Customer Reviews

Breaking Rank: A Top Cop's Expose of the Dark Side of American Policing

5 star:		(17)
4 star:		(6)
3 star:		(5)
2 star:		(4)
1 star:		(7)

 

 

I met Mr. Stamper once briefly about 11 years ago in San Diego at a conference and decided to learn more about an interesting, knowledgeable, and experienced police professional. I'm glad he wrote this book and I recommend it.

Like Norm (I can't imagine anybody calling him anything else) I retired after three decades of professional policing. I began in 1970.

The three decades from 1970 to 2000 were tumultuously (yes, tumultuously) productive in the genuine professionalization of American policing. The profession is still blue collar shift work in many ways in most places, according to my own reading and experience, but it shouldn't be and seems to be heading in the right direction in many places. Myself, I am a proponent of the problem oriented approach. There are other approaches, and that is what makes for genuine professionalization -- vigorous (and tumultuous sometimes) effort.

Norm's personality is on display in his book, as well as his expertise. This is a warm book with plenty of humor, as well as a serious book with the kind of advocacy backed up by research and experience that we need from those of us who are serious about the improvement of American policing.

One big negative but constructive criticism: no index.

One lesser criticism: the chapter on "Undercover." Norm tells a compelling and true story in that chapter, however, having some experience in "UC" work myself, I would have written from the point of view of management analysis of cost-benefit. Most undercover work is very expensive and produces not very much genuine product. I distinguish here between process and product. UC might produce lots of arrests, but it seldom solves any problems. Process vs. permanent results. It should be used sparingly and with well-thought-out direction.

There is nothing new in Norm's book in terms of breaking new ground, but it is unique anyway, in that it is an easy read for those who should read it -- public administrators and elected officials -- who don't normally (no pun intended) have the time to do a lot of research and don't know much about what goes on within their very expensive and mysterious public safety services.

Norm -- Mr. Stamper -- hits the right nails on their heads. What Joseph Wambaugh does for policing in some of his fiction, Norm does here in a popular, non-fiction way.

Stamper offers an honest and personal view of policing in America. His first-hand account of police culture makes for excellent reading. Oddly, this self-proclaimed progressive offers many conservative approaches to tackle crime in our country including the decriminalization of drugs, a stance supported by Friedman, Buckley, and Shultz. Breaking Rank proved to be balanced and pragmatic. As a conservative, I was surprised to find how often I agreed with Stamper's recommendations.

Breaking Rank is a must read for all police and public administration courses that tackle the subject of crime prevention.

As a native San Diegan, I'm proud of Stamper's accomplishments and his contribution to police reform.

Kevin Scott

Police officers do a job that I'm not willing to do. Yet when my car broke down on the highway or we heard noises that convinced us a burglar was breaking into our home, I had no hesitation in calling 9-11 for help. I can't imagine life in these United States without the service of police officers.

Most of my experiences with cops so far have been positive, but not all. I have friends and family who work in law enforcement and I've heard some pretty unbelievable stories from behind the "thin blue line." Breaking Rank validates those stories (and more) and gives the reader an appreciation for all aspects of law enforcement: the nobility of police work, the dangerous work that cops do every day to keep our streets safe, and the problems inherent in every profession-and the big, big difference when problems occur in a profession where the employees have guns and badges and can choose to use them as deadly force against any person. I can't imagine life in these United States without constitutional restrictions on that choice especially now with even more power for local law enforcement granted under the Patriot Act.

In Breaking Rank, Stamper blows the smoke out of our eyes so we can see both the humanity and humanness behind the mystique of a respected and reviled profession. I found myself pensive and then concerned over issues that once seemed far removed from my corner of the world-violence in the home, capital punishment, the war on drugs to name a few. And, rather than getting one narrow opinion on these issues, I appreciated the research that was cited to back up Stamper's thinking.

What this former chief can expect is a steady stream of vitriol aimed his way as a result of authoring this book, although it sounds like he's no stranger to it. One has only to look at the current discord in the AFL-CIO and the personal attacks on union leaders to see what happens when someone in the ranks steps out of line with the rest. Peer pressure is hard to resist in any organization, but Stamper makes it clear that it's especially so for those who work in an environment where to openly talk about problems, admit fault or say you're sorry could cost you or your bosses millions of dollars.

Unfortunately, it's hard to correct problems or even make something better if no one is willing to talk about the flaws. One can hope that some open-minded people in law enforcement and beyond will be willing to consider some of the issues that the author raises in this book.

After reading Breaking Rank, I'm also reminded that we get what we pay for. I'm not sure I buy the argument that most people who use drugs have a "disease," but what I do buy is that I've been unwilling (or uneducated) to use my vote or my voice to question whether my tax dollars are best used to support an established industry that spends $50 billion on drug enforcement when public education and other prevention services are sadly lacking for resources.

I will say that dinner conversations are a lot livelier after reading Breaking Rank. Yours may be, too, if you delve into a book that should be required reading in the classroom and by all of us who conveniently forget that we're responsible as citizens for the quality of public service that we get.

Stamper's book should be required reading for all young law enforcement officers who, in particular, aspire to positions of future leadership of America's police forces. It offers guidelines for progressive changes, including greater emphasis on community policing, the rampant crime of domestic violence, and less militaristic models of police department organization. Stamper also makes persuasive arguments for such controversial policies as the elimination of capital punishment and the decriminalization of drugs. The author was a working cop and police administrator in San Diego and Seattle, where he was chief of police. This reviewer had the opportunity, as a newspaper editorial page editor, to observe Stamper's outstanding performance in the latter role. His account of his personal experiences is arresting - no pun intended - and often very entertaining.

I can't remember the last time I was so surprised by, or more grateful for, the contents of a book. I expected "Breaking Rank" to be an event-filled memoir by a cop with a thirty year career. I figured he would share a lot of stories, the most interesting of which would be his account of the 1999 WTO riots in Seattle where he had been the chief of police. The book is certainly that, but it transcends its topics to offer deeply thoughtful and heartfelt perspectives on police culture, politics and the choices we have made as a society. Stamper is outspoken about the war on drugs, the death penalty, criminalization of prostitution and gun control. He expresses anger, disappointment and regret over the damage these policies continue to cause, and he sees it through the eyes of a man who was a street cop, an undercover agent (now THERE's an interesting story) and a police administrator. I don't agree with everything he writes, but I had to think hard about what he wrote. And I respect the rigor of his thinking and the eloquence of his expression.

I came away from this remarkably personal book with the impression that every day that Deputy or Lieutenant or Chief Stamper went to work, he learned something and then applied it to make his sector, his division, and ultimately, his department and city better. You get the idea that Stamper worked hard to make himself a better, more compassionate officer, leader and human being. After I read about WTO, the event that ended his career, I felt tremendous regret that a man of such ability withdrew from government. I finished the book haunted by vividly drawn images of murdered women and children, the pain of racism and intolerance, and of a city - my city - wrenched by overwhelming disorder. I also came away knowing who I would want running my police department. If I were a dishonest cop, or most politicians, I would hate this book. If I were an honest cop, I would be honored to count this book's author as a colleague and mentor. "Breaking Rank" is a remarkable book that offers insights that our society would do well to take to heart in this age of homeland security and headlong, heedless self-righteousness.

I personally found this book to be very interesting. As the subtitle suggests, an expose' of the dark side of american policing. The police "Blue Wall of Silence" does exsist, and often prevents books like these from being published. I am glad that Chief Stamper had the courage to step forward and tell the truth. This book is a must read for anyone truly interested in understanding cop culture, and the problems within the ranks that breed bad cops. It also offers an antidote at the end of each chapter on how american policing can be changed for the better. Funny at times as well as frightening, I highly recommend this book.

I was taken in turns from tears to laughter and dismay to hope- Chief Stamper's use of personal story, research and examples weave together beautifully to make a well written "page turner". But more importantly, this book made me think. I applaud his unequivocal stands on issues without regard for the PCness that one might have expected. Whether you agree with him or not, you'll want to discuss the issues he raises. That Stamper's desire to elevate cops to the highest level of professionalism is met with disdain by some within that community is probably the most disturbing thing about his book.

A book that needed to be written. Brutally honest. Someone who learned from his mistakes and is working to make the world better. Intelligent, entertaining writing.

Greensboro NC is facing significant issues with our police force. The Chief has been suspended and the entire department is in disarray. While browsing in the bookstore the other day I ran across Stamper's book. I was intrigued with his ideas and couldn't help but think that if Greensboro implemented many of them that we would have a safer and more enlightened community. He is a thoughtful and humane risk taker with a cogent and important vision for how policing should be done. We need a drastic turnaround here in Greensboro and Stamper offers views and strategies that could help our small city keep pace with other positive growth we are experiencing. I only wish we could lure him back into the business of hands-on policing to help us achieve a sorely needed turnaround! Short of that, I ended up buying a couple copies. One for me and one for the acting Chief of Police. I plan to pass it on to him in hopes that it will provide him with a blueprint for healing our police force and our community. I've read my copy cover to cover and while I am not directly involved in policing, I am an executive coach and organization development consultant. Stamper's innovative leadership insights and tactics have been very helpful in teaching my clients how to manage more effectively. I'll keep my eye out for more books from Stamper. He is a gifted, intelligent writer with great depth.

I would rate most of the content of this book as 2 stars: nothing new is discussed and Stamper's narrative comes across as self-serving. However, where Stamper departs from this well-worn formula are easily the most groundbreaking and controvertial passages in the book.

First, dispense with the argument to legalize prostitution. Prostitution is actually not illegal at the Federal level, and are really a collection of antiquated local laws which were successfully sold at the time of their passage as a means to fight then incurable social diseases. This trade can now be properly policed with medical advances.

Second Stamper adds his weighty opinion to a chorus of other law enforcement officials to advocate legalizing the vice that dwarfs all others: America's $450 billion+ illegal drugs trade. Stamper is not a law-enforcement voice in the wilderness here, and my only problem with his solution is that he doesn't advocate his beliefs strongly enough. Stamper cites a battery of evidence that drug use would actually decline if drugs were legalized as proven in European countries with a much more benign approach. Those same countries have also avoided the societal costs to the health and criminal justice systems which testify to America's failure here. At the beginning of the 20th century, a time when drugs were legal, it's estimated that 5% of adult Americans were drug or alcohol addicts. The AMA has consistently held (as recently as Oct, 2005)that opiates have no toxic effects and are less addictive than nicotine. To date there isn't a single death attributable to marijuana or oxycontin use. Yet this year our gov't will budget $8 billion for marijuana interdiction and only $150 million for meth. I differ with Stamper on 1 point only in this respect. He argues that only PCP should remain illegal. I'd add crystal meth to that list.

Thank God that some rational has finally been injected into this argument.