The revelation that over a dozen police officers on the force in the Los Angeles suburb of Torrance exchanged a slew of racist, homophobic, and antisemitic texts over the course of years has spurred a torrent of outrage in California—particularly as it becomes apparent that hundreds of criminal convictions and current cases are now in jeopardy because of the practice—as well as an investigation by the state’s attorney general. The Torrance scandal, however, is only the tip of the iceberg, the latest manifestation of a major problem within police culture across America. There has in fact been a steady drumbeat of similar revelations within police departments across the country, as well as within federal law enforcement, over the past decade—along with a concomitant increase in extremists infiltrating police forces. And in the context of the ongoing far-right assault on democracy that was manifest on Jan. 6, when dozens of off-duty officers participated in the Capitol insurrection, it underscores once again the dire need for not just police reform, but a complete overhaul that wipes extremists from the ranks of law enforcement. Read more