Customer Reviews

23rd Precinct: The Job

5 star:		(5)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

This book is the inside stuff of what goes on in a New York City police precinct. I work in one and this book is as realistic as it gets. I particulary liked the chapter about female cops on the job and their history in the NYPD. The dialogue makes you feel like you're in the patrol car without air conditioning with the cop. Being a police officer is a tough job in a tough city and the writer really got the inside story which deserves to be told. Great book! Thank you, Arlene Schulman!

If you are a cop or in law enforcement this book might be worth your while. However, you're better off skipping this one; there are too many other good books out there. Since when does piecing together interview after interview, quote after quote pass for good writing? I get the feeling that Schulman spent time as a stenographer. There are so many people, so many different angles in this book that I don't even think Schulman could keep track of it all.

I'm not a police officer but I've always loved cop shows and movies. This book is the REAL story of cops in their own words. The writing and reporting really impressed me because this is non-fiction and the writer made me feel like I was in the car along with the cops. Being a cop is not an easy job and Ms. Schulman shows the good and the bad sides. I particularly liked the chapter on police women where an older woman describes what it was like to be a cop back in the seventies. There is real history here. I also liked the fact that the writer didn't ignore subjects like alcoholism, racism, and politics in the New York City Police Department. Her interviews are quite candid and I liked that.

The glimpses into cop work are brief, over-dramatized, and lacking the emotional power of other works by authors such as Gina Gallo. It is a sincere attempt to reveal the inner workings of NYPD but the author fails to achieve this. I found myself losing interest after chapter 2, which is a shame, because the subject is an ever-engrossing one.

I'm not a particular fan of police books, but this one is different: every word of dialogue was spoken by an actual person living the everyday life of a cop in New York City. And every word of description comes from a moment actually experienced by the author. It's hard to imagine actually riding around in a police car under the conditions the author describes. It's hard to imagine coming within inches of some of the crazy people in this book. (Not the cops, generally.) It's amazing that some of the people she interviewed actually said the things they said out loud to a stranger.

The cops in the 23rd precinct come across as mainly thoughtful and articulate people who have been through an awful lot. They (and the reader) understand the demands made on them by the citizens of the neighborhood, and are quite sympathetic and even compassionate. What's amazing to me is how badly the city government and the police bureaucracy treat these cops. If other precincts are like this one, people need to read this book and rethink their attitudes.

I lived in New York City for 20 years.

This book should be in everyone's library. I liked the action, the words of the officers, and how Arlene described the precinct and the neighborhood. It was really interesting and I've never seen a book like this one. She really got into the stories of the cops.

The author has done a wonderful job of writing about what a cop's life is REALLY like. Ms. Schulman is a remarkable reporter and the insight she gives is unbelievably honest. She addresses everything - and I mean EVERYTHING - in a cop's world, from the excitement, boredom, people who love being cops, and those who shouldn't be on the job. Congratulations, it's a great book!!

This book consists mainly of observations and conversations of the front-line cops of NYPD's 23rd Precinct. It does a good job of capturing many of their true feelings about the often thankless job of policing one of the city's toughest neighborhoods. The tone of the book, however, can get a little depressing. I could have done with a little less of the cynicism present throughout the book. Reading the book, you could really sense the extreme lack of pride, or maybe the author didn't bother to give more attention to those who are still truly in love with their jobs.

For a more detailed update on the improvements made to the NYPD, I recommend also reading Bernard Kerik's "THE LOST SON". For those who are interested in reading about women in the front lines of justice, I recommend Gina Gallo's "ARMED AND DANGEROUS" (although this one's about the Chicago Police Department, not the NYPD).

Overall, this is a good effort as far as books of this genre go.

This book consists mainly of observations and conversations of the front-line cops of NYPD's 23rd Precinct. It does a good job of capturing many of their true feelings about the often thankless job of policing one of the city's toughest neighborhoods. The tone of the book, however, can get a little depressing. I could have done with a little less of the cynicism present throughout the book. Reading the book, you could really sense the extreme lack of pride, or maybe the author didn't bother to give more attention to those who are still truly in love with their jobs.

For a more detailed update on the improvements made to the NYPD, I recommend also reading Bernard Kerik's "THE LOST SON". For those who are interested in reading about women in the front lines of justice, I recommend Gina Gallo's "ARMED AND DANGEROUS" (although this one's about the Chicago Police Department, not the NYPD).

Overall, this is a good effort as far as books of this genre goes.