The podcast episodes discuss how police unions have emerged as a significant obstacle to progressive criminal justice reforms, such as the move towards more lenient prosecutorial approaches.

The episodes highlight how police unions use their political influence and resources to oppose measures that would increase officer accountability, including by backing tough-on-crime critics of progressive prosecutors and spending millions to defeat politicians like Nithya Raman who have supported reforms.

The episodes also touch on how police unions have resisted being held to the same standards of solidarity as other labor unions and have contributed to a culture of impunity around officer misconduct.