Featured podcasts - Author Interviews

Experienced officers share their life lessons for a successful law enforcement career in "If I Knew Then: Life Lessons From Cops on the Street." In the book, which is edited by Brian Willis, 30 writers contribute 37 essays. "If I Knew Then" is available exclusively at Willis' website. Also, read a review of the book by Recruit blogger Chief William Harvey.

When he took over the LAPD in 1950, Chief William Parker oversaw the transformation of the agency from a tool of corrupt politicians to the more professional law enforcement outfit symbolized by the "Dragnet" television program. With "L.A. Noir: The Struggle for the Soul of America's Most Seductive City," John Buntin tells this story. Listen to learn the origin of the phrase "thin blue line" coined by Parker.

Author Rod Englert helped pioneer blood spatter analysis in criminal investigations. He explains how in "Blood Secrets." While a police officer, he spent years studying and testing how blood behaves. Now his research is frequently used to solve cases, from puzzling murders in small towns to high-profile celebrity trials. The author spoke with POLICE about his inspiration and the importance of first responders preserving blood spatter at a crime scene so it can be analyzed as evidence.

ATF Special Agent Jay Dobyns spent two years undercover investigating the Hells Angels, America's most well-known outlaw biker gang. Dobyns speaks to POLICE Magazine about the Hells Angels and Operation Black Biscuit, gives a key suggestion to officers considering undercover work and explains his current legal issues with the ATF. "No Angel: My Harrowing Undercover Journey To the Inner Circle of the Hells Angels" is now available in paperback.

Secret Service agents who protect the President and other high-level government officials spoke publicly for the first time to Ronald Kessler for "In the President's Secret Service: Behind the Scenes In the Line of Fire and the Presidents They Protect." In this month's author interview, Keller discusses the history of the agency, duties of the agents themselves and the men they protected.

To tell the story of the use of deadly force by law officers, Chris McNab uses a historical narrative that follows Wild West marshals, the posse era, Prohibition gangsters, armed civic protesters, and the drug turf wars of the 1980s and '90s. "Deadly Force: Firearms and American Law Enforcement" also explores the legal and career ramifications of police gunfights and the use of SWAT units with aggressive combatants who are increasingly using heavier firepower against officers.

Art Slatkin, a leading expert on crisis and hostage negotiation, explains the three stages of a negotiation, delineates the personality types officers will encounter and offers several practical tips officers could use right away during the three specific stages of building rapport, negotiating and resolution with volatile people. Slatkin's "Training Strategies for Crisis and Hostage Negotiations" is the topic of this month's author interview.

Tapping into his experience as an investigator with the Chula Vista Police Department for 17 years, Tom Basinski wrote the true-crime novels "Cross-Country Evil" and "No Good Deed" based on detailed case material from local cases. In "Cross-Country Evil," Basinski chronicled the 18-year investigation that resulted in a conviction of a serial rapist (he interviewed from prison) who murdered a college student working as a prostitute. Listen to his account of the case.

In his book, Leonard Levitt examines the lines of power that often result in the NYPD's police commissioner and mayor duking it out for "publicity, credit and power." Levitt's "NYPD Confidential: Power and Corruption In the Country's Greatest Police Force" is based in his experiences covering the department as a columnist for Newsday. In the book, he covers the high and low points of the administrations of William Bratton, Howard Safir, Bernie Kerik and current commissioner Ray Kelly.

In "The First Responders: The Untold Story of the New York City Police Department and September 11, 2001," Anthea Appel weaves together the stories of members of the NYPD's Emergency Service Unit (ESU) who first arrived at Ground Zero. Appel, who was on patrol on 9/11 and has since retired after a 20-year NYPD career, recounts the ESU members who searched for terrorist "sleepers" and survivors. Appel also tells the story of the mysterious man who was arrested in the North Tower in the moments before it fell.