Diving into the world of law enforcement literature doesn’t have to feel like a chore! We’ve lined up a selection of books that are not only by and for LEOs and their families, but are also engaging, entertaining and downright intriguing.
From laugh-out-loud anecdotes to eye-opening insights, these reads promise to be your perfect off-duty companions. Got a book suggestion? Email editor@police1.com.
Passing the Badge: Stories from Law Enforcement
From rural Oregon to the frozen streets of Anchorage, ride along with veteran officer Blake Cordell, who not only shares his own stories but weaves in the captivating stories of his father, a former K9 handler. These stories offer an immersive glimpse into the world of policing, inviting you to feel the raw emotions, humor and adrenaline that pulse through the lives of police officers. “Passing the Badge” is a rare and authentic glimpse behind the scenes, revealing the human behind the uniform.
A Peek Under the Hood: Heroin, Hope, and Operation Tune-Up
In 1994, an altruistic DEA agent and his atypical informant, a noble soul who’d endured the injustices of war and forced labor camps in Vietnam, set out to make a difference in Worcester, Massachusetts, a textile and tool manufacturing hub of the Industrial Revolution now known for its production of heroin, crack and crime. Infiltrating a string of drug-dealing auto repair shops in the gritty Main South neighborhood, “Operation Tune-Up” then journeyed into an underworld to solve murders in New York; tangle with computer chip armed robbers from California; chase a wily fugitive through Puerto Rico; go undercover with cocaine smugglers in Panama; and, most locally impactful, expose the biggest heroin traffickers the old mill town had ever seen. A history-making case that stimulated the revitalization of a depressed city, “A Peek Under the Hood” by Michael Pevarnik tells the inside story of a community’s victory in the war on drugs
Manhunt: The Search for Vicky and Casey White: The Good, The Bad, The Ugly
On April 29, 2022, at 9:41 a.m., Vicky White, the Assistant Administrator and sixteen-year veteran of the Lauderdale County Detention Center in Lauderdale County Alabama, walked Casey White (no relation) a convicted felon serving 75 years with the Alabama Department of Corrections and awaiting trial on a capital murder charge in the death of Connie Ridgeway, out the detention center door. A model employee with an unblemished record, the escape caught her supervisors, co-workers, and even her own family totally off guard.
On the run for 11 days, the escape caught the attention of the national media and, ultimately, by media outlets around the world. With a six-hour lead and nothing to go on, the Lauderdale County Sheriff’s Office and the United States Marshals Service Gulf States Regional Fugitive Task Force sprang into action. The couple were captured on May 9 in Evansville, Indiana. Vicky White died the next day, the result of a self-inflicted gunshot would to the head that happened when they were stopped by law enforcement.
This is the story of the escape as shared by Lauderdale County Sheriff Rick Singleton, the man responsible for seeing that Casey White was recaptured, and that Vicky White was returned to Alabama to face the consequences of her actions.
A Resilient Life: A Cop’s Journey in Pursuit of Purpose
David Berez had a secret. He put up a brave face — as many cops and first responders do — but for two decades he carefully hid the emotional toll of his job, even from those closest to him. “A Resilient Life” follows his story of being driven into darkness, his desperate search for the light and how he discovered his second chance for happiness and fulfillment. Through his compelling and emotional story Berez helps readers understand the challenges of policing and the struggle we all face to remain resilient in the face of life’s adversity.
Leadership in Law Enforcement
This book by William R. Fraass offers proven lessons from those who have excelled in the law enforcement profession to help enhance an individual’s leadership ability. It also provides philosophies law enforcement agencies can use to develop cultures that will help produce the future leaders of their organizations.
Common Sense Police Supervision: Practical Tips for the First-Line Leader
This practical hands-on book by Gerald Garner us packed full of step-by-step guidelines and suggestions for carrying out a multitude of leadership tasks and responsibilities focused on a changing workforce that serves an equally changing and complex society. While emphasizing the real value of common sense in good leadership practices, the author furnishes the aspiring novice or veteran police supervisor with specific advice on how to train, counsel, inspect, discipline, and assess the performance of his or her subordinates.
