In the wake of the #BlackLivesMatter movement and the President's Task Force on 21st Century Policing, it is clear that U.S. policing is in a moment of transition. This course is an in-depth sociological analysis of the origins, composition, and effects of policing in contemporary U.S. society. Throughout the course, we focus on using a social science lens to understand what policing is and how it influences social life. We will pay particular attention to the ways in which race and class inequalities are reflected in and reshaped by policing practices. The course material will cover a different aspect of policing each week, including historical patterns, broken windows policing, gangs in Chicago and skid row in Los Angeles, inequities in who is pulled over by the police while driving, and contemporary efforts to "police the police." Throughout the course, we draw on contemporary media stories, podcast, documentaries, and guest visitors to connect scholarship with the world around us.