Police Unbound: Corruption, Abuse, and Heroism by the Boys in Blue [Hardcover]

Anthony V. Bouza (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: April 2001

Former chief of police in Minneapolis and commander of the Bronx police force Tony Bouza pulls no punches in this blunt, candid assessment of police culture. Emphasising the gap between the average citizen's perception of police work and the day-to-day reality of life as a cop, Bouza reveals the inner dynamics of a secretive, fraternal society that will do almost anything to protect itself. The strong bonds of loyalty among police both inspire individual acts of heroism in the face of danger but also repress full disclosure of the truth when corruption or abuse of power are suspected, says Bouza. Young rookies are quickly moulded by the unspoken rules and the code of silence that govern a cop's professional life, and they soon learn that physical but not moral courage is expected. This controversial, eye-opening book by a veteran insider exposes a reality that TV cop shows never portray and raises serious moral questions about class and race.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Retired Minneapolis police chief Bouza (The Police Mystique) turns a gimlet eye upon such controversial topics as the role of race and class in street policing. His nonconformist bent receives a full airing here: he describes the Drug War's effectiveness as "nil" and asserts that elaborate social structures (ranging from localized racism to powerful police unions) prohibit realistic discussion of the devolved role of law enforcement officers as protectors for a largely white, moneyed overclass. Bouza joined the NYPD in 1953 and rose through the ranks; he depicts tumultuous experiences in the 1960s and '70s, when he clashed with the rank and file over such innovations as Internal Affairs Bureau "associates" (i.e., spies) and the Firearms Discharge Review Board, as well as his increasing intolerance for systematized brutality. Bouza takes a vinegary tone regarding flaws in contemporary law enforcement: "The police exercise awesome power, mostly out of public view. The temptations to abuse are everywhere, and practically irresistible." Yet he emphasizes that the majority of cops perform daily acts of heroism that go unrecognized. Though occasionally bombastic, Bouza is at his best as a salty commentator on post-Warren Court policing, offering sobering, articulate assessments of the complicated forces behind such tragedies as NYC's Diallo and Dorismond shootings and many thought-provoking suggestions (e.g., tougher gun control laws; focus on recidivists, who, he points out, do not represent the majority of criminals in prison). Ultimately, he delivers a two-fisted, well-executed treatise, with humor, surprising insights and questions of social justice that may unnerve many readers, particularly law enforcement insiders. (Apr.)Forecast: Bouza's critique is deep, broad and controversial, and deserves a wider hearing than it will probably get outside of Minnesota, where he still resides and where he will do local publicity.

Copyright 2001 Cahners Business Information, Inc.

From Library Journal

Part memoir, part how-to manual for police departments, Bouza (retired Minneapolis police chief, former Bronx force commander, and author of The Police Mystique) has written another book sure to fire up the public and the police. Wonder why the verdicts in the Louima and Diallo cases were so different, or why some police procedures have become a lost art? Do you question how society and crime are intertwined? Bouza believes he has the answer, and it is not by placing more officers on the streets. Bouza spares no feelings in his search to find the answers to fix the criminal and police ills in our society. He opens the door wide to the inside of the police department a private culture he knew for 36 years as an officer and ushers us into the secret world of law enforcement, its unspoken codes that rookies learn and seasoned cops live by. Bouza identifies what he considers the major culprit in modern policing: the "overclass white, mostly well-off, educated, suburban, and voting" and their insistence that police keep the underclass "controlled and preferably...out of sight." With critiques of the Los Angeles, New York, and Minneapolis departments, this thought-provoking book is sure to anger some, embarrass others, and, hopefully, make all of us think about society and crime. Recommended for large public and academic libraries. Karen Evans, Indiana State Univ., Terre Haute
Copyright 2001 Reed Business Information, Inc.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Hardcover: 303 pages
• Publisher: Prometheus Books; First Edition edition (April 2001)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1573928771
• ISBN-13: 978-1573928779
• Product Dimensions: 9.3 x 6.6 x 1.1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.5 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.6 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (5 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,417,962 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Police Unbound: Corruption,Abuse and Heroism by the Boys in, March 24, 2002

By 

T. E. Engells "tengells" (Houston, Texas USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Police Unbound: Corruption, Abuse, and Heroism by the Boys in Blue (Hardcover)

Anthony Bouza, the former Chief of the Minneapolis Police Department, the former second in command of the New York Transit Police and a retired senior commander with the New York Police Department, weighs in with ascerbic comments linked with thoughtful ideas on policing, society and public administration.

The book confirms Bouza's reputation for confronting issues in a unique manner - a blend of liberal compassion and conservative pragmatism - while attempting to "tell the unvarnished truth". His opinions are certainly unique among senior police administrators, consider these excerpts:

Police Integrity:
"The mafia never enforced its code of blood-sworn omerata with the ferocity and enthusiasm the police bring to the Blue Code of Silence."

Selection Process for Police Chiefs:
"Political figures who appoint the nation's chiefs have a dismal record of selection, invariably opting for the safe, familiar and predictable choices."

On Community Policing:
"So when the Chiefs trot out their community policings, charts, graphs and other props, you'll pardon my skeptical yawn."

Chief Bouza terms his relationship with policing as a "love affair of heightening intensity". His unique personal perspective provides the reader with a richer and more complete understanding of the dynamics of modern urban municipal police administration.

I guarantee that at some point in this book he will challenge each reader's core beliefs and basic assumptions. This book is special blend of autobiography, public policy criticism and advocacy. It is worth both your time and money.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars AN OUTSTANDING GEM OF A BOOK: ONE OF A KIND!, October 24, 2001

By 

Michael Klausner "SATISFIED USER" (Bradford,, PA United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Police Unbound: Corruption, Abuse, and Heroism by the Boys in Blue (Hardcover)

Bouza's book is an awesome *GEM*. Incredibly interesting, insightful, informative, at times irreverant, always enlightening and refreshing. Anthony V. Bouza is one of a kind--defying any ideological label, he calls it as he sees it. Most of all, he is a person of unwavering principle and integrity. Two qualities all too rare in public officials. His book is replete with examples where his devotion to "what is right" "cost him."

Part autobiography, part sociology, part managerial science, part police history, part advocacy, POLICE UNBOUND should be *required* reading for everyone involved in any aspect of law enforcement or governance. Indeed, I recommend the book to EVERYONE.

Bouza's book is eminently readable. Here's why:

**Bouza is an accomplished *wordsmith* whose love and knowledge of the English language is evident in every sentence he writes.
His vocabulary is gargantuan; have a dictionary nearby when you read his book. His syntax and style are refreshing, stunning and
compelling; the words just fly off the pages.

**The book is arranged in a highly readable fashion. Topics such as: mass demonstrations, police brutality, corruption, women cops
war on drugs, etc. are clearly marked so that you can start at virtually any page.

Bouza exibits a keen understanding of organizational bureaucracies based on both his academic training and wide-ranging experiences. Most important, he knows HOW TO MAKE BUREAUCRACIES WORK and be EFFECTIVE instruments for goal attainment.

Not afraid to rock the boat in order to get it moving on course, Bouza was the initiator of myriad police innovations which have become the norm. Among them were:

**Incorporating minorities in police forces.
**Use of name tags.
**One officer patrol cars.
**Allowing police women to wear slacks.
**Sting and decoy operations.

It is a tribute to Bouza that while ALL of these initiatives were initially strongly resisted by most cops (including his superiors), police unions, politicians and others, he staked his reputation on them and did not retreat from his conviction regarding their benefits and justice.

Bouza loves cops and police work but doesn't love some aspects of police culture such as the "blue wall of silence", cops being enforcers of *punishment* and "convenience lying." He has made his views on such crystal clear to the rank and file when he was in command. Most crucial, he knew how to oppose them *effectively* while still retaining the respect of the cops he commanded.

Bouza is a person who marches to his own drummer. One that beats to the tune of honesty, respect, the rule of law, decency and integrity.

While clearly not a person who diminishes his many and significant accomplishments, Bouza also displays a sense of modesty and commitment to public service as manifested in the last sentence of his book:

"...my humble desire is for my family, friends, colleagues and the many people I've been fortunate to encounter in my life to remember me not only as a cop but as a PUBLIC SERVANT."

3 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars AN OUTSTANDING GEM OF A BOOK: ONE OF A KIND!, October 24, 2001

By 

Michael Klausner "SATISFIED USER" (Bradford,, PA United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Police Unbound: Corruption, Abuse, and Heroism by the Boys in Blue (Hardcover)

Bouza's book is an awesome *GEM*. Incredibly interesting, insightful, informative, at times irreverant, always enlightening and refreshing. Anthony V. Bouza is one of a kind--defying any ideological label, he calls it as he sees it. Most of all, he is a person of unwavering principle and integrity. Two qualities all too rare in public officials. His book is replete with examples where his devotion to "what is right" "cost him."

Part autobiography, part sociology, part managerial science, part police history, part advocacy, POLICE UNBOUND should be *required* reading for everyone involved in any aspect of law enforcement or governance. Indeed, I recommend the book to EVERYONE.

Bouza's book is eminently readable. Here's why:

**Bouza is an accomplished *wordsmith* whose love and knowledge of the English language is evident in every sentence he writes.
His vocabulary is gargantuan; have a dictionary nearby when you read his book. His syntax and style are refreshing, stunning and
compelling; the words just fly off the pages.

**The book is arranged in a highly readable fashion. Topics such as: mass demonstrations, police brutality, corruption, women cops
war on drugs, etc. are clearly marked so that you can start at virtually any page.

Bouza exibits a keen understanding of organizational bureaucracies based on both his academic training and wide-ranging experiences. Most important, he knows HOW TO MAKE BUREAUCRACIES WORK and be EFFECTIVE instruments for goal attainment.

Not afraid to rock the boat in order to get it moving on course, Bouza was the initiator of myriad police innovations which have become the norm. Among them were:

**Incorporating minorities in police forces.
**Use of name tags.
**One officer patrol cars.
**Allowing police women to wear slacks.
**Sting and decoy operations.

It is a tribute to Bouza that while ALL of these initiatives were initially strongly resisted by most cops (including his superiors), police unions, politicians and others, he staked his reputation on them and did not retreat from his conviction regarding their benefits and justice.

Bouza loves cops and police work but doesn't love some aspects of police culture such as the "blue wall of silence", cops being enforcers of *punishment* and "convenience lying." He has made his views on such crystal clear to the rank and file when he was in command. Most crucial, he knew how to oppose them *effectively* while still retaining the respect of the cops he commanded.

Bouza is a person who marches to his own drummer. One that beats to the tune of honesty, respect, the rule of law, decency and integrity.

While clearly not a person who diminishes his many and significant accomplishments, Bouza also displays a sense of modesty and commitment to public service as manifested in the last sentence of his book:

"...my humble desire is for my family, friends, colleagues and the many people I've been fortunate to encounter in my life to remember me not only as a cop but as a PUBLIC SERVANT."