The Riders Come Out at Night Brutality, Corruption, and Cover-up in Oakland

This essential investigation into the cycle of brutality and corruption within the Oakland Police Department, both of which have manifested in policing across the United States, is also a critical call to action in the vein of State of Emergency and Police State.

Over the last sixty years, more has been done in Oakland, California, to reform policing than in any other American city—and yet, Oakland has failed to reign in the tendencies of its police to prey upon, rather than protect, its communities. Why is this, and what does it mean for both the city and the country?

A timely investigation by two award-winning reporters, The Riders Come Out at Night is the authoritative account of the Oakland Police Department’s troubling history of violence, secrecy, and mismanagement, reflecting why reform has been an elusive goal for the entire nation. From the toxic atmosphere within police culture to the corruption of city hall and through on-the-ground reporting and exclusive interviews, this portrait of a city—and a nation—in crisis features the actions we need to take to finally and effectively improve policing in the United States.

Ali Winston is an independent reporter covering criminal justice, privacy, and surveillance. His work has been rewarded with several awards, including the George Polk Award for local reporting in 2017. Ali is a graduate of the University of Chicago and the University of California. He lives in New York. You can follow him on Twitter @AWinston.

Darwin BondGraham has reported on gun violence for The Guardian and was an enterprise reporter for the East Bay Express. BondGraham’s work has also appeared with ProPublica and other leading national and local outlets. He holds a doctorate in sociology from the University of California, Santa Barbara, and was the co-recipient of the George Polk Award for local reporting in 2017. He lives in Oakland, California. You can follow him on Twitter @DarwinBondGraha.