More than just a chronology of the history of police brutality in the United States, Our Enemies in Blue is a scholarly work that studies the reality of sanctioned violence against certain segments of society and the ways in which police use brutality to preserve existing structures of inequality. The simplistic myth of police officer as hero is prevalent in our society, and often obscures the facts, and silences those who would question police actions. The author believes the American public deserves a well-researched counter argument that confronts the realities of policing in modern society. Our Enemies in Blue examines the strong-arming, racial profiling, and other objectionable tactics used by the police on an everyday basis and provides an intelligent, in-depth critique of police brutality in all its forms.

Kristian Williams studied literature and philosophy at Reed College. As a member of Rose City Copwatch, he has helped document cases of police brutality and trained dozens of people on their rights when dealing with the cops.