30 year law enforcement career and I love it
925724
Retired, after 30 years in Calif. law enforcement, I found it to be one good read! It brought back sounds, smells, the many people I've had contact with and even the department politics. If you've ever enjoyed a Wambaugh book, you will certainly enjoy reading Little Man. It puts you right in the middle of things without getting dirty. Truly enjoyable and memorable
2517928
Im a proud deputy wife.  With all the anti-police activity that has been going on around the country lately, my heart has been broken over and over.  Behind each and every badge that you see is a person with feelings and a family that loves them.  Behind my husbands badge is a wonderful man who would do anything for anyone.  Behind his badge is a family that includes a wife and 4 children that love him dearly.  A family that prays for him throughout each day that God would see fit for him to return to us at the end of every shift.  Every ambush, stabbing, car wreck, and line of duty death is a reminder of what could be.

Hearts Beneath the Badge is a book that show what is truly behind the badge  a human. Like everyone, they laugh, cry, and feel pain.  They see some of the worst of the worst and have to live on edge and go where many refuse to go.  As I read Hearts Beneath the Badge, I found myself smiling, laughing, and then crying as I read the tremendous stories behind some of the men and women in blue and their families.  I also found myself wondering why so many people can only look at police in the negative and not see an actual person.  I know there are a small number of bad cops.  There are also a small number of bad house builders, plumbers, cashiers, etc.  Why as officers are they lumped into always being bad?

Hearts Beneath the Badge is a great read for anyone that wants to see officers in a more positive light or see what happens to them emotionally as the weight of the job takes its toll.  It has a combination of stories of happiness and heartbreak, just like is seen daily on the job.

I highly recommend picking up this book and giving it a read.  Once I started, I could not put this book back down and I expect Ill be reading it again very soon.
1767388
Great true life story about an Honest Cop who had to take on the whole NYPD police department and their corrupt Supervisors. Definitely worth seeing and a great read in book form too. I have actually talked with Serpico and I regard him as a True Hero. I am also former law enforcement and had to become a whistleblower due to corruption issues within the U.S. Customs Service. See Also: [...]
Another good book or DVD to get and see is The SuperCops(1974), about two honest cops named Hans and Greenberg who fought the corrupt system in place in the New York City Police Department.
Remember corruption only exists if the managers and political allow it to exist, including the NYPD Chief, Commissioner, City Mayor etc...Feel free to contact me at: john.a.carman@gmail.com
3101731
This is a personal account of John Caparelli's time as an LAPD officer from the academy through his retirement.  He tells how his life and view points were changed or affected by different experiences.  Some are touching, some are funny and some are tragic.  He also tries to show how his time in the police department affected his life, his family's lives and how it affected his faith.  There is personal description of the bank robbery on Feb. 28, 1997 which made national news.  He tells what he saw, heard and did.  Remember this his personal account and not a news flash or story.  I found myself saying prayers for all those that risk their lives for each of us: firefighters, police, rescue personnel, hospital staff and our military.  Whether retired, active, past and present,  or death due to their services:  I want to give each of you a big "THANK YOU" for your service.  Also a big thank you for your families as they are the silent heroes there for their spouses and children.  This book was hard to put down once I started.  Don't expect action, adventure and all the things you see on tv or the movies, just the typical life of an LAPD officer.

I received this book from the author through [...] to read and leave my honest opinion.  I enjoyed the book and learned to pray a little differently for our police and others who risk their lives on a daily basis.
4550714
There's something in this book for everyone. For the law enforcement officer - whether you're a rookie, a seasoned vet, or retired like me - this book will speak to you. In many ways, it will also speak for you. For the spouses and loved ones of law enforcement, this book will give you a deeper understanding of your officer. It may even fill in some of the blanks, providing a voice for the stories and experiences that your officer may be unwilling or unable to share himself/herself. For the general public, this book will offer you a glimpse into the minds, hearts, and souls of police officers everywhere.

Read the book. It's worth your time and effort.
2073133
Love Wambaugh's writing. Always have and always will. Great cop humor. His humor got me through 25 years on the job..
1028837
I could not put this book down.  The local Minnesota cities and rural areas were all very familiar to me and easy to visualize.  It's clearly evident that Michael Kelley put a lot of research into law enforcement and criminal investigations before embarking on this great work.  Having been in law enforcement myself for over 32 years, I found his details, the language of law enforcement personnel and the investigative policies and tactics were very true to life.  I'm glad this Minnesota resident didn't focus only on a major coastal city for his story line.  I truly look forward to his next writing.
617971
I have been a police officer for 10 years in a major city and am excited to finally read what I have seen on the streets first hand. I would recommend this book to all police officers and command staff, and maybe someday we can start getting away from body count policing that is all about the number of arrests.
1915394
I have known Daril 40 years. This book tells it all. A great read about a true Super Cop and what it was like in Denver in the 70's and 80's.
2975115
I have spent over 25 years as a police officer. I have lost count of the number of times I have recommended this book to crime victims. I have given away numerous copies to all the women in my life, both family and friends. This book won't teach you how to shoot or throw a punch, but if you read it and learn the lessons you may never need to.
3016614
I have worn this style for more than thirty years.
166726
Recently, I was counseling a young former sheriff deputy and his wife who were embroiled in their personal struggle against endemic department corruption.  They were legitimately worried about being targeted by sociopathic agency leadership.  I told them of my story as a cop from a couple decades earlier and said At some point all cops worth a damn realize that its neither law nor enforcement and that the people you work with/for are capable of great evil.  The best life decision my wife and I made was to pile our belongings in a Buick and leave the struggle behind.

Jeres story is the same page from a generation of cops before me and is repeated today in virtually every law enforcement agency.  I passed Jeres book on to that former deputy.

Jeres book probably makes little sense to outsiders, and should not be read as a chronicle of events in an episode of corruption in Shreveport's history.  His story resonates with cops (and their wives) who shared the experience of throwing up, drinking to go to sleep, wondering when your co-workers or leaders will shoot you, and coming to grips with when one's integrity means more than a paycheck/pension.

Congrats, Jere about having the courage to relive this era of your (and Connies) life.
772160
I began reading Wambaugh as a young patrolman back in the early 70s. We were twenty somethings all trying to find characters in his books to compare each other with. Long since retired, I still find his insights and gritty "tell it like it is" writing style fascinating. I highly recommend this book to anyone who ever wore or still wears the badge. A binge read if ever their was one.
3490761
I live in the St Louis area and have been in the midst of the Ferguson chaos.  This is one way o can show officers that I appreciate all the hard long hours they put in to keep our communities safe.
4746622
Pretty accurate depiction of life on the streets as LAPD.  Many of the scenes were like reliving days of my 30 years with the force but of course with a fair amount of "creative discretion".
1116183
Serpico's life was one of arts, literature, classical music and herbal tea all whilst being a NY cop in the 60's. The macho surroundings within the police force didn't take kindly to Franks way of life.

After some time in uniform he goes plain clothes, grows his hair and dresses like a hippie. He is as straight as they come, never taking bribes and always looking for the bad guy. But after years as a cop he realizes that not only are his colleagues corrupt the whole force from top to bottom is either on the take or turn a blind eye to it.

  He's having none of it and his life then takes on the role of not only policing the streets but also of his work mates and employers. This move puts him in serious danger and the book brilliantly takes us through his life as the only cop not on the take.

  Peter Maas' writing is good, he has you wanting more at every turn of  a page. The book is far more detailed about our character Serpico and his cop buddies and for me gives a far more in depth look at his life. I read this after I had seen the movie so having seen Al's potrail of Serpico first may have made the book a tad more enjoyable.

I loved this book and read it again after a few years.
4207270
I am a retired police chief but also retired from DoD Agency  which provided assistance and inspection for Defense Contractors. I also worked for a contractor and government agent for several several different agencies. After retiring I worked part time as a police and fire Commissioner and Police volunteer until I became disabled in 2014.
As you can see with by my background you should see that I read fiction as pure fiction knowing in the real world there are obstacles that limits pure fiction. "Paladine"  by Kenneth Eade  is very interesting in its continued action and gives a certain plausibility to the fiction that makes it enjoyable.