Police Procedural: A Writer's Guide to the Police and How They Work (Howdunit) [Paperback]

Russell Bintliff (Author)

Book Description

Series: Howdunit | Publication Date: September 1993

This book takes you inside not only police investigations, but also the day-to-day world of police work. You'll learn how police officers work, when they work, what they wear, who they report to, and generally how they go about the business of controlling and investigating crime. You'll find valuable information on how police officers are trained, and how they move through the ranks; the equipment they use, including firearms and investigative equipment; laws that govern and restrict police investigations, including "probable cause"; who has jurisdiction over what (state police? county sheriff? city police department?), and who does what - and when; developing suspect lists and descriptions; how evidence is handled, including the evidence room; how police officers prepare for court and the grand jury; investigative techniques for burglary and arson as well as homicide; how suspects are interrogated and handled; the police "mindset, " and how police officers approach their jobs and the challenges they face; the specifics of internal investigations; records and reports, and how they are maintained. Today's readers are more savvy than ever when it comes to crime and murder mysteries. With this comprehensive guide, your readers will be wondering "whodunit" - not questioning why your facts don't mesh.

Product Details

• Paperback: 261 pages
• Publisher: Writers Digest Books; 1st edition (September 1993)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0898795966
• ISBN-13: 978-0898795967
• Product Dimensions: 8.8 x 5.9 x 0.9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 14.4 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 3.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (9 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #643,693 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

19 of 20 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Good, but needs more detail..., April 16, 2004

By 

Serene (Marina, CA, United States) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Police Procedural: A Writer's Guide to the Police and How They Work (Howdunit) (Paperback)

I often refer to "Police Procedural" during writing involving police office/law enforcement characters. I think the writing is comprehensive and covers many elements you will need to write a convincing police character.

My only disappointment with this writing reference, is that there is not enough material discussing popular mistakes in fiction made by authors of police procedurals, (such as the police/witness romance), and there is not enough information about initial police training, codes of conduct, or disciplinary action taken towards police officers. (As happens in nearly every police film). What mistakes warrant suspension? What mistakes warrant getting canned? Who decides on what?

If there is a re-issue of this material, I'd really like to see: discussion of Internal Affairs, in depth discussion of police vehicles, police conduct, and writer's do's and 'don'ts. Overall Great basic reference, but needs more detail for a 5 star book.

11 of 11 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars A useful reference, but not a fun read, October 3, 2000

By 

P. Lozar "plozar" (Santa Fe, NM USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Police Procedural: A Writer's Guide to the Police and How They Work (Howdunit) (Paperback)

This is a good, solid, thorough information source about police departments and how they operate: it covers everything from how recruits are trained to the typical layout of a police station. It also has useful outlines of how various types of cases (homicide, burglary, etc.) are approached by investigators. And, once someone has been arrested, there's a helpful summary of the sequence of events involved in taking the case to trial and what the investigator's responsibilities are at each stage. (I consulted a friend who's a retired Assistant D.A., and her description of this process was very close to the book's, which I felt was a good recommendation!)

Some cautions:
1. This is a "plain vanilla" description of police procedure. For specifics about a department's organization and facilities, whether it has specialists on staff (e.g., a fingerprint expert), and its training and promotion policies, you'll need to consult the actual police department.
2. Ditto for legal information. The definitions of crimes, the terminology used to describe them, the length of sentences, and other factors (e.g., "three strikes, you're out" laws) vary widely from state to state. Also, there may be differences in practice between what the criminal code says and the way it's normally applied, so talking to someone "in the know" is mandatory.

Finally, I found the book VERY hard to read. The author clearly knows his stuff, and occasionally he deviates into an anecdote ... but he honed his writing style on police reports, so by and large the book is heavy going. I'm surprised that an editor didn't go through and, at least, break up some of his full-page paragraphs and shorten his longer sentences -- a lot could have been done with formatting and subheadings to make the book easier to use. Also, I felt that the index was barely adequate (no cross-references, for one thing), and the table of contents is very high-level too, so it took me a long time to find the specific piece of information I needed. I think this is a terrific reference book that should be in the library of every mystery writer -- but it definitely has flaws.

10 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Excellant source for writers of suspense/mystery novels., February 11, 1999

By A Customer

This review is from: Police Procedural: A Writer's Guide to the Police and How They Work (Howdunit) (Paperback)

This book should become part of every crime writers library. It describes in great detail the organization and investigative techniques of the police. It does become a little "text-bookish" in parts, but it covers a wide spectrum of police issues, investigating homicides, assault & battery and robbery, as well as vice(drug investigations and tips on arresting and interrogating suspects). It also includes a lengthy chapter on the officers testimony in court cases. Not a lot of information on sexual assault or missing persons cases but all in all it's a great book for writers.