Full Description
At 5:45 p.m. on September 9, 1919, Boston was effectively without a police force, leaving the city victim to four days of crime, looting, and violence. Ordered to disband their newly organized police union, the officers voted to walk off their posts in protest, leading to the greatest tragedy in American policing: the Boston Police Strike of 1919.
This is a compelling account of the historical antecedents that led to the strike and its complex political and societal ramifications. Through meticulous research, Oliver explores the perspectives and motivations of all involved, from the police officers attempting to unionize to the city's leaders trying to retain command and control of its patrolmen.
Contents
Prologue: September 8-9, 1919
1 America's First Police Department
2 The Boston Police Department
3 Political Control of the BPD
4 The Great War's Impact on Boston
5 Boston's Leadership
6 Governor Calvin Coolidge
7 The Call for Unionization
8 The Road to Hell . . .
9 In the Absence of Police, September 9, 1919
10 The Boston Riots, September 10, 1919
11 Quelling the Violence, September 11, 1919
12 Coolidge Takes Charge, September 12, 1919
13 Firing and Hiring a Police Department, September 13, 1919
14. . . Is Paved with Good Intentions
Epilogue: August 3, 1981
Afterword
Bibliography
Index
About the Author
