True Police Stories

Early one evening, I was patrolling alone and decided to stop a vehicle with its taillight out. I had no way of knowing that this seemingly routine decision would lead to a strange twist of fate years later... These true, first-hand accounts from law enforcement officials across the nation reveal how intuition, apparitions, UFOs, prophetic dreams, and other forces beyond our understanding have impacted them in the course of duty. The weird and unexplained experiences in this book take place in the midst of the death-defying gun battles, thrilling rescues, and heart-searing tragedies that police officers face every day—and reveal the fascinating inner lives of the heroic men and women behind the badge.

After September 11, 2001 Las Vegas Police Sergeant Randy Sutton began soliciting writing from law enforcement officers-his goal being to bridge the gap between the police and those they serve, with a book that offers a broad and thoughtful look at the many facets of police life. Hundreds of active and former officers responded from all over the United States: men and women from big cities and small towns, some who had written professionally, but most for the first time. Sutton culled the selections into five categories: The Beat, Line of Duty, War Stories, Officer Down, and Ground Zero. The result is True Blue, a collection of funny, charming, exciting, haunting stories about murder investigations, missing children, bungling burglars, car chases, lonely and desperate shut-ins, routine traffic stops, officers killed in the line of duty, and the life-changing events of September 11. Here, officers reveal their emotions-fear and pride, joy and disgust, shame and love-as they recount the defining moments of their careers. In these stories, the heart and soul behind the badge shines through in unexpected ways. True Blue will change the way we think about the deeply human realm of police service.

From the bizarre to the brutal to the unbelievable, truth is often stranger than fiction, as these fascinating stories testify. Vikki Petraitis has spent hundreds of hours interviewing police - sometimes even accompanying them on active duty - to complete this collection of stories from the frontline of policing. Police officers from many fields have shared some of their best stories: the ones that were out of the ordinary, the ones they'll never forget. The result is this riveting collection of real-life Australian dramas. They include: - a 'black widow' who reported her husband missing after an argument - the perilous body retrieval of a drowned diver from a sunken submarine - the capture and conviction of a man who drugged his unsuspecting victims by spiking their drinks - the disappearance of Sarah MacDiarmid. In each case the police concerned have achieved results through dedication and teamwork, and sometimes at great personal risk. We thank them for their service and understand that sometimes, the toll was too high. Vikki Petraitis is a Melbourne author who has been writing true crime since the early 1990s. Her bestselling book about Frankston serial killer Paul Denyer, The Frankston Murders, is a classic in the true crime genre.

'Undercover lays bare the deceit, betrayal and cold-blooded violation practised again and again by undercover police officers - troubling, timely and brilliantly executed.' Henry Porter The gripping stories of a group of police spies - written by the award-winning investigative journalists who exposed the Mark Kennedy scandal - and the uncovering of forty years of state espionage. This was an undercover operation so secret that some of our most senior police officers had no idea it existed. The job of the clandestine unit was to monitor British 'subversives' - environmental activists, anti-racist groups, animal rights campaigners. Police stole the identities of dead people to create fake passports, driving licences and bank accounts. They then went deep undercover for years, inventing whole new lives so that they could live incognito among the people they were spying on. They used sex, intimate relationships and drugs to build their credibility. They betrayed friends, deceived lovers, even fathered children. And their operations continue today. Undercover reveals the truth about secret police operations - the emotional turmoil, the psychological challenges and the human cost of a lifetime of deception - and asks whether such tactics can ever be justified.

After September 11, 2001 Las Vegas Police Sergeant Randy Sutton began soliciting writing from law enforcement officers-his goal being to bridge the gap between the police and those they serve, with a book that offers a broad and thoughtful look at the many facets of police life. Hundreds of active and former officers responded from all over the United States: men and women from big cities and small towns, some who had written professionally, but most for the first time. Sutton culled the selections into five categories: The Beat, Line of Duty, War Stories, Officer Down, and Ground Zero. The result is True Blue, a collection of funny, charming, exciting, haunting stories about murder investigations, missing children, bungling burglars, car chases, lonely and desperate shut-ins, routine traffic stops, officers killed in the line of duty, and the life-changing events of September 11. Here, officers reveal their emotions-fear and pride, joy and disgust, shame and love-as they recount the defining moments of their careers. In these stories, the heart and soul behind the badge shines through in unexpected ways. True Blue will change the way we think about the deeply human realm of police service.

A member of the Rochester, NY Police Department's Narcotics Unit had a history of theft and illegal activity-a history carefully hidden from his squad members. Believing his luck was running out, the investigator approached federal prosecutors with a deal to turn evidence against his fellow officers. The possibility that a crooked cop might be willing to fabricate such evidence apparently never entered the prosecutors' minds. A deal was struck, and for five months, the tainted cop wore a body wire, making up stories of misconduct and embellishing the facts of actual events for his handlers. When the federal government indicted Sergeant Tom Alessi and four of his colleagues in August 1991 on nineteen counts and seventy-two overt acts of theft, evidence planting, and excessive force, prosecutors planned to steamroll the officers into pleading guilty. They did not, instead they stood firm against invented lies and federal pressure while the media destroyed their reputations. Told in Tom Alessi's own words, And They Found No Witches recounts the remarkable true story of law enforcement officers who refused to sacrifice their honor-while serving as a cautionary tale of the power of a cynical justice system.

Ever wondered what really happens behind the scenes in the police? What bizarre 999 calls are made to the emergency services?Why can wearing two pairs of socks make you a suspect?What is the link between police and vampires? Which Royal arrest never made news headlines? What covert sign do officers make when they no longer wish to talk to you? After successful careers in both the military and business, John Donoghue realised that the higher you get in any organisation, the less fun you have. So, after handing back his expense account and company car, he joined the police in search of excitement and thrills... and discovered some surprising answers to these puzzling questions. PC John Donoghue reveals all in his fascinating and hilarious true account of a year in the life of a front line response officer. Names and places have been changed to protect the guilty... but if you call the police, maybe, just maybe, it could be Police Constable John Donoghue turning up at your door. This book will appeal to anyone interested in crime and police, as well as fans of autobiographies and humour.