Status
Available
Publication
New York : Spiegel & Grau, [2015]
Description
Law. Sociology. True Crime. Nonfiction. HTML:NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER • NAMED ONE OF THE TEN BEST BOOKS OF THE YEAR BY SAN FRANCISCO CHRONICLE, USA TODAY, AND CHICAGO TRIBUNE • A masterly work of literary journalism about a senseless murder, a relentless detective, and the great plague of homicide in America NATIONAL BOOK CRITICS CIRCLE AWARD FINALIST • NAMED ONE OF THE BEST BOOKS OF THE YEAR BY The New York Times Book Review • The Washington Post • The Boston Globe • The Economist • The Globe and Mail • BookPage • Kirkus Reviews On a warm spring evening in South Los Angeles, a young man is shot and killed on a sidewalk minutes away from his home, one of the thousands of black Americans murdered that year. His assailant runs down the street, jumps into an SUV, and vanishes, hoping to join the scores of killers in American cities who are never arrested for their crimes. But as soon as the case is assigned to Detective John Skaggs, the odds shift. Here is the kaleidoscopic story of the quintessential, but mostly ignored, American murder—a “ghettoside” killing, one young black man slaying another—and a brilliant and driven cadre of detectives whose creed is to pursue justice for forgotten victims at all costs. Ghettoside is a fast-paced narrative of a devastating crime, an intimate portrait of detectives and a community bonded in tragedy, and a surprising new lens into the great subject of why murder happens in our cities—and how the epidemic of killings might yet be stopped. Praise for Ghettoside “A serious and kaleidoscopic achievement . . . [Jill Leovy is] a crisp writer with a crisp mind and the ability to boil entire skies of information into hard journalistic rain.”—Dwight Garner, The New York Times “Masterful . . . gritty reporting that matches the police work behind it.”—Los Angeles Times “Moving and engrossing.”—San Francisco Chronicle “Penetrating and heartbreaking . . . Ghettoside points out how relatively little America has cared even as recently as the last decade about the value of young black men’s lives.”—USA Today “Functions both as a snappy police procedural and—more significantly—as a searing indictment of legal neglect . . . Leovy’s powerful testimony demands respectful attention.”—The Boston Globe.… (more)
Media reviews
User reviews
LibraryThing member RidgewayGirl
Ghettoside: A True Story of Murder in America by Jill Leovy is about the murder of a police officer's son in South Central Los Angeles and the investigation into his death. It's also about that part of Los Angeles, where the murder rate remains high and the victims are disproportionately young
Ghettoside would be a good companion book to The New Jim Crow by Michelle Alexander. Leovy posits that the high murder rate is caused by the failure of the authorities to call murderers to justice. Crime is deterred not by the severity of the potential punishment, but by the certainty an offender will be called to account. With just a third of murders leading to an arrest, the solve rate is dramatically lower than in other parts of the city. Police resources are concentrated on popular prevention initiatives, which leave residents feeling both targeted and unprotected. The detectives who work these cases are largely rookies and will leave the area for better positions before they are fully effective. Still, there are a few cops who have decided to remain, buying their own office supplies and working long hours in order to serve a community they value.
Leovy's book concerns one area in one city, but what she learns and takes from her experiences are important and should influence how we police our communities in every part of the country.
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African American men, how these murders receive less resources than murders in other parts of the city and less attention than other policing strategies that are more visible and play better with voters. Leovy spend years embedded with the detectives of the 77th Street Division and her familiarity with and respect for the detectives and the residents of the area are apparent throughout this book. Ghettoside would be a good companion book to The New Jim Crow by Michelle Alexander. Leovy posits that the high murder rate is caused by the failure of the authorities to call murderers to justice. Crime is deterred not by the severity of the potential punishment, but by the certainty an offender will be called to account. With just a third of murders leading to an arrest, the solve rate is dramatically lower than in other parts of the city. Police resources are concentrated on popular prevention initiatives, which leave residents feeling both targeted and unprotected. The detectives who work these cases are largely rookies and will leave the area for better positions before they are fully effective. Still, there are a few cops who have decided to remain, buying their own office supplies and working long hours in order to serve a community they value.
Leovy's book concerns one area in one city, but what she learns and takes from her experiences are important and should influence how we police our communities in every part of the country.
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LibraryThing member joyceBl
The author's premise of Ghettoside is that" where the criminal justice system fails to respond vigorously to violent injury and death, homicide becomes endemic." She states that the reason for the long standing plague of black homicides is the lack of effective criminal justice. Further, the
Jill Leovy tells a compelling story of murder in South Central LA; In Los Angeles, during the last decade, most black men who were murdered were murdered by other black men and boys; six out of every ten killers of black men went unpunished. She details the deaths of one young man, the the son of a LA detective who had insisted on living in the community in which he worked, insisted on not giving up on the people he served.
She reveals the attitude of some of the police officers who see black-on-black killings as unimportant. And tells us of some superb detectives who work around the clock, with persistence and courage, to solve the murders.
The book occasionally drops down to mundane details that often seem disconnected, as if she wanted to fit all the information she knew into the book, but didn't have a cohesive reason to include many of the snippets of information. However, the main story line of the death of Bryant Tennelle and the detectives' efforts to bring the murderer to justice, and the author's support of her premise makes this a good read.
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failure to stand up for black people when they are hurt or killed by others has left ample room for vigilantism; when people do not believe justice will be done, they take matters into their own hands. Black Men make up just 6% of the country's population but nearly 40% of those murdered.Jill Leovy tells a compelling story of murder in South Central LA; In Los Angeles, during the last decade, most black men who were murdered were murdered by other black men and boys; six out of every ten killers of black men went unpunished. She details the deaths of one young man, the the son of a LA detective who had insisted on living in the community in which he worked, insisted on not giving up on the people he served.
She reveals the attitude of some of the police officers who see black-on-black killings as unimportant. And tells us of some superb detectives who work around the clock, with persistence and courage, to solve the murders.
The book occasionally drops down to mundane details that often seem disconnected, as if she wanted to fit all the information she knew into the book, but didn't have a cohesive reason to include many of the snippets of information. However, the main story line of the death of Bryant Tennelle and the detectives' efforts to bring the murderer to justice, and the author's support of her premise makes this a good read.
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LibraryThing member CarolynSchroeder
This book was outstanding, an incredibly well-written, intelligent, thoughtful and very human look into murder, particularly in the South/Southeast/Watts neighborhoods of Los Angeles. Leovy's deft use of statistics, sociology, history and black American migration and justice (or lack thereof) after
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slavery made for a broad and comprehensive view of a very, very big problem in the United States, i.e., black-on-black murder and for decades, no one doing much about it. I liked that the book did not place blame on any one race, system or entity, because at the end of the day, there is plenty to share across a wide scope of humanity. Living near some of the most dangerous neighborhoods in the country (Chicago), a lot of this hit very close to home and brought up questions many people wonder about, how the media, police and witnesses seem to do nothing when a victim is black, yet when the victim is white, the media obsesses about a murder for months on end, and the crimes generally get solved. Leovy shed much light on how the problems arise and continue, yet ultimately we are left with a little hope as the book focuses on a few (one in particular) cases that do go right, are prosecuted with tenacity and slowly, the murder numbers are declining. This book was a great education to me and one of the more relevant topics in non fiction. The author did a stellar job and I felt like I was living with the detectives, attorneys and citizens of the neighborhoods. Highly, highly recommended. I keep thinking anyone inclined to pass judgments on what happens, or should be done "ghettoside" really ought to read this book first. Show Less
LibraryThing member LovingLit
This book being so new, I was surprised to see it just sitting there on the library shelf waiting to be plucked off by anyone. I was the lucky so and so who managed to nab it, and I did the library patrons a favour by returning it within a few days, so someone else could have the privilege.
When
This is a sad read, even with the good guy homicide detectives on the cases- they are overwhelmed and under-resourced, on a day to day basis they are faced with dead kids (aged 13- adulthood), grieving families and terrified witnesses. But the good that they can do is emphasised, and it gives us hope. I got the feeling that the uniformed LAPD officers got off lightly in this book. A few times their 'culture' and attitude towards gangs and certain neighbourhoods was mentioned, and then left alone. Maybe that is a whole new book. Overall, this book was fascinating and it unfolded beautifully and cleverly.
When
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you hear about the 'gang problem' in LA, you might think like I used to. That people in certain neighbourhoods just live a certain way, that whole families are dysfunctional and that there is no hope. But this book goes behind the few headlines of any media reports that ever tried to explore what is going on in South Central LA. It all tales place in the late 2000s and the focus is on one precinct's homicide detective team. These guys are the good guys. They care about solving crimes, the gang-related drive-by shootings, that no one else seems to care about. And this is the main point from the book: that if more of these murders were solved, the murder rate would diminish. The idea being that it is the lack of tangible justice in the gang areas that promotes vigilante justice. This justice is not to be confused with street drug busts, gun confiscations or police harassment of gang members, it is the solving of murders. This is a sad read, even with the good guy homicide detectives on the cases- they are overwhelmed and under-resourced, on a day to day basis they are faced with dead kids (aged 13- adulthood), grieving families and terrified witnesses. But the good that they can do is emphasised, and it gives us hope. I got the feeling that the uniformed LAPD officers got off lightly in this book. A few times their 'culture' and attitude towards gangs and certain neighbourhoods was mentioned, and then left alone. Maybe that is a whole new book. Overall, this book was fascinating and it unfolded beautifully and cleverly.
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LibraryThing member Darcia
Sometimes I read a book full of alarming statistics, but it fails to move me. Then other times I read a book like this one, when the author weaves statistics and research into a story, when the writing is vivid and the details compelling, when I feel like I've learned something in a way that
Jill Leovy is a gifted writer. She puts words together in a way that paints a portrait of images and emotion. I didn't just read the words, I felt the anger and desperation of the people caught in this cycle of violence. Perhaps more importantly, Leovy's writing shines a new light on an old situation. Being a white girl from middle class suburbs, I've never had much interaction with gangs or extreme poverty - with any race. And though I read a lot on crime and sociology, I have never come across a book that so expertly dissects the cause and effect of gang violence and black-on-black murders.
This book reads like the best crime novel. We have two hero cops, going far beyond anyone's expectations while risking ridicule from their coworkers. We have the victims, innocent kids caught in the crossfire. And we have the killers, not much more than kids themselves, struggling to survive in a kind of inner city Wild West, with no one and nothing to rely on beyond their own code of ethics.
Ghettoside is a powerful statement on our indifference and assumptions. It's an unflinching look at racism and survival. It's a compelling piece of writing that needs to be read by every person, everywhere.
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matters, and when that knowledge has, on some level, changed how I think. Jill Leovy is a gifted writer. She puts words together in a way that paints a portrait of images and emotion. I didn't just read the words, I felt the anger and desperation of the people caught in this cycle of violence. Perhaps more importantly, Leovy's writing shines a new light on an old situation. Being a white girl from middle class suburbs, I've never had much interaction with gangs or extreme poverty - with any race. And though I read a lot on crime and sociology, I have never come across a book that so expertly dissects the cause and effect of gang violence and black-on-black murders.
This book reads like the best crime novel. We have two hero cops, going far beyond anyone's expectations while risking ridicule from their coworkers. We have the victims, innocent kids caught in the crossfire. And we have the killers, not much more than kids themselves, struggling to survive in a kind of inner city Wild West, with no one and nothing to rely on beyond their own code of ethics.
Ghettoside is a powerful statement on our indifference and assumptions. It's an unflinching look at racism and survival. It's a compelling piece of writing that needs to be read by every person, everywhere.
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LibraryThing member ehousewright
I hope that this book will be on reading lists for … well, everyone. Those who fund and oversee local police forces, those who need to be reminded that police are not always (but unfortunately are sometimes) quota driven, trigger happy or unfeeling, those who want to become police officers, and
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those who interact with them. High school, college, book groups-- everyone. This book describes, in detail, the complexities of the job when there are not enough supplies, not enough time, and complications arising from racial or cultural neighborhood issues. I read this at the same time as the second Mark Zuckerberg book club selection, Stephen Pinker’s The End of Power, and it was a powerful combination. Ms. Leovy has done the micro research that Pinker describes as part of his bigger picture, and she has done an amazing job at portraying accurately a few cases within the larger context of policing in South Central Los Angeles. It is worse than you can possibly imagine and the sheer heartbreak of the families affected (and all who live there are affected) over and over by senseless violence is astonishing. Her message is clear—care about these people, the police as well as the victims, treat the racial inequities as urgent issues and do something about it. Show Less
LibraryThing member TooBusyReading
“She ain't a [prostitute] no more....She's some daddy's baby” or “'NHI – No Human Involved,' the cops used to say. It was only the newest shorthand for the idea that murders of blacks somehow didn't count.”
Which attitude would you want the officers investigating the murder of someone you
This nonfiction story of murder of black, mostly men in LA is eyeopening. It explains why ALL of us should care, why we shouldn't take the attitude that if one gangbanger kills another gangbanger, who cares? It follows the story of the murder of a homicide detective's son, but that is only a part of the story. There are seemingly endless recounts of murders of lower profile people, those who don't even merit a paragraph in the local paper.
It also explains why the poor black communities take the law into their own hands, the rich history of the US legal system marginalizing them at best. And, very much connected to that, why solving murders of those same people is difficult, even when it is attempted, and how often those attempts are superficial.
Occasionally the author's prose got a bit too flowery or sentimental, but mostly this was a clearly written look at why ignoring the violence problem and the underlying issues not only does a severe injustice to the people of those communities but affects all of us who think we are not connected to such problems.
The statistics are getting better. The statistics are still unacceptable.
This is one of those books that I didn't just read, but I marked and notated. It made me look at a problem from a perspective I had not considered before, and I am grateful for that.
I was given an advance reader's copy of this book for review, and the quote may be different in the published edition.
Which attitude would you want the officers investigating the murder of someone you
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love to have?This nonfiction story of murder of black, mostly men in LA is eyeopening. It explains why ALL of us should care, why we shouldn't take the attitude that if one gangbanger kills another gangbanger, who cares? It follows the story of the murder of a homicide detective's son, but that is only a part of the story. There are seemingly endless recounts of murders of lower profile people, those who don't even merit a paragraph in the local paper.
It also explains why the poor black communities take the law into their own hands, the rich history of the US legal system marginalizing them at best. And, very much connected to that, why solving murders of those same people is difficult, even when it is attempted, and how often those attempts are superficial.
Occasionally the author's prose got a bit too flowery or sentimental, but mostly this was a clearly written look at why ignoring the violence problem and the underlying issues not only does a severe injustice to the people of those communities but affects all of us who think we are not connected to such problems.
The statistics are getting better. The statistics are still unacceptable.
This is one of those books that I didn't just read, but I marked and notated. It made me look at a problem from a perspective I had not considered before, and I am grateful for that.
I was given an advance reader's copy of this book for review, and the quote may be different in the published edition.
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LibraryThing member BLBera
In [Ghettoside], Jill Leovy was written an important, timely book that looks at the murders of black men in Los Angeles. Meticulously researched, the book is framed around the murder of Bryant Tennelle. However, his story is one of many, as Leovy makes clear, frequently listing names of
"Irvin Carter, a disabled man in his sixties, died the following day after being slashed by a man walking with a knife in East Rancho Dominguez. And the next day, thirty-six-year-old Keith Hardy died at St. Francis Hospital after someone shot him many times in Compton. Christopher Rice, twenty-two -- also shot in Compton -- was also transported to St. Francis. He died four days after Hardy. The next day, June 10, Rodney Love, fifteen, was shot and killed on the street in the Seventy-Seventh Street Division a block away from where Bryant Tennelle was shot. His mother ran outside just in time to watch her only child die as she dialed 911 over and over and got a busy signal."
Leovy argues that every murder must be treated as important and all efforts must be made to show that Black Lives Matter, that law enforcement is the only way to definitively make the streets safe for black men: "But anyone who tracks homicide in LA County and elsewhere still can't escape the obvious: black men remain disproportionately victimized. Solving this problem deserves every honest effort. People may disagree about the remedies -- particularly the balance between preventive and responsive measures -- but they should not disagree about the problem's urgency."
This is an important book. Highly recommended.
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victims:"Irvin Carter, a disabled man in his sixties, died the following day after being slashed by a man walking with a knife in East Rancho Dominguez. And the next day, thirty-six-year-old Keith Hardy died at St. Francis Hospital after someone shot him many times in Compton. Christopher Rice, twenty-two -- also shot in Compton -- was also transported to St. Francis. He died four days after Hardy. The next day, June 10, Rodney Love, fifteen, was shot and killed on the street in the Seventy-Seventh Street Division a block away from where Bryant Tennelle was shot. His mother ran outside just in time to watch her only child die as she dialed 911 over and over and got a busy signal."
Leovy argues that every murder must be treated as important and all efforts must be made to show that Black Lives Matter, that law enforcement is the only way to definitively make the streets safe for black men: "But anyone who tracks homicide in LA County and elsewhere still can't escape the obvious: black men remain disproportionately victimized. Solving this problem deserves every honest effort. People may disagree about the remedies -- particularly the balance between preventive and responsive measures -- but they should not disagree about the problem's urgency."
This is an important book. Highly recommended.
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LibraryThing member arelenriel
This was a really excellent books for those interested in sociological or cultural/racial issues.
LibraryThing member ollie1976
Ghettoside takes a unique look at a societal problem by focusing on a particular case in Los Angeles. As a fan of true crime books, I like the approach that Jill Leovy does in telling the story behind and during the case. It is said that these type of cases continue to happen to happen. There isn't
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a lot of heavy, over the top, descriptions about police procedure and law which makes it easy for everyone to read. I enjoyed it. Show Less
LibraryThing member jsalmeron
Black lives matter. It's an interesting experiment for anybody, regardless of color, to read that three letter sentence and explore the first thought that came to mind. I am a privileged, forty something year old white female. This book was given to me in the Early Reviewers give-away and I am
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thrilled to offer my thoughts on it. Given today's climate, this book couldn't have come out at a more timely date. Although it is non-fiction, it reads like fiction with story-telling and facts intertwined that are both riveting and interesting. I compare Levoy's writing style to somebody like Ann Rule, who not only lures readers in with suspense and information given at the right moments but also is able to provide a well written window that allows us a vivid picture where the stories take place. It's an important book. it is a raw look into real black lives and the problems they face and the culture of violence and murder in our country. "How is this MY problem" you might ask yourself. A simple change of mind set might eventually be the missing piece to this puzzle. Black Live Do Matter. Get a glimpse into their world and it will be clear that many, many factors have not been in the right places for far too long. Show Less
LibraryThing member satxreader
Great read. If you have any preconceived ideas about black-on-black homicides, gang culture, police brutality or harassment, you are almost guaranteed to have some of those ideas challenged in this book, and perhaps even changed. There's not much I can add to the previous reviews since I agree with
I received a free copy of this book with the expectation of an honest review.
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all the positive ones. This is a story that should be recommended reading, especially in the "white-cop/black-crime", "professional-race-baiter" climate of the day. I received a free copy of this book with the expectation of an honest review.
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LibraryThing member froxgirl
Firstly, credentials: author Jill Leovy wrote a daily crime column called The Homicide Report for the LA Times.
This is a true crime story. True, and a crime, that so many black lives are lost for no reason other than racism, poverty and easy access to cheap guns.
Leovy writes primarily about
The primary case here is a tragic story of a homicide detective who believes in his neighborhood and in staying to help keep it as a good place for all to live. But when his son is murdered, Detective Tennelle berates himself for his decision.
John Skaggs is the detective assigned to the case. By befriending a brave witness, he changes her life and those of the defendants.
Quotes, from the author: "Police had long functioned in the US preoccupied with control and prevention, obsessed with nuisance crime, and lax when it came to answering for black lives."
And from scholar William Stuntz: "Poor black neighborhoods see too little of the kinds of policing and criminal punishment that do the most good, and too much of the kind that do the most harm."
This book belongs on the same exalted shelf as "The New Jim Crow" and On the Run: Fugitive Life in an American City. All three are essential to understanding why "Black Lives Matter" is a most valid battle cry in the war against indifference and evil outcomes.
This is a true crime story. True, and a crime, that so many black lives are lost for no reason other than racism, poverty and easy access to cheap guns.
Leovy writes primarily about
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homicide detectives, who are most surely a breed apart from police who patrol the South Central streets. The priority of the homicide detectives is to find out and gain confessions for the myriad senseless (though does any killing really make any sense) murders. Although the residents say, "Everybody knows", most witnesses are petrified to identify and testify, with very good reason - fear for their lives and the safety of their families.The primary case here is a tragic story of a homicide detective who believes in his neighborhood and in staying to help keep it as a good place for all to live. But when his son is murdered, Detective Tennelle berates himself for his decision.
John Skaggs is the detective assigned to the case. By befriending a brave witness, he changes her life and those of the defendants.
Quotes, from the author: "Police had long functioned in the US preoccupied with control and prevention, obsessed with nuisance crime, and lax when it came to answering for black lives."
And from scholar William Stuntz: "Poor black neighborhoods see too little of the kinds of policing and criminal punishment that do the most good, and too much of the kind that do the most harm."
This book belongs on the same exalted shelf as "The New Jim Crow" and On the Run: Fugitive Life in an American City. All three are essential to understanding why "Black Lives Matter" is a most valid battle cry in the war against indifference and evil outcomes.
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LibraryThing member sschaller
Ghettoside was an eye opening book that revealed the oppression and Jim Crow like justice system that is currently in place for young black men. The main story is about a Homicide Detective John Skaggs who will stop at nothing to solve his cases. If only more detectives were like him and if only
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all the resources were available. I enjoyed the story and the background about John Skaggs, however, I wish the statistics and all the pounding of the racism, media portrayal etc was not so in your face but instead woven into the story better. I like to come to realizations and not have them beaten into me. Show Less
LibraryThing member someonessister
Ghettocide, which was written by award winning reporter Jill Leovy, is the true story of gang related murder in the South Los Angeles neighborhood known as Watts. The murders were committed by black gang members and almost all of the victims were young black males many of whom were just in the
Although the book touches on details of several other murders, it mostly focuses on the killing of one young man who was the son of a Los Angeles detective and the brilliant police work of another detective who was determined to solve what seemed to be an unsolvable case. Throughout the book the author does a masterful job of telling the story while at the same time exploring and explaining the epidemic and the numerous obstacles faced by law enforcement in their efforts to solve cases and prevent future crimes.
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wrong place at the wrong time. Although the book touches on details of several other murders, it mostly focuses on the killing of one young man who was the son of a Los Angeles detective and the brilliant police work of another detective who was determined to solve what seemed to be an unsolvable case. Throughout the book the author does a masterful job of telling the story while at the same time exploring and explaining the epidemic and the numerous obstacles faced by law enforcement in their efforts to solve cases and prevent future crimes.
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LibraryThing member adamfbelcher
Really interesting book, looking at both the methodology and the struggles of trying to be a cop in LA. It also shines a light on how racial prejudice has allowed some police officers to effectively ignore crimes. A good read and recommended.
LibraryThing member loraineo
5 stars. Jill Leovy gives a well balanced account of the gang violence In LA, with the deeply powerful trauma felt by the victim's families. Describes in detail the determination of one homicide detective, John Skaggs. Homicide is the number one cause of death for black males between the ages of
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15-34 and solving these crimes should be a priority in any police force. Show Less
LibraryThing member AudrieClifford
I hate it when I dislike a book that I'm obligated to write a review of because I received it as a gift with that understanding. I did not enjoy reading GETTOSIDE. I found it terribly boring to read the same thing (or a slight variation) time after time.I recognize that the constant repetition was
Most of it was well-written, but there were a few sentences that had me going,"Huh???" The description of the trial was well done, and a lot of respect is due to the author for the amount of research that went into the story
Write for us again, Jill Leovy, only next time, spare us the unnecessary repetition.
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to emphasize that there had been murder after murder after murder, but the point was well made long before the author quit telling us.Most of it was well-written, but there were a few sentences that had me going,"Huh???" The description of the trial was well done, and a lot of respect is due to the author for the amount of research that went into the story
Write for us again, Jill Leovy, only next time, spare us the unnecessary repetition.
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LibraryThing member myownwoman
Haunting and troubling. A compelling, socially-urgent piece of true crime that straddles the line of true journalism. The book focuses on black-on-black homicide in South Central Los Angeles and of the self-perpetuating lawlessness that exists in response to the absence of authority and the
Highly recommended.
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distrust of police. Despite the horrific frequency of crimes of this nature, the majority of these murders go unsolved and exist beneath the radar of the media; this, then, forces the need for communal justice or a reciprocal act of retribution/vengeance. The book begs the question: how does one stop this cycle of senseless violence? While it, ultimately, provides no definitive answers, it suggests the dedication, persistence and courage exemplified by cops like Tennelle and Skaggs is a good place to start.Highly recommended.
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LibraryThing member emr093
This is a very well researched book! The author proves her points: America suffers from a plague, which is the phenomenon of black on black murders. Also, the lax enforcement of laws and punishment for the crimes makes the life of a black man "cheap". She does not simply state these points,
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although she repeats them numerous times, but she documents the actual case of a murder doggedly pursued by an uncommonly devoted L.A. detective. Show Less
LibraryThing member Bricker
Eye opening and thought provoking. I really enjoyed this book. I remember seeing the riots when I was a kid and the occasional South Central Cops episode, but as a white person from the East Coast, the plight of young, black men in dangerous Los Angeles neighborhoods isn't something I think about
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often. Great detail and story telling, as well as being pretty open minded and fair to both police and troubled youths. Show Less
LibraryThing member bnbookgirl
What a sad, sad book. It covers the murders of blacks against blacks in the area of LA known as Watts (among other names). The murder rate in this neighborhood was astonishing and it was mainly black men killing black men. This book is also about a few detectives who relentlessly try to get justice
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for these victims and their families. There is one case that is followed throughtout the book; the murder of a police officer's son. This case, among others are discussed, but this one is followed through until the end. This is really a great study on why these murders happen and how the perseverance of these few underpaid, overworked officers have helped to drop this murder rate in the past few years. Show Less
LibraryThing member jcy500
Author Leovy, a journalist with the LA Times, had followed homicides in LA. That was her "beat." In "Ghettoside," she presents a vivid picture of the seemingly endless stream of homicides within a small parcel of South Los Angeles. Her central hypothesis is that, contrary to the cliched view, gangs
Her central story revolves around a veteran homicide detective by the name of Skaggs. Along with several partners, but always driven by his dedication, he "clears," or solves, a great number of unsolved homicides. If he were to adopt a hashtag, it might be the recently popular "blacklivesmatter." The specific effort profiled in these pages is the investigation into the death of a young man who was, in fact, the son of a fellow officer.
This is a book which reveals the realities of both this troubled neighborhood, and the difficulties of achieving efficient police work in an area which has many justified fears of working with, let alone trusting, the police.
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don't create lawlessness, lawlessness - namely the vast number of unsolved homicides - creates gangs. Quoting sociologist Max Weber, she asserts that the state - meaning lawfully appointed governmental agencies, such as the police - should have the monopoly on violence within a community. It is only when government does not fulfill its obligations that illegal operators will step in to govern their communities.Her central story revolves around a veteran homicide detective by the name of Skaggs. Along with several partners, but always driven by his dedication, he "clears," or solves, a great number of unsolved homicides. If he were to adopt a hashtag, it might be the recently popular "blacklivesmatter." The specific effort profiled in these pages is the investigation into the death of a young man who was, in fact, the son of a fellow officer.
This is a book which reveals the realities of both this troubled neighborhood, and the difficulties of achieving efficient police work in an area which has many justified fears of working with, let alone trusting, the police.
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LibraryThing member Ann_Louise
This was a hard book for me to get into, which made me disappointed in myself, given the historical and current importance of the subject. While Ghettoside does lean more towards the academic than the typical "true crime" nonfiction title, it's an important book to have.
LibraryThing member Kaysee
Ghettoside is a very well written, very interesting story about life in the South Los Angeles area. It is the story of life in the inner city and how it has become very common place for black on black murders that go mostly unsolved due to the attitude of the people in the neighborhood and the
This book explores the reasons for the black on black murders and the attitude of the people in the neighborhood. The assumption is that from years back during the civil rights movement since black people were not treated the same as white people and since the criminal justice system has never changed with the times, black people instead of turning to the law for help, they take matters into their own hands. Since they don't trust police or the judicial system, they have become vigilantes.
Although I agree with the premise of this book, I also believe that change must come from within, and if the people do not change themselves and trust in the judicial system to change, this epidemic will never change.
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criminal justice system.This book explores the reasons for the black on black murders and the attitude of the people in the neighborhood. The assumption is that from years back during the civil rights movement since black people were not treated the same as white people and since the criminal justice system has never changed with the times, black people instead of turning to the law for help, they take matters into their own hands. Since they don't trust police or the judicial system, they have become vigilantes.
Although I agree with the premise of this book, I also believe that change must come from within, and if the people do not change themselves and trust in the judicial system to change, this epidemic will never change.
Show Less
Subjects
Awards
Audie Award (Finalist — Non-Fiction — 2016)
Commonwealth Club of California Book Awards (Finalist — Nonfiction — 2015)
National Book Critics Circle Award (Finalist — Nonfiction — 2015)
Crime Writers' Association Awards (Shortlist — 2015)
The Economist Best Books ([2015])
PEN Center USA Literary Award (Winner — 2016)
Barnes and Noble Discover Great New Writers Award (Winner — Non-Fiction — 2015)
Ridenhour Book Prize (2016)
NAACP Image Award for Outstanding Literary Work (Nominee — Nonfiction — 2016)
Boston Globe Best Book (Nonfiction — 2015)
Kirkus Reviews Best Book of the Year (Nonfiction — 2015)
Christian Science Monitor Best Book (Nonfiction — 2015)
In the Margins Official List (Nonfiction — 2016)
Globe and Mail Top 100 Book (2015)
Chicago Public Library Best of the Best: Adults (Selection — 2015)