This Friday, October 11, I’ll be speaking on a panel with Alex Vitale, author of The End of Policing. We’ll talk about his book, criticism of police, the limits of reform, and the possibilities of abolition.
The event starts at 6pm at the PSU Smith Center, 1825 SW Broadway, Portland.
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I’ll be in Europe for the next couple weeks, giving lectures on the history of American policing, visiting Wilde’s grave, staying in a monastery, and riding on trains. A few of the details are still being worked out, but a calendar of talks is below.
Please note: Any orders that come in for the remainder of September will be filled during the first two weeks of October. I apologize for the delay, and appreciate your patience.
Sunday, September 15, 3pm — Frankfurt, Germany (Café Exzess, Leipziger Str. 91, 60487 Frankfurt)
Tuesday, September 17, 8pm — Prague, Czech Republic (Prostor 39 – Řehořova 39, Prague 3)
Friday, September 20, 6pm — Dresden, Germany (Salon – Zentralwerk, Risaer Straße 32, Dresden, Sachsen Germany)
Monday, September 23, 7pm — Warsaw, Poland (Social Centre ADA Pulawska, Puławska 37, 02-508 Warszawa Poland)
Monday, September 30, 7pm — Paris, France (location tba)
I had a letter published in the August 24, Economist. That’s not as impressive as an article, of course — but hey, it’s a start. The letter is behind a paywall online, and they shortened it considerably. So here’s the full version, with the heading the editors added:
A bridge too far
Again demonstrating an unerring ear for detecting the BS emanating from HR, Bartleby points to the “adjective inflation” overtaking job ads (July 13).
Unfortunately, recruitment is just the opening act in a career-spanning farce. At my job as a draw bridge operator for Multnomah County, I am expected set annual performance goals relating to designated “core competencies.” These include “Building Relationships,” “Outcomes Oriented,” and “Creativity and Innovation” — though, curiously, they do not include safely operating the 900-ton piece of mechanical infrastructure entrusted to my care. At the very best, this makes the annual review process a comically irrelevant annoyance. At worst, it seems to evince a patronizing concern on the part of my employer for the personal growth and practical virtues of its employees.
A pragmatist or cynic might observe, furthermore, than several of the “core competencies” identified by the bureaucrats in the Human Resources department center squarely on those skills necessary for interfacing with the bureaucracy of the Human Resources department. “Learning Agility,” for instance, is defined partly in terms of “an awareness of changing workplace trends.” That such skills are valued more highly than, for example, not crushing pedestrians with a moveable bridge, may say something about the people setting the standards.
Kristian Williams
Portland, Oregon
I wrote a short blurb for the Three-Way Fight blog, drawing attention to Clair Wills’ recent piece on the Irish Troubles in the London Review of Books, and explaining why I think it’s worth reading. I’m not going to repeat it here, though my whole contribution is pretty brief. You should probably be reading 3WF anyway.