Becoming New York's Finest : Race, Gender, and the Integration of the NYPD, 1935-1980

After excluding women and African Americans from its ranks for most of its history, the New York City Police Department undertook an aggressive campaign of integration following World War II. This is the first comprehensive account of how and why the NYPD came to see integration as a highly coveted political tool, indispensable to policing. In the postwar years, after excluding women, African Americans, Latinos, and other minorities from its ranks for most of its history, the New York City Police Department undertook an aggressive campaign of integration. This exhaustively researched study provides the first comprehensive account of how and why the NYPD came to see integration as a potent political tool, indispensable to policing. At the same time, it shows how white male rank-and-file cops at the same time came under siege from an increasingly controlling management and critical public. The Policemen's Benevolent Association advocated for higher wages, better working conditions, and more control over policing practices while simultaneously fighting to turn back the tide of integration. Out of a complex and multifaceted story, author Andrew Darien presents here a nuanced but accessible narrative of civil rights in the largest municipal police force in the United States - one that is more relevant than ever as Americans continue to struggle with the fraught interrelationships of race, gender, and policing. "In the postwar years, after excluding women, African Americans, Latinos, and other minorities from its ranks for most of its history, the New York City Police Department undertook an aggressive campaign of integration. This exhaustively researched study provides the first comprehensive account of how and why the NYPD came to see integration as a highly coveted political tool, indispensable to policing. At the same time, it shows how white male rank-and-file cops were simultaneously under siege from an increasingly controlling management and a critical public. In particular, it chronicles the efforts of the Policemen's Benevolent Association to turn back the tide of integration, cloak its own political advocacy, and appropriate the language and tactics of civil rights and feminism. Out of a complex and multifaceted story, author Andrew Darien presents a nuanced but accessible narrative of civil rights in the largest municipal police force in America"-- Provided by publisher Front Matter....Pages i-xx Introduction....Pages 1-11 Front Matter....Pages 13-13 Meritocracy and the Illusion of Color Blindness....Pages 15-42 The Alter Ego of the Patrolman....Pages 43-70 Front Matter....Pages 71-71 Harlem and Civilian Review....Pages 73-101 Ladies on Patrol....Pages 103-127 Soul Brother or Policeman?....Pages 129-157 Front Matter....Pages 159-159 The Silent Majority Strikes Back....Pages 161-187 Welcome to Fear City: Last Hired, First Fired....Pages 189-201 Back Matter....Pages 203-279 'This hard-hitting and timely book is directly relevant to current controversies about policing. It tells a surprising story about the culture and politics of police forces, backed by superb research and told in an accessible and lively manner. I hope it will be widely read.' - Linda Gordon, Florence Kelley Professor of History, New York University, USA.