An inside look at how police officers are trained to perpetuate state violence Michael Brown. Philando Castile. George Floyd. Breonna Taylor. As the names of those killed by the police became cemented into public memory, the American public took to the streets in unprecedented numbers to mourn, organize, and demand changes to the current system of policing. In response, police departments across the country committed themselves to change, pledging to hire more women and people of color, incorporate diversity training, and instruct officers to verbally de-escalate interactions with the public. These reform efforts tend to rely on a “bad apple” argument, focusing the nature and scope of the problem on the behavior of specific individuals and rarely considering the broader organizational process that determines who is allowed to patrol the public and how they learn to do their jobs. In Before the Badge, Samantha J. Simon provides a firsthand look into how police officers are selected and trained, describing every stage of the process, including recruitment, classroom instruction, and tactical training. Simon spent a year at police academies participating in the training alongside cadets, giving her a visceral, hands-on understanding of how police training operates. Using rich and detailed examples, she reveals that the process does more than test a cadet’s physical or intellectual abilities. Instead, it socializes cadets into a system of state violence. As training progresses, cadets are expected to see themselves as warriors and to view Black and Latino/a members of the public as their enemies. Cadets who cannot or will not uphold this approach end up washing out. In Before the Badge, Simon explains how this training creates a context in which patterns of police violence persist and implores readers to re-envision the future of policing in the United States.

Dominick Izzo has been a thorn in the side of Police Command since his first Police Department when he refused to accept the status quo of allowing village officials and police commanding officers to operate with the falsehood that they were above the same law he swore to uphold. Having served as a police officer from 2001 until 2016. He served with full distinction and full disobedience for corruption. Izzo took on the challenges of the command of all three of the departments he was sworn to serve, never sitting by and watching the politics of the system work against the citizens or the officers who were subject to such corrupt members. From refusing to sleep with a village official, to exposing the abuses of power of a village mayor and his father to the sacrificing his career to take on the most corrupt police chief and his actions, Dominick Izzo honored his oath to the Constitution and those he swore to protect. Before the Badge is all about doing what is right, regardless of the cost to you personally or professionally. Your name and integrity are what matters the most in a profession of sharks who'll eat their own. Dominick proves that the Thin Blue Line is stuff movies are made of when it comes to any officer who challenges those who threaten the ideals law enforcement is held to. Considered an emotional "how to" for the street cop, Before the Badge is a must-read for anyone who is a cop, knows a cop or has dreams of becoming a cop and wants their badge to shield and protect their own heart.

An inside look at how police officers are trained to perpetuate state violence Michael Brown. Philando Castile. George Floyd. Breonna Taylor. As the names of those killed by the police became cemented into public memory, the American public took to the streets in unprecedented numbers to mourn, organize, and demand changes to the current system of policing. In response, police departments across the country committed themselves to change, pledging to hire more women and people of color, incorporate diversity training, and instruct officers to verbally de-escalate interactions with the public. These reform efforts tend to rely on a “bad apple” argument, focusing the nature and scope of the problem on the behavior of specific individuals and rarely considering the broader organizational process that determines who is allowed to patrol the public and how they learn to do their jobs. In Before the Badge, Samantha J. Simon provides a firsthand look into how police officers are selected and trained, describing every stage of the process, including recruitment, classroom instruction, and tactical training. Simon spent a year at police academies participating in the training alongside cadets, giving her a visceral, hands-on understanding of how police training operates. Using rich and detailed examples, she reveals that the process does more than test a cadet’s physical or intellectual abilities. Instead, it socializes cadets into a system of state violence. As training progresses, cadets are expected to see themselves as warriors and to view Black and Latino/a members of the public as their enemies. Cadets who cannot or will not uphold this approach end up washing out. In Before the Badge, Simon explains how this training creates a context in which patterns of police violence persist and implores readers to re-envision the future of policing in the United States.

Reading aloud to children boosts their vocabulary, grades, social skills, and well-being. Now, families worldwide have joined the movement to read 1000 books in the years before school. This reading log, created by the former head of K-12 Education at Google and her husband--Washington DC's Teacher of the Year--comes with everything you need to make reading aloud an easy part of your daily routine: 100+ kid-friendly stickers for tracking progress Free app that saves a visual library of all the books you read together Guided activities like "Cooking with Storybooks" and "How to Host a Reading Party" Genre and Game suggestions from "Real-Life Heroes" to "Role-Playing with Characters" A full list of 1000 quality titles, sorted by age and interest Whether you read 200 or 2000 books, your child will treasure those minutes together. Cuddling close while reading aloud builds a powerful emotional bond, all while inspiring imagination and creative thinking. Plant a love of reading and watch it bloom! Reading is to the brain as exercise is to the body--and independent reading volume is the #1 predictor of reading achievement in elementary students. Badge Books motivate kids and families to read for fun, and reward their progress. An in-hand companion to the Beanstack mobile app used by 2 million readers, each title is a reading log and sticker book, plus themed challenges, activities, and recommended titles. Badge Books have helped more than 100,000 families build a lifetime love of reading. Each Badge Book connects kids to a set of realistic reading goals, then rewards their efforts with over 100 themed stickers and digital badges. The books work hand-in-hand with the free Beanstack Mobile App available on Android and iOS. Simply swipe your phone over any book cover to the book and get credit for every minute your child reads. How It Works: Fun activity pages get kids to dive deeper into favorite reads Easy guides on where to place badges and mark progress Spiral binding allows the book to lay flat As kids hit their reading goals, they get rewarded with stickers and activities in the Badge Book Use the app in conjunction with the books for easy tracking - switch between all your kids with a tap or log for multiple kids at once Cover art, titles, and authors load automatically when you scan books with the app New reading challenges and learning activities added to the app regularly With theme kids love--from science, space, music, mystery, heroes, and more--there's a Badge Book for every interest.

An identification guide to British Army cap badges from the Calvary and Royal Armoured Corps, the Guards, Women’s Units, Kitchener’s Army, and others. This book is a comprehensive guidebook, which will appeal to anyone with an interest in medal collecting. The book contains British Army badges from the earliest days to the present, with photographs of 800 examples. “This is an excellent text and complements the bookshelves of any researcher of the British army . . . an outstanding feat of research and I can only summarise by saying ‘Well done.’”—Military Archive Research.com

There's so much more to a police officer's badge that all first responders wear. But that's what the world sees. What's behind and beyond that badge is what people need to know-the person. Those behind the badge may wear a different uniform, but they too have families and love their communities. Each one faces all that life has to offer.