Below are resources that better contextualize the role of police and the state in capitalist society.

History of Police:

“Origins of the Police” by David Whitehouse (2014)

“The Other Side of the Coin: Counterinsurgency and Policing” by Kristian Williams (2011) [PDF]

Our Enemies in Blue: Police and Power in America by Kristian Williams (2007) [PDF]

The Iron Fist and the Velvet Glove: An Analysis of the U.S. Police by the Center for Research on Criminal Justice (1977) [PDF]

Use of Informants:

“6 Ways Cops Have Used Sex to Infiltrate and Disrupt Protest Groups” by Michael Loadenthal (January 20, 2015)

“The Believers”  An investigation of “Anna” the FBI informant by Andrea Todd (2008)

“Why Misogynists Make Great Informants: How Gender Violence on the Left Enables State Violence in Radical Movements” by Courtney Desiree Morris (2010)

NYPD:

“Video:  How ‘Broken Windows’ Policing Harms People of Color,” Jamilah King, Colorlines.org (February 4, 2015)

Other Useful Information:

“Who is Oakland:  Anti-Oppression Activism, the Politics of Safety, and State Co-Optation” by Croatoan, Escalating Identity (2012)