In one of the most illuminating portraits of police work ever, Chief Charles Campisi describes the inner workings of the worldâs largest police force and his unprecedented career putting bad cops behind bars. âCompelling, educational, memorableâŚthis superb memoir can be read for its sheer entertainment or as a primer on police workâor bothâ (Kirkus Reviews, starred review).
From 1996 to 2014 Charles Campisi headed NYPDâs Internal Affairs Bureau, working under four police commissioners and gaining a reputation as hard-nosed and incorruptible. During Campisiâs IAB tenure, the number of New Yorkers shot, wounded, or killed by cops every year declined by ninety percent, and the number of cops failing integrity tests shrank to an equally startling low. But to achieve those exemplary results, Campisi had to triple IABâs staff, hire the very best detectives, and put the word out that corruption wouldnât be tolerated.
Blue on Blue provides âa rare glimpse inside one of the most secretive branches of policingâŚand a compelling, behind-the-scenes account of what it takes to investigate police officers who cross the line between guardians of the public to criminals. Itâs a mesmerizing exposĂŠ on the harsh realities and complexities of being a cop on the mean streets of New York City and the challenges of enforcing the law while at the same time obeying itâ (The New York Journal of Books). Campisi allows us to listen in on wiretaps and feel the adrenaline rush of drawing in the net. It also reveals new threats to the force, such as the possibility of infiltration by terrorists.
âA lively memoir [told with] verve, intriguing detail, and a generous heartâ (The Wall Street Journal) and âan expose of the NYPDâs Internal Affairs Bureaus [that is] enlightening and entertainingâ (The New York Times Book Review), Blue on Blue will forever change the way you view police work.