Cop!

This gripping narrative places us in the squad car patrolling the city streets in the late 1960's as crime was rising, hope was fading, and disrespect for the establishment was peaking. Author L. H. Whitmore rode alongside three different officers as they patrolled their respective cities. In New York City Officer Joseph Minelli patrolled the troubled streets of Harlem. Chicago homicide detective Ernie Cox and partners investigated a killing in the South Side ghetto. San Francisco rookie Colin Barker kept order among the hippies and transients of Haight Ashbury. Readers get a strong sense of each officer, their feelings, frustrations, and the challenge of their beat. We come away with respect for how each man maintains his sanity in a dangerous occupation where so many view them with suspicion or disdain. And, of course, we see the tragic streets where hope seems overwhelmed by violence and barbarity. This book is similar to the hit TV show COPS, taking us inside the patrol car. The book never became a big seller or (apparently) had any sequels, but it's well worth reading.