The Riders Come Out at Night

Brutality, Corruption, and Cover Up in Oakland

By: Ali Winston, Darwin BondGraham

Narrated by: Robin Miles

From the Polk Award–winning investigative duo comes “a meticulously researched and enraging account” (Shane Bauer, New York Times bestselling author) of the systematic corruption and brutality within the Oakland Police Department, and the more than two-decades-long saga of attempted reforms and explosive scandals.

No municipality has been under court oversight to reform its police department as long as the city of Oakland. It is, quite simply, the edge case in American law enforcement.

The Riders Come Out at Night is the culmination of over twenty-one years of fearless reporting. Ali Winston and Darwin BondGraham shine a light on the jackbooted and sadistic cops known as “The Riders,” and the lack of political will and misguided leadership that have conspired to stymie meaningful reform. The authors trace the history of Oakland since its inception through the lens of the city’s police department, through the Palmer Raids, McCarthyism, and the Civil Rights struggle, the Black Panthers and crack eras, to Oakland’s present-day revival.

Those who have fought for reform are also revealed, including Keith Batt, a wide-eyed rookie cop turned whistleblower, who was unwittingly partnered with the leader of the Riders, and Jim Chanin and John Burris, two dedicated civil rights attorneys. Meanwhile, Oakland’s deep history of law enforcement corruption, reactionary politics, and social movement organizing is retold through historical figures like Black Panther Huey Newton, drug kingpin Felix Mitchell, district attorney and future Supreme Court Justice Earl Warren, and Mayor Jerry Brown.

“As thrilling as the best noir fiction” (Whiting Foundation, 2021 Creative Nonfiction Grant Jury), The Riders Come Out at Night is the story of one city and its police department, but it’s also the story of American policing—and where it’s headed.

Must-read for all

So fascinating, not just for an Oakland or Bay Area resident, but all Americans interested in the legacy of (and ongoing) police violence, corruption, and brutality that continues to create such inequitable experiences of "safety" and "protection."
An amazing amount of investigative research -- and personal risk -- must have gone into this work. And the quality of the writing makes it an edge-of-your-seat page turner.

Whoah. So gripping. So dark.

I love this book and this narration. Fascinating history of a city, its depraved uniformed criminals and the mode of production that keeps it all happening . I’ve lived in Oakland and the Bay for decades. I was at my share of the protests sited early 90s-present. This book gives so much context. I can see myself holding a sign, marching down broadway and this book pulls the camera back back back. How did I..we get here.

Fantastic research

Highly recommend. I really appreciated the historic dive into the city as well. Helped to have that basis for the current events still perpetuating in Oakland.

Incredible research!

The narrative aspect suffers a bit from the depth of the research and expansive time frame of the book. Overall an awesome deep dive into the history of Oakland and its tumultuous relationship with its leaders.

Excellent and fascinating history of Oakland crime and policing

I am from Oakland and it was incredible to hear the details of so many important historical moments in Oakland - from the labor protests of the 1940s, to the formation and dissolution of the Black Panthers, to the renegade cops brutalizing residents, to the story of the Black Muslim bakery, to Oscar Grant, Occupy, and other protest movements that all contributed to the activist, criminal, and policing landscape of Oakland. Well researched, I really enjoyed the overarching timeline and narrative and diving into the details of these moments in Oakland’s history.