Like any of the three-dimensional characters in a classic Bogart movie, or from a persona in a stage play once fleshed out in a darkened theatre, some of the people you meet working as a big city foot-beat cop stay...

In 1980, the city of San Francisco announced that it was opening up unrestricted applications for police officers. Over 3,000 people responded, which led to block long lines of applicants waiting to take written exams, physical agility testing, and weird...

“Stress relief.” … That’s what they called it in the SFPD Academy during the too short academic introduction to urban police work. It was a required topic during your in-service training every 24 months as well. We also had roll...

The set-up Every cop has a place in their sector or on their beat that is the most memorable. It should be a good place to grab a cup of coffee and zone out while writing reports. The place for...

The above quote was originally attributed to a British politician named Gladstone circa 1868, but to a student of American socio-political history such as myself, it came most singingly prominent when Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. wrote it down while...

If you are doing traffic enforcement, sooner or later you are going to get a "runner." If you are going to pursue these minor-league violators, you have to keep in mind: The safety of the general motoring and pedestrian public....

Even when you’re not on the clock, you’re still a cop. ... I was still living in San Francisco’s Glen Park neighborhood and commuting to the new Potrero Station for my stint as swing watch patrol commander. Being new to...

The Rug Rat was choked, kicked, beaten, and robbed many times over, and finally stabbed in the back, but it was all part of his job as a police decoy. After four or five years of foot-beat-on-the-job-training that I got...

The Golden Gate Bridge in my City is a world-renowned iconic image. Uncounted photos, postcards, movies, and songs have been created to celebrate its enduring beauty. In contrast, the San Francisco - Oakland Bay Bridge on the eastern side of...

Sergeant Mike was a godsend to us illiterate peasants in uniform patrol when it came to traffic collisions and other arcane and confusing issues of law and disorder. When he was a newish and simple slick-sleeve cop, he managed somehow...