The Secret Files

Hold the Line is a current investigation of how we do-and don't-hold police responsible in America, using the nation's largest police agency as an example.

Michael Hayes uncovered a major story in 2018 about how the New York Police Department was not only turning a blind eye to police misconduct, but also allowing hundreds of officers with severe misconduct charges to remain on the force. In the aftermath of that story, then-Mayor Bill de Blasio attempted to reform the department only to abandon his plans. This is the story of how, during the de Blasio administration, the NYPD used its immense power to obstruct efforts to true meaningful accountability to the agency.

Now Hayes seeks to expose the powerful network of police unions, pro-police lawyers, and the top brass inside NYPD headquarters who work relentlessly to shield police officers from any real accountability. While de Blasio suffered a political setback, the true victims were the thousands of New Yorkers who have grown increasingly distrustful of the police after witnessing their loved ones being targeted, brutalized, and murdered with near impunity. After years of organizing by Black and Brown women, as well as the families of high-profile victims such as Eric Garner and Mohamed Bah, a burgeoning activist network is emerging and seeking to hold the officers, the city, the department, and the state accountable.

Hayes takes readers inside decades of police corruption and controversial laws, chronicling the stories of the families and activists who have had enough. Hold the Line makes a compelling case for the limits of reform in the aftermath of the major Black Lives Matter rallies following the murder of George Floyd and growing calls to defund the police.