Burden of the Badge: A Year in the Life of a Street Cop [Paperback]

Michael East (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: June 11, 2003

Burden of the Badge -A Year in the Life of a Street Cop cuts through all the fluff and make up of television police shows and fictional cop books. If you want to know what it's REALLY like wearing the badge day after day, week after week, this is the book for you. Documenting nearly 1,000 calls over a full year in the life of a patrol officer, everything comes out in this book. Set against the back drop of Saginaw, Michigan, a violent, decaying former automotive boom town, this book chronicles everything a street cop deals with every day. From the foul-mouthed tirades of drunken street bums and crack addicts, to the most senseless and brutal murders, the mental and physical stress faced daily by the men and women in uniform is detailed within these pages. Whether you are dying to know what the job is really like, or you are considering law enforcement as your own career, this book is truly an eye opener!

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

Michael East is a nine-year veteran of the SaginawPolice Department, where he works as a patrol officer, spending every daydealing with the public. Michael has twice been awarded his department'sExceptional Performance Award and has also received a Distinguished ServiceAward. Additionally, he works as one of the Saginaw Police Department's FieldTraining Officers, assisting with the training of newly hired police officers.This is Michael's first book about his on-the-job experiences. After graduatingfrom Ferris State University with degrees in Journalism and Advertising,Michael worked for several daily Michigan newspapers prior to entering thefield of law enforcement.

Product Details

• Paperback: 240 pages
• Publisher: AuthorHouse (June 11, 2003)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1410746976
• ISBN-13: 978-1410746979
• Product Dimensions: 8.9 x 6 x 0.7 inches
• Shipping Weight: 12 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.4 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (11 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #845,978 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A must read!!!!, December 27, 2003

By 

Thomas (Detroit, MI) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Burden of the Badge: A Year in the Life of a Street Cop (Hardcover)

This book is a true representation as to what really goes on in this line of work. A must read for anyone who is a police officer, desires to be a police officer, or knows a police officer.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Interesting..., March 13, 2008

By 

A. Radford "Top Rad" (Okinawa, Japan) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Burden of the Badge: A Year in the Life of a Street Cop (Paperback)

This book is a vivid portrayal of how some of the old industrial towns and cities are descending into decay. While Mr. East does list the events that occur while he's on his patrols, I detect more often than not the sadness he feels on a day to day basis due to people's general disdain for police officers in Saginaw. He mentions kids barely old enough to go to school being disrespectful in horrible ways to police officers. I don't blame the kids...its obvious this behavior is encouraged by the parents, which is really disgusting. These are the same people who will be screaming at a 911 operator that they need help, why aren't the police here yet, etc. I haven't finished the book yet, but its mainly page after page of what I'd call a deep depression. Its sad that these police officers who have sworn to protect and serve these people are hated and disrespected by these same people. Mr. East, if you haven't done so yet, I'd suggest you find employment in another town, perhaps one that doesn't hate cops so much. Let the people of Saginaw find their own way in their downward spiral of lawlessness. As I read the book, I can almost physically feel the sorrow that Mr. East experiences every time he hits the streets.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Depressing, March 18, 2006

By 

Michael L. Slavin "HardBopper" (New Jersey) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)    (REAL NAME)   

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Burden of the Badge: A Year in the Life of a Street Cop (Paperback)

Mr. East has written a journal describing a frustrating year spent attempting to police the town of Saginaw,Michigan. A dying town that once was a hub of the automobile industry. It would seem that most of the residents were not worth trying to save. Hats off to the dedicated police officers for trying.