Bad Cop: New York's Least Likely Police Officer Tells All (Paperback)

~ (Author)

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

For almost four years after the 2001 World Trade Center tragedy, freelance writer Bacon chronicles his quest in this humorous book to do his best as a New York City cop, yet the arduous task of law enforcement was much more than he imagined. Self-described as a hip, overeducated liberal, the author had worked at home for five years for an online company before joining the NYPD force, but the collective experience of the police academy and being a Harlem beat cop eventually wears him down emotionally. Everything gnaws at his resolve, including the grueling cycle of drug collars, the rousting of crooks and a crush on a disinterested Latina police officer. When Bacon later unravels during a security detail in a manic Jerry Lewis–style comic scene, he writes: I was no good as a bad cop and not bad enough to be a good cop. I'm lucky I made it out alive. Bacon, now a scuba instructor on Maui, provides readers with a madcap yarn of handcuffs, broken hearts and the thin blue line. (Apr.)
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From Booklist

This memoir by a man who should never have strapped on a police holster has a wonderful narrative arc, spanning Bacon’s pre-NYPD series of menial jobs, a police career that lasted from 2001 to the 2004 Republican National Convention and that left him confused and exhausted, and a neat resolution as a life-saving scuba instructor in Maui. The events of September 11 (Bacon witnessed the collapse of the South Tower) propelled him from a desk job to policing in the worst part of Harlem. Feelings of civic pride and duty led Bacon to the streets, but what resulted was a series of humiliations and misadventures that he renders in excruciatingly comic detail. Part of the comedy and truth of this memoir is the way it counters expectations: the hero never does catch on with or win over either cops or perps, or he never becomes good at his job. A vivid and insightful saga of the wrong man in the wrong job at the wrong time. --Connie Fletcher

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Product Details

• Paperback: 272 pages
• Publisher: Bloomsbury USA; 1 edition (March 17, 2009)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 159691159X
• ISBN-13: 978-1596911598
• Product Dimensions: 8.1 x 5.4 x 0.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 10.4 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 3.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (10 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #175,605 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Bad Cop - Great Writer, April 6, 2009

By	Sheri Nugent (Long Beach, CA) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

I read Bad Cop over the weekend... and I kid you not - I laughed out loud through the first half and couldn't put it down until I finished. I loved his writing style... very conversational - like he was sitting next to me with a glass of wine telling the most hilarious stories. He is so funny! As a fan of cop shows, this book was another point of view I hadn't read before. What an enjoyable way to spend a weekend. Suggestion for Paul Bacon: now go write a book about your diving job.

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Great, March 23, 2009

By	D. Hatch - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

Bacon is hilarious. He should write more books. Sometimes a person's life is the best story of all.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Most enjoyable, June 16, 2009

By	J. Burke "Book Lover" (Seattle, WA) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

I loved this book. I laughed so hard at times I had to remove my steamed up glasses to wipe the tears away. Paul Bacon's wonderful wit and story telling ability kept me enthralled from beginning to end. If you enjoy stories and books by David Sedaris you will Love this book.