Saturday, July 14, 2007

Las Vegas Cops

Editor's Note: One of the authors is a former U.S. Air Force servicemember.

Police-Writers.com is a website that lists state and local police officers who have written books. The website added three police officers from the
Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department: Kim Thomas, Gordon Yach and Harry Fagel.

Kim Thomas is a detective with the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department, currently assigned to the forgery detail. His other investigative assignments included a joint operation with the FBI targeting an organized crime group of Eastern Europeans who defrauded $34 million from stolen credit cards. Kim Thomas, a former U.S. Air Force enlistee has also been a construction worker, limosine driver and worked in executive protection. In 1992, at the age of 36, Kim Thomas entered the police academy. A sixth-degree black belt in Katai-te Ryu karate, Kim Thomas scored 100 percent on the Metro physical test even though he was one of the older members of his police academy class.

Kim Thomas is the author of the novel Vegas: One Cop’s Journey. According to the book description, “Cam Madden had a good job and a carefree bachelor lifestyle when he impulsively tried out for the police academy of the Las Vegas PD. Now that he's mastered the theories of law enforcement his education in its realities begins with field training and an ugly suicide call. Learning the lessons of the street leaves scars on Cam's ego, but it's even rougher on his off-duty relationships with women. It doesn't matter until he falls for Karrie Mae, a paramedic, whereupon making it work becomes all important. Their romance grows in a world of burglars, bums, purse snatchers, drug dealers, and homicidal idiots, no two of them alike but each to be dealt with according to endless regulations, some of which cannot work without being severely bent.”

Gordon Yach is a 27 year veteran of the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department and Clark County Sheriff’s Office. During his career, he worked patrol, detectives, vice, narcotics and intelligence. He rose through the ranks and eventually retired as the Director of the Detention Services Division. He is the author of Las Vegas... a Cops View Of... the Glamour, Glitz, Graft, Good & Evil of Sin City.

Harry Fagel has lived in Las Vegas for 30 years. He is a Police Officer with Las Vegas Metropolitan police Department. According to Harry, he has also been a “bartender, a black jack dealer, a college student, and a madman.” Harry Fagel is the author of Street Talk. According to the book description, “Take a ride with Officer Harry Fagel through the streets of Las Vegas as he weaves his black and white from glass - littered alleys to high end mega-resorts pausing along the way to show you a world from the emotionally charged, highly visual perception of a street cop gone poet or maybe poet gone street cop.”

Police-Writers.com now hosts 640
police officers (representing 281 police departments) and their 1367 books in six categories, there are also listings of United States federal law enforcement employees turned authors, international police officers who have written books and civilian police personnel who have written books.

Military Books

Military-Writers.com is a website committed to listing military personnel who have authored books. The website added authors who served in World War II and Vietnam.

Robert B. Heinen was a police officer for the Kansas City Police Department (Missouri) from 1946 to 1974. He retired at the rank of Captain. At the beginning of World War II a then 17 year old Robert Heinen enlisted the United States Navy. He served four years in both the Atlantic and Pacific. Six months after the war he joined the Kansas City Police Department. He is published his autobiography The Battle Behind the Badge in 1997.

According to one reader, “The Battle Behind the Badge takes you on the streets of Kansas City with Captain Heinen as your partner. BEWARE! On your shift you'll not only encounter dangerous street thugs, but high-powered organized crime figures. When you return to the station house to file your reports, be prepared to battle corrupt police officials and egocentric city hall politicians. "The Battle Behind the Badge" is an excellent hardball account of Kansas City during a time when it was difficult to tell who the bad guy was. Captain Heinen is an honest cop who pays for his integrity by being yo-yoed up and down the ranks. He is Kansas City's "Serpico." This is a very good read that took a lot of guts to write.”

In 1966,
James R. Kelly served one tour of duty in Vietnam with the United States Marine Corps. James Kelly received his BS degree from the University of Southern Mississippi. In 1971, he joined the ranks of the Mississippi Bureau of Narcotics; becoming one of the organization's first agents. James Kelly retired from the Mississippi Bureau of Narcotics 1995. He is the author of two books: Prescription for Murder and Casting Alpha: Amtracs in Vietnam.

Casting Alpha: Amtracs in Vietnam, “depicts the daily life of
U.S. Marine Corps amtrac crewmen during the Vietnam War and the continuing anxiety, as a result of enemy land mines, referred to as the big wait.” James Kelly served with A Company, 3rd Amtracs, 1966-67.

John "Jack" Miller applied his first career in Law Enforcement and Criminal Investigations to his second career of Casino Games and their protection. Jack was a Special Agent with the Air Force Office of Special Investigations (OSI) conducting investigations of felony crimes. These investigations also included counter-intelligence and counter-espionage investigations.

After retiring from the military, he joined the Clark County District Attorneys office as a Special Investigator of "white collar" and conspiratorial crimes. He worked with undercover teams from the local Police and the FBI conducting burglary stings. He then joined the
Nevada State Gaming Control Board (GCB) as an Enforcement Agent. He was certified by Nevada State and Federal Courts as an Expert witness during trials of gambling cheats.

John “Jack” Miller is the author of Cold War Warrior, All Crooks Welcome and Master Cheat! According to the book description of the true story, All Crooks Welcome, “the Las Vegas police are plagued with burglaries. Two detectives devise an ingenious scheme to combat the thieves and burglars. Pose as fences and buy the evidence from the crooks. With the help of the District Attorney’s office and the FBI, the sting is on. Join with the undercover law enforcement personnel as they solve the problems associated with a scheme never tried before. Be there as the crooks arrive with their ill-gotten gains. Enjoy the wrap-up party where the thieves expect one thing and get another.”

Military-Writers.com currently lists 28 current or former
military members and their 59 books.