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Book review: Victor M Rios, Human Targets: Schools, Police and the Criminalization of Latino Youth

Document Cited in Related
Vincent
AuthorJerry Flores
DOI10.1177/1362480617743884
Published date01 May 2018
Date01 May 2018
Subject MatterBook reviews
/tmp/tmp-173qycuCn3J27a/input Book reviews
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resentment. This alienation is at odds with the desire for respect that Faull situates at the
core of police identity. The longing for respect is further undermined by corruption scan-
dals at the highest levels that erode the legitimacy of the SAPS and open officers to public
ridicule, and the reputation for brutality that invites comparisons to apartheid police. This
situation is perpetuated by many officers’ conviction that violence earns respect.
Faull portrays officers’ struggles to make sense of their personal lives, their work and
South African society with keen insight and sensitivity. One cannot come away from this
book without an appreciation of the difficult circumstances facing South African police,
especially those of colour from poorer backgrounds. At the same time, he does not shy
away from the destructive aspects of policing. With few exceptions, the police who pop-
ulate these pages appear unmotivated, unprofessional, prone to reckless and illegal
behaviour and often treat the poorer sectors of South African society with contempt.
Despite their jaundiced view of their profession, most officers are invested in the SAPS
reputation, insisting for example that the shooting of striking mineworkers by police at
Marikana was justified and closing ranks to cover for colleagues’ corruption and brutal-
ity. Poor, black communities continue to experience the sharp edge of policing. Faull’s
description of officers’ conduct at the two urban sites is especially telling. Police working
in the township are more confrontational, less respectful and much more likely to break
the law. By contrast, police in the city operate with greater civility and restraint.
This book makes an important contribution to a South African (and broader) policing
literature by exploring the connections between officers’ personal journeys and the ways
they approach their work and perform as police. For South Africa the findings are both
illuminating and...

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