inescapable wasn't always the case. For most of our history, this country did not have a group of people with shields and guns who wandered the streets ordering people about.… If there is any hope of changing the course of the militarization of law enforcement, it will come from a greater understanding of why this was never meant to be the internal norm of this country, and that it doesn't have to be. Radley Balko has done an exceptional job of making the case. Every person who hopes to preserve the integrity of his Castle from dynamic entry needs to read The Rise of Warrior Cop.”

Ron Paul, former Texas congressman and Republican presidential candidate
“Rise of the Warrior Cop is a comprehensive look at the reasons for, and the results of, the increasing militarization of law enforcement. Civil libertarians on the left and limited government conservatives on the right should pay especially close attention to Radley Balko's examination of the link between the ‘the war on drugs' and law enforcement's increased use of police state tactics.”

Norm Stamper, thirty-four-year police veteran and police chief of Seattle, Washington, 1994–2000
“A rich, pertinent history, with unexpected but critically important observations of the increased militarization of American policing. And so well presented: clear, lucid, elegantly crafted. Rise of the Warrior Cop should be on the shelves of every police chief, sheriff, and SWAT commander in the country. A huge contribution.”

Glenn Greenwald, constitutional lawyer, Guardian columnist, and New York Times-bestselling author
“Vibrant and compelling. There is no vital trend in American society more overlooked than the militarization of our domestic police forces, and there is no journalist in America who is more knowledgeable and passionate about this topic than Radley Balko. If you care about the core political liberties of Americans, this is a must-read.”

About the Author

Radley Balko is an award-winning investigative journalist who writes about civil liberties, police, prosecutors, and the broader criminal justice system. He is currently a writer and investigative reporter for the Washington Post. Previously, he was a senior writer and investigative reporter for the Huffington Post, senior editor for Reason magazine, and a policy analyst for the Cato Institute. In 2011, the Los Angeles Press Club named him “Journalist of the Year.” Follow him on twitter: @RadleyBalko

Product details

Publisher ‏ : ‎ PublicAffairs; 1st edition (July 9, 2013)
Language ‏ : ‎ English
Hardcover ‏ : ‎ 400 pages
ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 1610392116
ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-1610392112
Item Weight ‏ : ‎ 1.38 pounds
Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 6.25 x 1.25 x 9.5 inches

Best Sellers Rank: #1,067,788 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
- #555 in Civil Rights Law (Books)
- #1,465 in Law Enforcement Politics
- #1,505 in Law Enforcement (Books)

Customer Reviews:
981 ratings

About the author

Follow authors to get new release updates, plus improved recommendations.

Radley Balko

Brief content visible, double tap to read full content.

Full content visible, double tap to read brief content.

Discover more of the author’s books, see similar authors, read author blogs and more

Customer reviews

5 star		80%
4 star		12%
3 star		4%
2 star		1%
1 star		2%

How are ratings calculated?

Top reviews from the United States

There was a problem filtering reviews right now. Please try again later.

J. Sheets

The Return Of The Modern Day Praetorian Guard

Reviewed in the United States on July 25, 2013

Verified Purchase

I am a staunch conservative, a veteran of the U.S. Military, and have worked in private sector for the past 32 years in the Risk Management department for a large U.S. based retailer. I work closely with law enforcement across multiple jurisdictions mostly in the area of Organized Retail Crime and have an inbred respect for all law enforcement. I purchased this book with some reservations as I figured that it would be nothing more than a left wing progressive cop bashing fest. I could not have been more wrong about this author's body of work or intentions.

The book is well researched, full of facts, and I found it surprisingly to be politically neutral! The author in fact goes out of his way to not blame law enforcement for the current trend in the militarization of their officers, or the proliferation of SWAT teams materializing all over the country. In fact he lays most of the blame for this right at the feet of our legislators. No one party is or branch of government is exempt. Numerous presidents, senators, members of the house, and Supreme Court Justices are all mentioned, and their roles in getting the Fourth Amendment nullified are presented in excruciating detail. This book highlights how the sacred rights of the Castle Doctrine and the Posse Comitatus Act of 1878 have all been circumnavigated. This is a must read for all Americans regardless of their political affiliation.

291 people found this helpful

Helpful

David R. Krueger

From protectors to an unaccountable battle-dressed occupation force

Reviewed in the United States on August 8, 2017

Verified Purchase

I've been familiar with Radley Balko's reporting on police militarization going back to the days when he operated The Agitator website. In fact, I didn't read his book until now simply because I thought I'd already heard everything he had to say. I was wrong.

This book describes an evolution of culture, politics, and policies that transformed American policing from the uniformed cop as your friend to the army of cops in body armor who breaks down your door, terrorizes your family, and shoots your pets looking for small quantities of pot. Anyone who has followed the perpetual escalation of the drug war knows that this is no exaggeration, but it happened over so many years, we've become acclimated to it and don't pay it much attention.

But, Balko doesn't lay the blame for this war on citizens totally at the feet of police. The real culprits are the political motives, legislation and polices that have encouraged this shift in policing, making it inevitable. If you're a strong believer that the drug war can be won by increasing the number and power of police, you're probably not going agree with what this book says. If you're questioning the efficacy of the drug war and wondering if the cure is worse than the disease, this book provides a comprehensive history of the steady progression of policies that have gotten us to where we are today.

Balko not only knows the topic as well or better than anyone else in the country, he clearly knows how to organize and present that knowledge so anyone can understand it regardless of their level of familiarity with the topic. But Balko is not an ends-justifies-means crusader who will exaggerate or cherry-pick facts to sell you on his point of view. He analyzes other points of view and explains why excuses for this expansion of aggressive policing don't stand up to even basic common sense reasoning. Balko clearly doesn't hate cops, but he has a lot to say about the policies that encourage police to view and treat citizens as the enemy.

Whether your interest is in modern policing, the drug war, or the history of the US criminal justice system, you will most certainly appreciate what this author has to say.

24 people found this helpful

Helpful

Robert M.

Great History Lesson, Entertaining Anecdotes, Weak Conclusion

Reviewed in the United States on June 30, 2018

Verified Purchase

The sections on the history of police forces as well as the anecdotal examples of America's out of control police state were what earned this book the three stars awarded. The author's conclusions, however, were nothing short of weak and typical. The disappointing part is that the author stated on several occasions the root causes of police overstep: incentives. The author seems to suggest that such a system can be reformed, and then makes some half-hearted attempts at suggesting some avenues to reform that hinge upon unsubstantial modifications to police force incentives. What the author fails to grasp is that reform is only possible under two situations: 1) the citizenry have a representative government or 2) negative incentives are replaced by a completely different model for delivering justice and protective services, that are in no way connected to The State. The former no longer exists in the US and other western countries, while the general populace cannot grasp the concept of the latter: the anarcho-capitalist concept of the private production of defense, protection, and justice. Reform is not possible in a system where "checks and balances" exist within the same system of governance because it creates an environment where negative incentives flourish.

14 people found this helpful

Helpful

Soup Sandwich

An important read

Reviewed in the United States on May 31, 2018

Verified Purchase

This is an excellent narrative of the current militarized state of police work in America. It gives an in depth background as to how law enforcement has steadily moved towards SWAT style tactics being applied to any and all situations- mostly where it is not necessary. The book keeps the focus at the higher organization level, where the officers and administrators make the decisions. I would have liked the author to get more into the prevailing attitudes of current and retired police officers at the tactical level in order to examine their perspectives. I would have liked also for the author to explore some of the perspectives within law enforcement that advocate against this militarization, and the methods to regain balance with the communities in which they work.

As a retired police officer, this book hit home especially hard. Seeing this trend towards militarization growing and the gap between police and the populace growing, it serves as a wake up call to police departments across the USA, both large and small.

12 people found this helpful

Helpful

Top reviews from other countries

Nish

RoboCop is a premonition!

Reviewed in the United Kingdom on December 20, 2017

Verified Purchase

This is an excellent read. Balko claims to be quite objectified in the content of this book, but I'd say his own thoughts and opinions clearly seep into the subject matter. That doesn't detract from the subject of the book though as he makes very valid points andhe seems to have researched the book very thoroughly. My only real criticism is that the book does tend to jump in time. I expected it to be written chronologically, which is how it starts, but then as the chapters tend to focus on topics and issues, the timeline does move around a bit. However, the book remains really engaging, even if you're unfamiliar with the US justice system and politics. It's a very topical read and worthy of attention.

Andrew Gottschalk

There today here tomorrow?

Reviewed in the United Kingdom on June 4, 2014

Verified Purchase

As we grapple with the complex issue of community safety and our relations with the police this monograph must provoke our thinking and our action. The US experience may apppear to be irrelevant but stop read and let your mind play with the ideas and data.

3 people found this helpful

Andrew C.

an important challenge to US Policing and Drugs policies

Reviewed in the United Kingdom on October 13, 2014

Verified Purchase

This is a well referenced book that provides a credible narrative for the development of militarised policing and provides further evidence (if any were needed) of the futility of the "War on Drugs". Policy changes are required, but it is hard to see what will incentivise US political leadership to make this change.
One wonders if Police personnel working in this context become disturbed and conflicted by their experience ( as many soldiers do) and start to work against the militarised ethos. This could be the basis of a grassroots movement for change.

peter

Gr8 book

Reviewed in the United Kingdom on January 4, 2019

Verified Purchase

Interesting

James

Great Read

Reviewed in the United Kingdom on August 18, 2013

Verified Purchase

A great work loaded with facts from the foundation of America to the present day. It really underscored the reasons for militarism and the erroding of constitutional freedoms in our country today. It also presents ideas for re establishing community trust between law enforcement and the citizenry that our founding fathers intended.

One person found this helpful

See all reviews