Boot: An L.a.p.d. Officer's Rookie Year

The Rodney King beating and the OJ Simpson trial brought the L.A.P.D. national notoriety as a corrupt force out of synch with the city it polices. But is this force of 8,600 men and women really made up of mavericks, racists and rogues? In this revised edition of a timeless classic, rookie police officer William Dunn takes you inside that other L.A.P.D., where hard-working cops struggle to understand citizens’ concerns and dodge criminal’s bullets.

Set during one of the it’s most violent years in one of it’s most violent South Central neighborhoods, Los Angeles—and the L.A.P.D.—as seen through the eyes of a rookie officer is a potentially volatile, constantly changing landscape. To be a good cop, and survive the experience, Dunn quickly learns from some unforgettable teachers how to lay down the law on the streets. Dunn’s dispatches from the frontlines of L.A. are dramatic. Every day there’s another drive-by shooting, high-speed chase, drug-related execution, or unexplained attack on police officers. He offers some of the most compelling insights into the trials and tribulations of the young officer—and the way that we keep the peace in our most dangerous policing districts.