Conlon comes from a multi-generational NY cop family--he has a grandfather, an uncle and a father who were cops. So despite going to harvard, and having a family that wished for more for him, at 30 he went through the police academy and was a beat cop in the South Bronx. This is an account of his years as a polic officer, progressing from where he started, to Narcotics, and then to detective. It is not a glamourous or thrilling memoir. Far from it--if anything, it is too detailed and leaves the impression of tedium. Conlon’s advice to anyone who thinks being a cop is an adrelalin rush is strident: “You want to know what my job is like? Go to your garage, piss in the corner, and stand there for eight hours.”
He is that blunt throughout the book--there are a number of things to quibble about in the book--too long, too many details, not tied together enough--but in the end, it is a great perspective on what the police do--is it worth bringing this person in? Should I cultivate an information source or arrest them? The book is especially strong when presenting these sorts of everyday dilemmas. And while I haven't seen it, the book is the template for a TV series that is reportedly strong as well.
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