Last week, Mr. Sandler's NYC History students were treated to an enlightening discussion led by Dr. Emily Brooks, a National Endowment for the Humanities fellow at the New York Public Library. Dr. Brooks delved into her latest work, "Gotham's War within a War: Policing and the Birth of Law-and-Order Liberalism in World War II–Era New York City." Drawing from her expertise in policing, gender, race, and city politics, she examined the emergence of a new model of policing under Mayor La Guardia.
In her talk, Dr. Brooks explored how the militarization of the US home front during World War II intensified dynamics of racism and sexism within law enforcement. She argued that LaGuardia’s approach to policing foreshadowed later trends, including "broken windows" theory and "stop and frisk" policy. By controlling vice and targeting "disorderly" establishments, police aimed to maintain urban order, a vision central to La Guardia's governance, but one that faced resistance from marginalized communities.
The students were captivated by Dr. Brooks's fascinating research and insights
