A powerful indictment of the criminal behaviour of police officers, and a call for institutional reform, edited by the multi-award-winning author of Black and Blue.

When Cops Are Criminals examines the widespread problem of police brutality and corruption from the perspectives of those who understand it in depth. Pulling together the accounts of survivors, campaigners, and academics, it explores different forms of criminal behaviour by police, the factors that contribute to it, the impact it has on victims, and the challenges of holding perpetrators accountable.

Told with candour, honesty, bravery, and rage, these stories will challenge readers to reflect on the institutions that so many people take for granted. Whose interests are they really serving? And where can people turn when the institutions that are supposed to protect them are the ones doing the damage?


'A compelling, comprehensive account of one of the most violent and dangerous gangs in the country.'
- Chelsea Watego, author of Another Day in the Colony

'Exposes the dark underbelly of police culture, where officers often see individuals not as people but as objects to exploit. It is a call for accountability and transparency, essential steps towards repairing the broken systems of power that have long oppressed our people.'
- Nerita Waight, CEO of Victorian Aboriginal Legal Service

'Powerful and illuminating ... this collection insists on the importance of personal stories, and together they point a way forward towards justice and truth.'
-Yumna Kassab, author of The Lovers