NCJ Number
137187
Date Published
1991
Length
292 pages
Annotation
This book consists of quotes from cops in specialized investigative units regarding cases, "war" stories, anecdotes, "gallows humor," findings, and musings; the outcome is insight into the expertise, the experiences, and the work of specialized cops who are rarely written about or accurately portrayed in the media.
Abstract
In gaining the trust of specialized police investigators and operatives, the author is able to bring to the public the thoughts, knowledge, feelings, and skills of cops who work the bomb squad, arson investigations, hostage negotiations, prostitution control, major accidents, the crime scene investigation, and undercover and beat work that brings cops in contact with the most brutal and terrifying aspects of human behavior and experience. Fingerprint technicians, for example, remark that the right hand of a bartender does not provide a clear fingerprint; accident reconstructionists comment on the phenomenon of pedestrians being lifted out of their shoes when hit by a vehicle; hostage negotiators state that professional criminals are the easiest hostage-takers with which to negotiate; arson investigators advise that revenge arsonists are often women; and bomb technicians indicate that the way a bomb is put together reveals the identity of the bomb-maker as surely as fingerprints.