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We Own This City: A True Story of Crime, Cops and Corruption in an American City by Justin Fenton
guppyur's review against another edition
4.0
I picked this up because I like Justin Fenton's work and wanted to support him, and because I wanted a bit more understanding of the Gun Trace Task Force scandal, which was legendary in Baltimore. One of the worst police corruption scandals to come to light that I'm aware of.
I already knew the rough outlines of the scandal, but this book gave me a more nuanced understanding — the dirty cops are dirty, sure, but there's a broader picture to be had. Senior leadership doesn't have to be dirty themselves for this to happen. The right incentives, lax supervision, etc. can create an environment for this kind of misconduct.
I was a bit surprised that the book ended when it did, around 81% on my Kindle. The rest is endnotes, acknowledgments, and so on. The book was in the weeds of the investigation and then ended almost abruptly. I thought there would be a bit more detail on the aftermath, and on the death of Sean Suiter, but I guess there are too many unknowns there.
I already knew the rough outlines of the scandal, but this book gave me a more nuanced understanding — the dirty cops are dirty, sure, but there's a broader picture to be had. Senior leadership doesn't have to be dirty themselves for this to happen. The right incentives, lax supervision, etc. can create an environment for this kind of misconduct.
I was a bit surprised that the book ended when it did, around 81% on my Kindle. The rest is endnotes, acknowledgments, and so on. The book was in the weeds of the investigation and then ended almost abruptly. I thought there would be a bit more detail on the aftermath, and on the death of Sean Suiter, but I guess there are too many unknowns there.
wintrovia's review
4.0
I read this book after watching a couple of episodes of the TV series of the same name that uses this book as the source material. It's a quite shocking story of police corruption which would push the bounds of credulity if it was fiction. The research involved in putting together this book must have involved a huge effort. I found the style of writing a bit too factual in places which made the writing a bit dry. More of a narrative style approach would have made it more readable and relatable but I suppose that's just the author's personal style.
mcmorrdog's review against another edition
challenging
dark
informative
mysterious
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
4.5
loujoseph's review
4.0
This feels like the more definitive take on this story (if that’s even possible) without the weird flourishes in the other book, and better background trying Freddie Gray, Sean Suiter’s death and other thing that help place the GTTF in it’s time.
gatun's review against another edition
5.0
We Own This City is the very complex story of corruption within the Baltimore Police Department, specifically the Gun Trace Task Force. Justin Fenton, the author, lays the story out in a manner that makes it understandable. I was not familiar with the GTTF corruption case, although I was familiar with several issues of the BPD having cops who committed crimes. Step by step Mr. Fenton leads the reader/listener from the start with drug and money robberies to the men sent to jail who while not completely innocent did not deserve the crimes they were charged with.
Two parts of this book unsettled me beyond the cops who were criminals. So many people were affected, men wrongly jailed, their families losing them, and their statements were never given equal weight or even consideration to the GTTF's statements. The detective who was murdered or committed suicide with the truth never to be positively determined. I cannot imagine the pain his family has gone through. Yes, he was guilty of participating in the GTTF's crimes but his family was not. To have that question never resolved, murder or suicide, seemed a hell that no one deserves.
Dion Graham is an incredible narrator. I first heard him narrating No Gods, No Monsters. We Own This City is non-fiction and in Mr. Graham's hands, it becomes a mystery/thriller that you do not want to stop listening to.
Two parts of this book unsettled me beyond the cops who were criminals. So many people were affected, men wrongly jailed, their families losing them, and their statements were never given equal weight or even consideration to the GTTF's statements. The detective who was murdered or committed suicide with the truth never to be positively determined. I cannot imagine the pain his family has gone through. Yes, he was guilty of participating in the GTTF's crimes but his family was not. To have that question never resolved, murder or suicide, seemed a hell that no one deserves.
Dion Graham is an incredible narrator. I first heard him narrating No Gods, No Monsters. We Own This City is non-fiction and in Mr. Graham's hands, it becomes a mystery/thriller that you do not want to stop listening to.