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. Emphasizing 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 molded 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. Bouza evaluates sweeps, roundups, sting operations, the controversial practice of racial profiling, and the politics of law enforcement. He critically examines the excesses, abuses, and corruption of the New York, Los Angeles, and Minneapolis police forces, among others, offering insights into what went wrong in the infamous Louima and Diallo cases. But his most telling criticism is not directed against the police per se but against our society's ruling elites and the middle class, who give police the unmistakable message that the underclass must be kept down and property owners protected at all costs. He charges that the heart of the problem of both crime and police abuse in America is our tacitly accepted class structure separating the privileged from the poor, and along with it the systemic racism that society as a whole is not yet willing to face. Bouza concludes his critique on a positive note with straightforward proposals on how to make the police more ethical and effective. 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. 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. Bouza, a former Bronx police commander and Minneapolis chief of police, candidly reflects on the U.S. police subculture. Going beyond the "them versus us" psychology, he examines how the police are granted responsibility to protect the "overclass" from the "underclass," primarily minorities. Bouza assesses the fraternal culture that demands loyalty from the rank and file for even those cowboy types who cross the line repeatedly. He also recognizes the numerous acts of individual police heroism, even those-- often admired--that are near the line of impropriety. These values often prevent candid discussion about corruption and abuse of power. In this good and balanced attempt to address police and public shortcomings, Bouza explores the refusal of the police and society to recognize the persistence of racism in the criminal justice system. He also calls the black community to task for not facing up to the significance of black criminal activity in the downfall of many black neighborhoods. A good book for those wishing to understand the problems facing people on the frontline of urban conflict. Vernon Ford Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved "No one can engage this book without...thoughtful reflection on a whole range of legal and social issues." -- Law Enforcement News "Tony Bouza pulls no punches in this blunt, candid assessment of police culture." -- African Sun Times, July 5, 2001 Anthony V. Bouza (Minneapolis, MN), a thirty-six-year veteran police officer, is the former chief of police in Minneapolis and commander of the Bronx police force,