Recommended Police Books

[MykesCrazy]

OK, before posting I made an attempt to search but that feature is not working on this forum.

I went to my parents recently and found an older book I loved! "What Cops Know." I reread the paperback in about two days. It is VERY out dated, taking most stories from the late 70's and early 80's, but still a great read!

This book is seperated by different chapters, Narcotics, Sex Crimes, Violent Crimes, Organized Crimes, and Property Crimes. Connie Fletcher interviewed 125 Chicago cops and put their stories into a book. Like I said before, Great Read, very Outdated!

If any of you have read this book or know of any other one that might be similar, can you please recommend them.

From another thread, I also want to look at "Tactics for Criminal Patrol."

Thanks!!

[ElDiabloJoe]

Yes,the Tactics for Criminal patrol trilogy (surving edged weapons, Street Survival) are fantastic!! Don't forget the "Games Cons Play" book too. Also, since you're in Kalifornia, I recommend you get the Vehicle Code ($3 or so from DMV). It's published every other year. It is your probable-cause Bible.

HTH,

EDJ

[kentreserve45]

I have to say my favorite cop book is Far Beyond Defensive Tactics by Loren Christensen. The way he talks in the book is just very strait forward and no bulls&$t. I like that. His other books are pretty good too..

[SOCALCOP]

Just wait until it comes out on DVD

[1042 Trooper]

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[ateamer]

Anything by Joseph Wambaugh, except for his last one, "Hollywood Station". I started reading Wambaugh in high school. His characters show how the real world works. You just know that while the plot itself is fictional, the side stories are all real, just with the names changed to protect the not-so-innocent.

[aaa79]

Homicide by David Simon. Non-fiction with brilliant prose. Baltimore, 1988, what could be better?

[stangfather]

Blue Blood, Edward Conlon

No Lights, No Sirens, Robert Cea

On Killing, Lt Col. Grossman

Steel my Soldiers Hearts, David M Hackworth

[jtwilluk]

Blue Blood, Edward Conlon

Just finished Blue Blood a couple weeks ago. It was a great read.

[MykesCrazy]

Anything by Joseph Wambaugh, except for his last one, "Hollywood Station". I started reading Wambaugh in high school. His characters show how the real world works. You just know that while the plot itself is fictional, the side stories are all real, just with the names changed to protect the not-so-innocent.

About a month ago I picked up a book by Michael Connelley and couldn't read it. I just can't get into fiction books anymore.

I just ordered True Blue and No lights, No Sirens.

[Bighead]

Cops.
by Mark Baker. This one is alot like "What Cops Know". I think it is the better of the two.

Cop: A True Story.
by Michael Middleton.

On Killing.
Lt Col. Dave Grossman.

On Combat.
Lt Col. Dave Grossman.

Street Survival: Tactics for Armed Encounters.
The Caliber Press.

Are Cops Racist.
by Heather MacDonald.

I Love a Cop: What Police Families Need to Know.
by Ellen Kirschman.

The Super Cops: The True Story of the Cops Called "Batman & Robin".
by LH Whittemore.

Homicide.
by David Simon.

The New Centurions.
by Joseph Wambaugh.

The entire "Badge of Honor" series is excellent police fiction.
by WEB Griffin.

[Bighead]

Wanting to read...

I picked up "Blue Blood" off the discount table at Barnes. Also saw "Crime Beat" which is non-fiction by Michael Connelly.

Why the pan for Hollywood Station, the new Wambaugh? Was thinking about buying it.

[marty33]

Can't remember the name of the author, but the title was "Night Dogs". It was a dark book about being a cop in Portland, Ore. back in the good old days. If you are thinking of trying to become a cop, you have to read this book. It covers the initial excitement of the job, then the slow transformation into a cynical, jaded cop. Looking back on it now, this book examines the down side of police work that few other novels attempt.

[Traffic_82]

Homicide by David Simon. Non-fiction with brilliant prose. Baltimore, 1988, what could be better?

I concur, it's my absolute favorite book. The one liners from the Detectives are priceless!

It's pretty neat to read about a tight knit group of guys like that.

[ateamer]

Why the pan for Hollywood Station, the new Wambaugh? Was thinking about buying it.

The plot wasn't very well-developed, and the subplots weren't tied together well. It was more a series of unrelated short stories than a novel. It was, by far, Wambaugh's worst work, and the only one of his books about which I can say anything negative.

If you aren't familiar with Joseph Wambaugh, spent 14 years with LAPD before becoming a fulltime writer. His early works (The New Centurions, The Choirboys) were cynical and dark. His later books (The Golden Orange, Fugitive Nights) were a bit more lighthearted, with characters that were still flawed, but with a sense of humor who came out ahead in the end.

I have most of his books and frequently re-read just a chapter or two, or favorite passages.