American Prestige Bonus - The Global Turn of American Policing w/ Stuart Schrader (Preview)
Aug 31, 2025
Stuart Schrader, a historian and author of "Badges Without Borders," dives into the global history of American policing. He explores how US police power has evolved through struggles both domestically and internationally. The conversation covers the opposition to oversight in the 1960s, the creation of Border Patrol and ICE, and the implications of Biden's and Trump's policies on crime and immigration. Schrader also highlights the connections between counterterrorism efforts and policing, along with recent resistance movements in Los Angeles.
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Cold War Police Training Shaped Policing
- U.S. police training abroad during the Cold War shaped domestic policing practices back home.
- Small, cheap training programs exported surveillance-first policing and counterinsurgency techniques to many countries and returned influences to the U.S.
Counterinsurgency Turned Policing Into Population Control
- Counterinsurgency aimed to prevent insurgency by policing populations, not just fight active guerrillas.
- That approach prioritized intelligence, searches, and population control as core policing activities.
Trainers Seeking Adventure Abroad
- U.S. police trainers often went overseas seeking adventure, better pay, or escape from home life.
- Many were senior experts bored with local work who then taught repressive tactics abroad.
