Police and Law Enforcement Books

This book was the key to passing my POST test. I would recommend this book to anyone.

This book really rocks! I passed the POST test and the interview with this book. The question formats covered in the book were EXACTLY like the ones on the actual POST test! I especially liked the interview questions covered in the book. Most of the questions in the book were asked during the interview. I knew exactly what they were asking and how best to answer them thanks to Charles Junn's extensive coverage on the topic. I highly recommend it.

I took the San Francisco Police Department (SFPD) test and passed on my first try. My buddies who took the test with me didn't pass unfortunately so they're going to study from this book. I highly recommend that you read this book if you're getting ready for a law enforcement test. Excellent book.

I failed the California POST test 2 times before passing it with the help of this book. The authors, Honey and Junn, know what they're talking about. After all, they wrote the actual tests!!!

The examples in the book are almost exactly like the actual test. I felt totally ready. I wish I had read this book way before. I wouldn't take the POST test without first reading this book. I highly recommend it! Thank you!!!

Dosa N.

Jay Atkinson is to New England what William Faulkner is to the South (or, specifically, Yoknapatawpha County). Here, in similar fashion to his crowning achievement (to date), "Ice Time," Atkinson demonstrates an impeccable ability to chronicle the talking, walking, living, and dying of New Englanders in such vivid description where every page crackles with rich imagery and sounds.

Just as Ice Time isn't REALLY about hockey, Legends isn't REALLY about cops and con men. Both are about relationships and traditions. And, even where Atkinson puts himself in the stories being told, he always retains the position of discreet voyeur; demonstrating beneath his masculine persona a remarkable talent to convey the innermost joys and melancholy of his characters. That is where Atkinson lives, and he invites us all to come along. Any fan of great writing will accept the invitation.

Jay Atkinson is to New England what William Faulkner is to the South (or, specifically, Yoknapatawpha County). Here, in similar fashion to his crowning achievement (to date), "Ice Time," Atkinson demonstrates an impeccable ability to chronicle the talking, walking, living, and dying of New Englanders in such vivid description where every page crackles with rich imagery and sounds.

Just as Ice Time isn't REALLY about hockey, Legends isn't REALLY about cops and con men. Both are about relationships and traditions. And, even where Atkinson puts himself in the stories being told, he always retains the position of discreet voyeur; demonstrating beneath his masculine persona a remarkable talent to convey the innermost joys and melancholy of his characters. That is where Atkinson lives, and he invites us all to come along. Any fan of great writing will accept the invitation.

Okay, the title is a bit much. But I enjoyed this book tremendously. Some of the criticisms point to the elements I liked best. The routine cases, how they were approached, and the results were a revelation to someone who has no real idea of police work except what I've seen on "Cops" (constant action and crisis!). There was a new story on every page, and I wound up reading until 1 a.m. on a work day because I just couldn't help reading "one more page". The descriptions of the surroundings, the characters, the sounds and smells of the settings, conjured up a real sense of being there. I was fascinated by the character faults and virtues of the people in the book, as Atkinson tried to remain true to McCain's philosophy that most people aren't entirely good or bad. As a resident of the area, I finally understand the gang wars that were taking place when I was growing up (I remember the old Boston Record American newpaper with the crime scene photos splashed across the front). I HIGHLY recommend this book to anyone who lives in the Northeast, and to others who'd like a glimpse into how Boston politics are practiced in every profession!

I could not disagree more with the review by Publisher's Weekly! I thought that Atkinson did an outstanding job in depicting the Boston area and some of its most important members of the law enforcement community. Atkinson's vivid depictions of setting and his uncanny ear for authentic dialogue help to create a mesmerizing and hypnotic narrative about cop life and private investigation. In today's society, in which we find organized crime figures to be charming and endearing, and our heroes are limited to vapid low life reality television stars, Atkinsons tale of Joe McCain, a police officer to be truly admired, is a breath of fresh air.

Frederick Lanceley's "On-Scene Guide for Crisis Negotiators" is a long needed compendium of technique and definition in the field of crisis negotitations. Mr. Lanceley's vast experience has enabled him to provide techniques based on real-life situations not just theory. The volume is arranged in a concise, easy-to-reference format which should be a part of every negotiator's "Ready Kit". One of the most important points about this book is the fact that it addresses the types of situations faced daily by police negotiators. Suicide intervention, long a subject ignored in many negotiations seminars, is given in-depth treatment. In addition, the entire book is an interesting read. His account of his involvement at Ruby Ridge is fascinating. I would recommend this book to anyone involved in the field, police commanders and anyone interested in crisis intervention.

Recently retired FBI Special Agent Fred Lanceley gives us the benefit of his expertise in this highly detailed book on the actions a crisis negotiator must take in the field. Lanceley describes techniques that will be of benefit to any police officet, tactical dispatcher, hostage negotiator or crisis counselor who is confronted with a barricaded subject, a mentally disturbed individual or a potential hostage taker. These people are encouraged to read Lanceley's book and to include it in your current training. Dave Larton, Member, California Association of Hostage Negotiators

Good 1st book to read on those wanting to be Negotiators in the Law Enforcement field.

Excellent basic text which covers practical aspects of Crisis Negotiation. Solid, contemporary content and a great reference resource.

Mr. Foster does a great job of providing an overview of many different types of technologies currently being used by todays law enforcement agencies. This book is a must read for anyone interested in becoming involved in law enforcement.

The text can also be used by current officers to learn more of what is available and how it can help their departments.

Ray Gerwitz
Law Enforcement Technology Consultant
www.rmjtechnology.com

I recently taught a police technology course at a local community college using Raymond Foster's Police Technology book as the base reference for the course and then puncuated the book will information and exercises from the accompanyinig website. Oustanding! The website is very informative, current and relevant. Several of the practicing law enforement personnel including senior supervisors and managers had their eyes opened to the technology available to them now ane the future potential for the technology to improve the service they provide their communities, understand contemporary issues in law enforcement and may compelling arguements to their respective governing counsels for funding and technology initiatives. Great book - understood and applied by students at all levels of experince.

Mike Kelley
michaeloharakelley@comcast.net
Criminal Justice Professor

Anyone in the Criminal Justice Field will want to read this book. Raymond Foster has provided a comprehensive book on how technology affects today's thinking in Law Enforcement.

I read the introduction to his book on my Internet Radio Show, Global Security, on www.voice.voiceamerica.com It is chilling. It begins by telling the reader how a murderer hid behind technology. Thanks to new technology, the murderer was eventually caught. Raymond E. Foster the Author was the team leader.

Foster gives great examples of new technology being used today by Law Enforcement. I have already recommended this book to many of my associates to use as a guide for instruction.

Vic Plessner, Global Security Consultant, www.vhpconsult.com

My father wrote this book, and lemme tell you about it. This book is the first of its kind. My father served 25 years in the LAPD and now he's retired. The Police Technology guru said his book was brilliant. My father even wrote and guest starred in the History Channel's Modern Marvels: Police Technology episode. This seven week old book has already been made required reading by eight universities, two from the UK. My father now teaches this course at a CalState college. Need more convincing? (...)

Mroz does a good job of putting self-defense training into perspective by asking questions and offering his opinions. Chapters cover training in general, mindset, edged weapons and firearms.

This book, like his first, is written to make you think. Although I agree with much of what he says, he tends to view things from the perspective of a law enforcement officer who trains because they must and needs to allocate their training time based on the probability they will need a particular skill. There are many reasons people may engage in self defense training, and not all of them directly relate to self defense. For some, it's a lifestyle choice or a preferred way to exercise. His advocacy of first aid training and maintaining a healthy lifestyle are positives and something not everyone connects to the overall concept of self defense.

Some of the chapters seemed out of sync, i.e. the "home defense gun" and "shooting without spectacles". They were thought provoking, but felt like he already had the material (from a magazine article) and just plugged it into the book.

Overall it is a good book and worth my time to read.

This is the the best self defense book I read and the reason is simple, it covers a lot of aspects of self defense, far beyond the usual fighting techniques, and it does it in a rational and priority oriented way. And also in a way that an average person can benefit from.

This book is about the real thing, it stresses self preservation not only from hypothetical scenarios that the average Joe will hardly face but also from the more imminent dangers like the results of unhealthy habits.

Among the things that I liked, this book points awareness, prevention and street smartness as the first line of defense in the street, it moves then to fighting techniques, contact weapons and guns. Gives teachings, tips and also points common mistakes. It is also full of quotes by pros in the business.

I grew up in a city and I had several encounters with street robbers, I never had or have any intention of fighting a criminal unless a life or integrity's at stake, however I escaped or avoided several assaults without violence or putting myself in harm's way, exactly because I focused on awareness, proper attitude and followed the advices of police officers on how to act in this kind of situation.

Of course like any other book it is not perfect, even if I gave it five stars it should be questioned, but the author is open minded enough to present exceptions and other points of view contrary to his beliefs.

I hope to find more books like this.

In this book, famous defensive tactics author Ralph Mroz shares his unconventional view on self defense. Mroz does not just go thorough the same tactical doctrine almost every gun writer uses. Instead, he starts to explore the total field of self preservation from the ground up. The book is comprised of articles published in various magazines before, but as the text is heavily edited, it does not get repetitive, as usually happens in books that are collections of old writings.

This book is divided in four sections. The first one handles self defence in bigger picture, the second is on mental stuff, the third focuses on edged weapons, and the fourth handguns. In the first section, Mroz fixes his attention on self preservation, rather than self defence. He states that you should invest in the safety measures that are most likely to be of need: As you are much more likely to need skills in CPR than gunplay, you should concentrate more enegry on learning first aid than improving your shooting skills. Mroz also points out that it is illogical to train self defence, and at the same time risk your life by smoking cigarettes.

That same approach is evident throughout the whole book. Mroz does not do the things the same way they have always been done, instead he strives to see the bigger picture, and starts from there instead of focusing on a details first. Mroz is one of the few innovators in the field of self defense who constantly question the old thruths. Even if you don't agree with everything he writes, you still learn more from this book than by reading yet another book of your favourite self defense author. If you have not read books or watched films by Mroz before, reading this book can be a powerful eye opener.

If you have a interest in Defensive Training, you must buy this book. It is well thought out and does not just preach the popular mantra. Buy it and learn.

one of the excellent books to come lately on the texas ranger a most for ranger book collector.

I thought the "Real West" couldn't get any better than Knowles' collaboration with Joe R. Lansdale (Hisownself) on 1994's engrossing _Wild West Show!_ I was wrong. Knowles gets down and digs up the real history of the Rangers, and pulls no punches. It's an honest, unblinking, exciting and amazing adventure through time, with excellent photos and commentary. Whoever says history is dull hasn't seen _They Rode for the Lone Star _. This is a coffee table books that belongs everywhere but. Cant wait for volume 2!

Tom Knowles' "They Rode for the Lone Star" is a fascinating history of the early Texas Rangers. It is full of the facts on which the legendary tales are based. It is respectful but unbiased. And it is thoroughly engaging and immensely entertaining.

Filled with illustrations and annotations, it is not only a great read from beginning to end, but also the perfect book to pick up and browse when you have a few minutes. Unfortunately, it is so well written that if you start to browse through it, you may find yourself reading through to the end.

I am anxiously awaiting the second volume that brings the Rangers' history up to the present.

Knowles' book is a must for anyone interested in Texas History. Knowles' weaves a history of the Texas Rangers perfectly into the blanket of Texas folklore, so that the reader can easily follow and understand the development and importance of the Texas Rangers. His descriptions of battles and the people who fought them are superbly done. Excellent discussion of frontier indian-fighting and Ranger strategy.

A real coffee-table book, but you won't want to let it rest there. Great photographs and illustrations. I'm looking forward to the post-Civil War Ranger History which I hope follows soon.

What I love about this book is that it is a must read for both Liberals and Conservatives alike. Benson shows step by step why our monopolized "justice" system works against real justice -- and why the poor are the most likely to suffer at its hands. What is most comforting to me (who wholeheartedly agrees with his findings) is his conclusion that whether or not people like it, the privatization of criminal justice is inevitably growing.

What I love about this book is that it is a must read for both Liberals and Conservatives alike. Benson shows step by step why our monopolized "justice" system works against real justice -- and why the poor are the most likely to suffer at its hands. What is most comforting to me (who wholeheartedly agrees with his findings) is his conclusion that whether or not people like it, the privatization of criminal justice is inevitably growing.

In the wake of a terrible terrorist attack, various public voices are arguing for liberty-threatening countermeasures -- increases in federal power, the placement of federal marshals on aircraft, the unreasonable search and seziure of airline passengers, and so forth. Almost unnoticed and unmentioned is the fact that the terrorists succeeded in killing thousands using, apparently, no weapon more powerful than a box cutter.

A handful who are aware of this salient point are claiming that airline security was lax owing to "market failure." This is supposed to relieve us of the responsibility to establish security by means that respect rights.

But Bruce Benson's _To Serve and Protect_ addressed all of this several years ago -- broadly and in principle, though of course with no explicit discussion of the proper security measures for airlines to implement. What Benson provides in this volume is a thorough defense of a superficially counterintuitive claim that becomes less and less counterintuitive as time goes on: the free and private market is better, _much_ better, at providing security and criminal justice than is the government.

That means that his book is, sadly, perhaps more timely now than when it was written. By a simple extrapolation of the arguments presented herein, the recent tragedies indicate, not that "private" security provisions put us at risk of "market failures," but that a government monopoly on criminal justice costs lives.

Benson is also the author of the highly recommended _The Enterpise of Law_, which sets out probably the most thorough case to date that _law_ can exist without the institutions of a territorial State. This volume is in some ways a sequel, setting out a positive case as to how "private" criminal law works and why it is, consistently and in principle, superior to government regulation. (And allegations of "market failure" are specifically addressed.)

Check it out. The need for Benson's arguments has never been greater at any time since its publication.

Professor Benson's book is very interesting and excite. Good thoughts and insights in criminal justice failures. Benson advocates free market administration of crime and punishment as solution. The question in my opinion is: what we have to avoid ? Criminal justice failures or market rules ? What seems a good ideia, maybe is the wrong way and will cause more problems than solutions. Anyway, you can't be pro or against it without this excellent book.

Ready for the definitive work about a Chicago Police legend?
Author Chuck Adamson knows whereof he speaks. His former Police career as a Chicago Detective Sergeant honed his investigative skills and made him a master at observation. Between crime fighting and crime writing, he also developed his talent as a deft and talented storyteller. As everyone who upholds Chicago's
'thin blue line' knows, Captain Frank Pape was a cop's cop, a larger-than-life lawman who knew how to get the job done. In this important biography, we see that Chuck Adamson has achieved that same distinction. He delivers the gospel acording to cops with a straight shot, one-two punch that will leave you reeling.
If you're ready for a bout with the champs, both in subject matter and author's engaging style, this book's a knock-out!

If you've ever felt more sympathy for a crime offender than for the victim, don't bother to read this book. If you believe there's a social excuse for every crime committed, don't bother to read this book. If you think one person can't have a telling effect on law enforcement in a major city, don't bother to read this book. But if you want to read the story of a remarkable police officer who profoundly influenced not only other police officers but large segments of the city of Chicago - not the least of whom were the hundreds of violent criminals removed from the streets because of his efforts - then this is the book for you. Not many readers will "enjoy" this book, but hopefully many will be forced to think about current crime conditions, how things have sunk to this level, and who is most responsible for this situation. If you don't like tough answers to tough questions, then "The Toughest Cop in America" is not the book for you. Dan Schrager, Prescott, AZ

Charles Adamson, is more than qualified to write this story. Having spent many hours of his own on surveillance, having worked with the best of the best Chicago has to offer, Charley brings a bled of humor and insight other authors lack. If you want to know more about a bygone era, the world of police Captain Frank Pape, it is a story worth reading.

~Hal

As a former crime reporter in Chicago, I was always well aware of the legend of Frank Pape, even if he retired before I started my career.
Chuck Adamson does a very good job telling Pape's story overall, although at times he tends to preach. If he would have left certain things unsaid, I believe the readers would understand -- instead of pounding his point over and over again. I know that most of the readers will probably not be familiar with the workings of the Chicago Police Department, but Adamson tends to speak down to his readers in some sections of his book, which at times reads like a campaign to get Pape's badge on some Fraternal Order of Police wall. As an eighteen-year CPD veteran, Adamson no doubt has insights others do not. The problem is, he cannot seem to make his mind whether or not he wants to be part of the story or not. All that being said, I really did enjoy the book.
Adamson did a fantastic job researching and storytelling, making me identify with Pape and his co-workers. Pape has since passed away since the book was published -- it would be nice if Adamson wrote an epilogue and if the publisher cleaned up some of the typos!

The author and I share a love for these types of stories. Small town life captured through minute details of the police log. An excellent read.

As a former Resident of Bar Harbor from 1975-1998 i find this a wonderful book for anyone who likes small town life. Plus most of my friends were in there at one time or another. Its a great insight into the Bar Harbor of the 70's and 80's in the Pre tourist trap years.

Bizarre and sublime bits of true life humor that only a small town can provide. I open it to any page for a poop long chuckle.

Always looking for new books on this subject as they are few and far between. This book is written by a cop who knows the business. Really like the way its written, funny at times as well as informatove, good read actually enjoyed what can be dry material. Highly recommended.

Have read thru this book 2x now just got it a while ago. I like the way everything is laid out in a logical progression. Plenty of photographs, very clear, shows a lot of close ups. It is hard to find good material on this subject except for some of the early stuff like Applegate's book and Tear Gas Munitions by Swaerengen. Those books are dated though, this one is up to date.
Plenty of info!!! The pepper spray chapter is worth the price alone.

Great source of material about this subject. Everything is covered and in great detail. Not just another book listing manufacturer's info, but includes the history of the products as well - interesting reading and great photos (old historical and new photos). Chapter on gas masks makes things clear as well.