Cop on the Beat : Officer Steven Mayfield in New York City

Given unlimited access to the life and work of a New York City cop, Arlene Schulman takes us along on Steven Mayfield’s beat in what School Library Journal calls an "uplifting and accurate description of one man’s dedication to his career." The rhythms of this police officer’s work are captured in vivid prose and intimate black- and-white photography as readers meet the residents of Officer Mayfield’s beat, those who welcome his protection and those who hate the sight of a cop. We see the TV-type moments and also the patient listening, watchfulness, and paperwork that are the unglamorous sides of policing. Most clearly, however, we see a police officer’s essential role in the survival of a community.