Officers Down - Oakland

Editor's Note:  The information will be of interest to those serving in a military police function.

On March 25, 2010, Conversations with American Heroes at the Watering Hole will feature a conversation between Assistant Chief Howard Jordan, Oakland Police Department and Detective Jamie Duigan, Chicago Police Department, about the murder of four Oakland Police Officers on March 21, 2009.

Program Date: March 25, 2009
Program Time: 1700 Hours Pacific
Topic: Officers Down - Oakland
Listen Live: www.americanheroesradio.com/officers_down_oakland.html

About the Murders
On Saturday, March 21, 2009, the suspect, who was recently released from prison, murdered four Oakland Police Department (OPD) veteran personnel. This was the deadliest occurrence in the history of OPD and one of the most significant law enforcement losses in the State of California and the nation. Acting Chief of Police Howard Jordan ordered that an independent review be conducted to understand how this happened and what can be done to prevent a future recurrence.

About Assistant Chief Howard A Jordan
Assistant Chief Howard A. Jordan is a veteran of the Oakland Police Department, having served for more than 20 years in a range of assignments including patrol, investigations, internal affairs and administration.

Managing a staff of more than 800 police officers and 370 non-sworn personnel, Chief Jordan is a consensus builder who motivates others towards better performance. He considers all possible solutions while making decisions and stays calm in crisis. Chief Jordan saw the Department through the difficult hours of March 21, 2009, when four officers were gunned down in less than 3 hours. His goal is to forge a stronger Department and healthier community under his watch.

In 2007, Chief Jordan was promoted to the newly created position of Assistant Chief, managing daily operations under then-Chief Wayne Tucker. When Chief Tucker resigned in February 2009, Chief Jordan stepped in to lead the Department as Acting Chief. He continues the crime reduction policies put in place by Chief Tucker, including geographic and community policing, and supports the changes prescribed by the NSA. In October 2009, the Mayor hired Chief Anthony Batts to replace Chief Tucker. Assistant Chief Jordan remained on as the Assistant Chief and is currently in-charge of the day to day operations of the department.

Born in the West Indies and raised in Brooklyn, NY, by a single mother with a powerful work ethic, Chief Jordan savors Oakland’s mélange of peoples and cultures, and is proud of the fact that the Oakland Police Department is the most diverse in the Bay Area. Chief Jordan has a Master’s in Public Administration from Cal State Hayward. He is a graduate of the 219th FBI National Academy and the Police Executive Research Forum’s Senior Management Institute in Policing. Chief Jordan serves as the president of the SF Bay Area Chapter of the National Organization of Black Law Enforcement and is a member of the California Police Chiefs Association (which appointed him to the Attorney General’s Task Force to Address Human Trafficking in California) and the Commission on Peace Officer Standards and Training (POST).

Now “an average dad on the sidelines,” Chief Jordan has managed and coached youth soccer and baseball teams in Contra Costa County for many years. He volunteers for community outreach programs with Valley Bible Church in Hercules. Chief Jordan is married and has two daughters.

About the Guest Interviewer
Jamie Duignan is a detective with the Chicago Police Department, and is proud to be approaching her tenth anniversary as a law enforcement officer. Detective Duignan volunteers her time, as a member of the Chicago Police Department’s Peer Support Program, to support and counsel fellow officers in the wake of traumatic incidents. Prior to beginning her career in law enforcement, Jamie was an active civilian in Chicago’s community policing initiative. She holds a Bachelor’s in Sociology from the University of Chicago, and a Master of Science in Communication from Northwestern University. Her current interests are education, leadership, morale, decision-making and supervisory communications within law enforcement. As such, she is currently administering an on-line group, “Law Enforcement Leadership and Morale,” through Linkedin. Detective Duignan is honored to be a guest on the show, along with Chief Howard Jordan and Lieutenant Raymond Foster.

About the Host
Lieutenant Raymond E. Foster was a sworn member of the Los Angeles Police Department for 24 years. He retired in 2003 at the rank of Lieutenant. He holds a bachelor’s from the Union Institute and University in Criminal Justice Management and a Master’s Degree in Public Financial Management from California State University, Fullerton; and, has completed his doctoral course work. Raymond E. Foster has been a part-time lecturer at California State University, Fullerton and Fresno; and is currently a Criminal Justice Department chair, faculty advisor and lecturer with the Union Institute and University. He has experience teaching upper division courses in Law Enforcement, public policy, Public Safety Technology and leadership. Raymond is an experienced author who has published numerous articles in a wide range of venues including magazines such as Government Technology, Mobile Government, Airborne Law Enforcement Magazine, and Police One. He has appeared on the History Channel and radio programs in the United States and Europe as subject matter expert in technological applications in Law Enforcement.

Listen, call, join us at the Watering Hole:
www.americanheroesradio.com/officers_down_oakland.html
Program Contact Information
Lieutenant Raymond E. Foster, LAPD (ret.), MPA
editor@police-writers.com
909.599.7530

Confessions of an Oakland Cop

Editor's Note: The author is a former servicemember and Vietnam Veteran.

On September 4, 2009, Conversations with American Heroes at the Watering Hole features a discussion with former Army First Lieutenant and retired Oakland Police Department Sergeant Robert Searle.

Program Date: September 4, 2009
Program Time: 2100 hours, Pacific
Topic: Confessions of an Oakland Cop
Listen Live:
http://www.blogtalkradio.com/LawEnforcement/2009/09/05/Confessions-of-an-Oakland-Cop

About the Guest
Lieutenant Robert Searle, served in the United States Army for three years, including a tour in Vietnam, “spent approximately 23 years in law Enforcement after serving in the Vietnam War. Most of that time was with the Oakland California Police Department. There he worked as a Patrol Officer; as a Field Training Officer; Undercover Agent for The Federal Organized Crime Task Force; Sergeant in Patrol; and as a Sergeant in Major Narcotics Violators Unit of The Vice Squad.” Robert Searle is the author of Streets of Fire: Confessions of an Oakland Cop.

According to the book description of Streets of Fire: Confessions of an Oakland Cop, “The release of Streets of Fire could not be better timed; we need his story now! If you are COP (i.e., Constable on Patrol) Bob understands you. If you like intrigue, grit, excitement and nail biting action, read on! If you are a father, Bob's a great example: his three sons prove that. If you are a young person looking for a role-model, Bob's book is for you. If you are a hooker being controlled by your pimp, or an addiction, please read on. If you are a College student looking for a quick and exciting read, this is it! Or, if you are simply tired of insipid books that don't carry much weight nor deliver much punch, and you are looking for a book that delivers entertainment, counsel, intrigue, suspense, and-the occasional shock factor--then this book is for you!”

About the Watering Hole
The Watering Hole is Police slang for a location cops go off-duty to blow off steam and talk about work and life. Sometimes funny; sometimes serious; but, always interesting.

About the Host
Lieutenant Raymond E. Foster was a sworn member of the Los Angeles Police Department for 24 years. He retired in 2003 at the rank of Lieutenant. He holds a bachelor’s from the Union Institute and University in Criminal Justice Management and a Master’s Degree in Public Financial Management from California State University, Fullerton; and, has completed his doctoral course work. Raymond E. Foster has been a part-time lecturer at California State University, Fullerton and Fresno; and is currently a Criminal Justice Department chair, faculty advisor and lecturer with the Union Institute and University. He has experience teaching upper division courses in Law Enforcement, public policy, Public Safety Technology and leadership. Raymond is an experienced author who has published numerous articles in a wide range of venues including magazines such as Government Technology, Mobile Government, Airborne Law Enforcement Magazine, and Police One. He has appeared on the History Channel and radio programs in the United States and Europe as subject matter expert in technological applications in Law Enforcement.

Listen, call, join us at the Watering Hole:
http://www.blogtalkradio.com/LawEnforcement/2009/09/05/Confessions-of-an-Oakland-Cop

Program Contact Information
Lieutenant Raymond E. Foster, LAPD (ret.), MPA
editor@police-writers.com
909.599.7530

Military and Police Books of the Year

January 9, 2009, (San Dimas, CA) American Heroes Press, the publishers of www.military-writers.com and www.police-writers.com, announced the results of their annual recognition.

About the Websites
Military-Writers.com is a website that lists servicemembers from all branches of the United States Armed Forces who have authored books. Currently, the site lists nearly 800 servicemembers and their more than 2,400 books. Servicemembers are listed by name, branch, rank and type of book.

Police-Writers.com is a website that lists state and local law enforcement officials who have written books. Currently, the website lists more than 1,000 state or local police officers and their more than 2,200 books. Law enforcement officials are listed by name, department and type of book. Additionally, the website has separate sections which list federal law enforcement officials, international police officers and civilian police personnel.

About the Awards
The Military-Writers.com Book of Year 2009 focuses solely on the written contribution made by the servicemember. It is that book found by the panel of judges to be the most significant literary contribution made by a servicemember in the previous year.

The Police-Writers.com Book of the Year 2009 focuses solely on the written contribution made by the police officer. It is that book found by the panel of judges to be the most significant literary contribution made by a police officer in the previous year.

The Military-Writers.com 2009 Book of the Year
Gunnery Sergeant Nick Popaditch, United States Marine Corps (ret.) was awarded the Military-Writers.com 2009 Book of the Year for his book, Once a Marine.

On April 7, 2004, during the First Battle of Fallujah, Gunnery Sergeant Nick Popaditch “was wounded in action. During a firefight with enemy insurgents, he was struck in the head by an enemy Rocket Propelled Grenade, fired from a rooftop into the commander’s hatch of his tank. He received numerous shrapnel wounds.” His injuries necessitated the removal of his right eye; and, “his remaining eye was legally blind. His right ear and nose sustained significant damage and an implant was placed in his skull.”

In his book, Once a Marine: An Iraq War Tank Commander’s Inspirational Memoir of Combat, Courage, and Recovery, Nick Popaditch describes how at first he “fights to get back to where he was in Iraq - in the cupola of an M1A1 main battle tank, leading Marines in combat at the point of the spear. As the seriousness and permanence of his disabilities become more evident, Nick Popaditch fights to remain in the Corps in any capacity, to help the brothers in arms he so aches to rejoin. Facing the inevitable following a medical retirement, he battles for rightful recognition and compensation for his permanent disabilities. Throughout his harrowing ordeal, Nick Popaditch fights to maintain his honor and loyalty, waging all these battles the same way - the Marine way.”

The Police-Writers.com Book of the Year 2009
Jack R. Lundquist, Jr., Oakland Police Department (ret.) was awarded The Police-Writers.com Book of the Year 2009 for his book BeatCop.

Jack R. Lundquist, Jr. was born and raised in the City of San Pablo, California, a suburb within the San Francisco Bay Area. His desire to be a police officer was formulated early in life. He became a police explorer scout, and later a reserve police officer with the City of San Pablo Police Department. At age twenty-one Jack Lundquist was drafted by the United States Army, and served as a Military Policeman at Fort George G. Meade, Maryland.

Upon being honorably discharged, Jack Lundquist returned to the San Francisco Bay area. After a brief stint as a Reserve Police Officer he was hired by the Oakland Police Department. During his tenure he attended the University of San Francisco, obtaining a Bachelor of Arts Degree. His love for basic patrol work kept him in a marked police car for two separate periods, totaling twelve years. The remainder of the time was spent as criminal investigator, ending with a seven-year period in Vice.

According to the book description, BeatCop is “a book filled with stories from the career of a BeatCop working the perilous streets of a dodgy city. The author is a retired Oakland Police Officer, who patrolled the streets for twelve years. His stories cover the good, the bad, and the oh-shits, as well as the humor experienced by a BeatCop working a large city police department.”

American Heroes Press Contact Information
Lieutenant Raymond E. Foster, LAPD (ret.), MPA
editor@police-writers.com
909.599.7530

Military Books

October 2, 2007 (San Dimas, CA) Military-Writers.com is a website committed to listing servicemembers who have authored books. The website added four servicemembers who have written books.

Dr. James E. Guffey, Ph.D., is a retired from the United States Army Reserve at the rank of Lieutenant Colonel. Between 1973 and 1986, Dr. James Guffey was a police officer for the Oakland Police Department. In 2006, Dr. James Guffey joined the faculty of National University as an assistant professor. He is the author of Report Writing Fundamentals for Police and Correctional Officers.

According to the book description, Report Writing Fundamentals for Police & Correctional Officers “reviews the basics of proper grammar, covers the practical aspects of writing good reports, and includes sample forms and scenarios that allow users to apply what they have learned. This “how to” guide offers learners the chance to write four typical police reports and two typical corrections reports.”

Between 1971 and 1972, Robert Flournoy was a 1st Lieutenant, Artillery Forward Observer (A Co., 2/28 Infantry, 1st Cav) in Vietnam. He was discharged in 1973 at the rank of Captain. An author and artist living in Tennessee, he is the author of Just a Little Rain: ...Baby Boomers & Military Brats Reflect on Childhood, Baseball and War.

According to Robert Flournoy’s book description, “A nostalgic pause in middle-aged baby boomers lives, Just a Little Rain is a collection of the reflections of several men and a one remarkable woman who played on the sandlots of the 1950s and early 1960s, traveled the world in the face of the Cold War, many as military brats, and got down to the grim task of the Vietnam War before they realized that their childhoods had ended.”

Loren Christensen’s experience in law enforcement began in 1967 when he served in the army as a military policeman, stationed in both the United States and in Vietnam. In 1972, after leaving the military, he joined the Portland Police Bureau (Oregon). As a rookie he began teaching defensive tactics to other officers. As a police officer he has worked the training unit, the gang unit, dignitary body guarding, and all the precincts as a street officer. In his retirement, Loren Christensen is a prolific magazine and book writer, former editor of an award winning monthly newspaper called The Rap Sheet, a high-ranking martial artist and a teacher of martial arts to both law enforcement officials and the general public.

As an author of 32 books, Loren Christensen has received high praise for his easy-to-read, informative writing style from readers and book reviewers. He has authored books such as Deadly Force Encounters: What Cops Need To Know To Mentally And Physically Prepare For And Survive A Gunfight, Gangbangers: Understanding The Deadly Minds Of America's Street Gangs and Winning With American Kata: The New Breed of Competitors.

In 1970, Richard Valdemar began his law enforcement career as a military policeman in the United States Army; which included a tour in Vietnam. After his discharge he joined the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department. He retired at the rank of sergeant in 2004. During the last 20 years on the job, “he was assigned to Major Crimes Bureau. He was also cross-designated as an FBI agent for 10 years of his career when he served on the Federal Metropolitan Gang Task Force. From 1995 until his retirement in 2004, Valdemar was a member of the California Prison Gang Task Force, helping prosecute members of the Mexican Mafia.” He is the author of Siege at Waco.

Dr. Bryan Vila, Ph.D. was a member of the United States Marine Corps from 1964 to 1967. His military service included a tour in Vietnam. In 1969, Bryan Vila joined the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department. By the time he left the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department in 1978, he had attained the rank of sergeant. He continued this law enforcement career for “six years as a police chief helping the emerging nations of Micronesia develop innovative law enforcement strategies, and two years in Washington, D.C., as a federal law enforcement officer.” Currently, “Bryan Vila, PhD, is a professor of criminal justice at WSU Spokane. Prior to joining WSU in July of 2005, he directed the Division of Crime Control and Prevention Research at the U.S. Department of Justice’s National Institute of Justice.”

Bryan Vila is the co-author of two books: Capital Punishment in the United States: A Documentary History and The Role of Police in American Society: A Documentary History. He is also the author of Tired Cops: The Importance of Managing Police Fatigue.

According to a reader of Tired Cops: The Importance of Managing Police Fatigue, “For many reasons discussed in this book, Dr. Vila espouses the theme, "good cops don't let tired cops hit the streets." He presents a well-written and documented book that encourages law enforcement officers at all levels to make proper sleep and rest as important in survival as training with firearms and the safe operation of vehicles.”

Military-Writers.com currently lists 55 current or former military servicemembers and their 121 books.

California and Oregon

Editor's Note: One of the authors is a Vietnam Veteran.

Police-Writers.com is a website that lists state and local police officers who have written books. The website added police officer authors from California and Oregon: Kent Anderson; Bernard K. Smith; and, Robert Dent.

At the age of 19 Kent Anderson joined the Merchant Marines and traveled the world for two years. By his 23 birthday, he was a Special Forces sergeant in Vietnam, where he was awarded two bronze stars. In 1973, he joined the Portland Police Bureau, and worked as a street cop for 4 years before taking a leave of absence to earn an MFA in Fiction Writing from the University of Montana in Missoula. At the age of 37, he returned to police work and joined the Oakland Police Department (California). After two years on the Oakland Police Department he resigned because he was, “sick of making unnecessary arrests to fill out the monthly quotas.

According to Kent Anderson, “that winter, broke and jobless, out of sheer terror” he wrote the first complete draft of Sympathy for the Devil. Shortly thereafter, he obtained a teaching job in El Paso at the University of Texas and rewrote the book several times during his four-year stay on the border. He is also the author of Night Dogs and Liquor, Guns and Ammo: The Collected Short Fiction and Non-Fiction of Kent Anderson.

According to one reader/reviewer of Night Dogs, it “is a tough, gritty view of life on the streets and the way police officers deal with their constant exposure to this madness. It is very realistic and presents a variety of characters, some of which you might encounter in any big city.”

Bernard K. Smith as a police officer for the Portland Police Bureau (Oregon) for eleven years. He then continued with his career in criminal justice as a trial attorney. He is the author of seven fiction and or/science fiction books: Chris’s Cross; Hair Lock; Red Hats; Shark; Bear; Argo; and, Islands in the Sky. According to the book description of his most recent book, Islands in the Sky, “In a world with a great gulf between the haves and have-nots, one strong willed and resourceful man fights for his future. Cord is a man that is trying to survive and thrive. He finds a woman to love and protect to share in a battle to find a better place in a frightening world.”

Robert Dent is a 29 year law enforcement veteran and a recently retired Oregon State Police Senior Trooper. He has served in the Criminal, Narcotic and Patrol divisions of the Oregon State Police and is the Founder and President of the Constable Group, Inc. which is a privately held corporation that conducts training seminars and publishes language and communication training manuals, videos and educational materials for public safety and educational facilities, as well as private companies and corporations involved with executive protection, counter-terrorism and industrial security. He is also the author of: The Complete Spanish Field Reference Manual for Public Safety Professionals; The Multi-Lingual Field Manual for Public Safety Professionals; and, Silent Universal Signals for Public Safety and Education Professionals. He is also the co-author of 18 Silent Universal Signals for School Safety.

Police-Writers.com now hosts 674 police officers (representing 302 police departments) and their 1447 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 three former servicemembers who have written books: Ronald Kay Rawlings; Michael A. Crane; and, Kent Anderson.

Ronald Kaye Rawlings honorably ended a tour of the US Army as a Military Policeman and began his career as a Clayton Police Department (North Carolina) Police Officer. After four and a half years as a Clayton Police Officer, he would pursue his life long dream of being a North Carolina State Trooper. Although he was turned down three times by the North Carolina State Highway Patrol, Ronald Rawlings would ultimately preserve in his goal and complete a 26 year career. Ronald K. Rawlings retired from the North Carolina State Highway Patrol as a District First Sergeant and with a Master's Degree in Administration.

Ronald Kaye Rawlings is the author of A Black Cop in the South. According to the book description, “it is about a fascinating true story involving a young black man who was raised in a large single parent, southern family home in North Carolina. Ronald Kaye Rawlings is the author and his dream as a young child was to be a North Carolina State Trooper. He was able to achieve that goal and even more, but the road was filled with pitfalls, disappointments, racism, and tragedy.”

Michael A. Crane after serving in the United States Marine Corps, he was an attorney, a prosecutor and police officer, with the Oakland Police Department. He has published numerous articles on the western peace officer and related topics in various publications over the past several years. Crane has a J.D. Degree and a Master's in History. His unique career experiences have placed him face to face with much of the same political corruption and violence that animates his novel, A Fistful of Thorns. His novel details remarkable and violent lives of gunfighter Doc Holliday and his volcanic consort, Kate Elder.

At the age of 19 Kent Anderson joined the Merchant Marines and traveled the world for two years. By his 23 birthday, he was a Special Forces sergeant in Vietnam, where he was awarded two bronze stars. In 1973, he joined the Portland Police Bureau, and worked as a street cop for 4 years before taking a leave of absence to earn an MFA in Fiction Writing from the University of Montana in Missoula. At the age of 37, he returned to police work and joined the Oakland Police Department (California). After two years on the Oakland Police Department he resigned because he was, “sick of making unnecessary arrests to fill out the monthly quotas.

According to Kent Anderson, “that winter, broke and jobless, out of sheer terror” he wrote the first complete draft of Sympathy for the Devil. Shortly thereafter, he obtained a teaching job in El Paso at the University of Texas and rewrote the book several times during his four-year stay on the border. He is also the author of Night Dogs and Liquor, Guns and Ammo: The Collected Short Fiction and Non-Fiction of Kent Anderson.

Military-Writers.com currently lists 36 current or former military servicemembers and their 76 books.

Practical, academic and biographical law enforcement

Note: One of the authors, O.W. Wilson, served as a Lt. Colonel during WWII

Police-Writers.com is a website dedicated to listing state and local police officers who have authored books. Three local police officers were added to the list: Thomas Lee, Terence Green and O.W. Wilson.

Lieutenant Thomas O. Lee, New York State Police (retired), is the author of Firearms and Weapons Laws: Gun Control in New York. According to the book description, the book is a “complete source for answers to questions about the laws governing firearms licensing and use of weapons in New York. Contains all the statutes governing weapons possession, licensing and use, with expert commentary explaining what they mean and how they really work.”

Terence Green has spent over 29 years in local law enforcement. As an Oakland Police Department (California) police officer he has worked patrol, traffic, juvenile and detectives. He retired from the Oakland Police Department at the age of 50 and began working at the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Behavior Science Unit. He worked there for 11 years.

Terence Green is the author of Old School. Old School “tells the true story of a career police officer as he advances through the ranks of the Oakland Police Department from a patrolman working a one man car to the Commander of the Homicide Detail.” According to one reader/reviewer, “This is a definite recommend to those interested in reading stories about how police work used to be. The book reads as if the author is sitting back in an easy chair with a glass of scotch telling you about the good old days. Definitely enjoyable and a good read that transcends generations.”

O.W. Wilson obtained his degree in Criminology from the University of California, Berkeley in 1924. To pay for his tuition, he joined the Berkeley Police Department, serving under another famous police officer, scholar and writer, August Vollmer. O.W. Wilson went on to become influential police scholar as well as the chief of police of the Fullerton Police Department (California) and chief of police of the Wichita Police Department (Kansas); and, the superintendent of the Chicago Police Department. During World War II, he served in the U.S. Army as a public safety officer.

O.W. Wilson is the author of at least three books on policing and law enforcement: Police records: Their Installation and Use; Police Planning; and, Police Administration. O.W. Wilson’s book, Police Administration, is one of the most influential books in America on local law enforcement. Indeed, it was revised in 1996 and is used today in many colleges and universities. According to the revision description, “perhaps no other book in policing has captured more admiration and market share than O.W. Wilson's "Police Administration". Now Wilson's text has been revised by three top scholars in the field. This long awaited revision combines the nuts and bolts approach of the original with an up-to-date theoretical and policy perspective that makes it accessible to students and practitioners alike.”

Police-Writers.com now hosts 518 police officers (representing 216 police departments) and their 1099 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.

A bear of a cop and others

Editor's Note: Robert Downey is Air Force Korean War Veteran.

Police-Writers.com, a website dedicated to listing state and local police officers who have authored books added three police officers: Dexter H. Mast, Robert Downey and Larry Murphy.

Dexter H. Mast was an Oakland Police Department police officer for over 30 years, According to the back cover of his first book, Six Gold Stars, “Chuckles and tears from the notebooks of Oakland’s legendary police officer during a career that began in 1939, in the depression. Even the gamblers and whores who were jailed by this bear of a cop liked him. But one day he wrote a ticket to the man who could make or break anyone in Oakland.”

Robert Downey began his law enforcement career with the Oakland Police Department. After his Air Force service during the Korean War, he joined the Beverly Hills Police Department. He advanced through the ranks to Lieutenant and eventually moved to San Juan County, Washington as Undersheriff. He closed out his career as a Senior Special Agent with the Treasury Department U.S. Customs Service. According to the book description of his book, “Beverly Hills Detective, “The magic city of Beverly Hills conjures up images of movie stars, Rodeo Drive, big homes and even the neighboring town of Hollywood. During the late 1950's and 1960's, Robert Downey found himself in the detective bureau of this fascinating city investigating an odd assortment of crimes. This is the story of Robert Downey who goes from rookie cop to seasoned veteran and the cases and people who took him there.”

Larry Murphy was an Oakland Police Department police officer. According to his bio, “he has broad experience in Administration of Justice and, notably, made significant contributions toward revising police recruiting and police training standards following the riots that shook America's cities during the latter part of the 1960s. He was awarded the Oakland, California, Police Department's Medal of Merit for contributions to police training innovations and earned the coveted advanced certificate for law enforcement preparedness issued by the California Department of Justice.”

Larry Murphy’s book, Blackjack and Jive-Five, is the true story of “the day-to-day pressures experienced by a unit of black cops and their white sergeant confronting a white-dominated police culture.” According to Jon J. Sparks, Chief of Police (ret.), “Blackjack and Jive-Five should be required reading for all incoming police recruits. Not only is there a strong social message but the book includes many textbook solutions to a variety of typical disturbance situations and tactical maneuvers for handling potentially dangerous contacts with criminal suspects. I know of no formal written training instrument that tackles these difficult situations with such detail and insight to the human factors involved.”

Police-Writers.com now hosts 353 police officers (representing 146 police departments) and their 785 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.