By Police1 Staff
Have you checked out our 15 must-read books for law enforcement?
Well, it appears many of you have because you recommended many more must-read law enforcement books. Based on your comments, and in no particular order, here are eight more must-reads for LEOs.
8. Arresting Communication: Essential Interaction Skills for Law Enforcement by Jim Glennon
Borrowing from his 30+ years of law enforcement experience, Jim Glennon’s book, “Arresting Communication: Essential Interaction Skills for Law Enforcement,” artfully employs a combination of police jargon and humor to describe the critical importance of effective communication, both on the job and off. Glennon goes on to describe a multitude of common-sense practices and procedures for creating positive interactions and diffusing potentially volatile situations before they happen.
7. Street Survival: Tactics For Armed Encounters by Ronald J. Adams
When suspects on the street are armed, there are several positive tactics available to officers — controlling light, using verbal challenges, the element of surprise, etc. These tactics are designed to protect LEOs and the general public. This is the premise of Ronald J. Adams’ book, “Street Survival: Tactics for Armed Encounters.” Drawing on the collective experience of nearly 50 police agencies, and 400 detailed reports, Adams expertly lays out strategies designed to prevent officers from risky situations escalating further and what you need to know to protect yourself.
6. Left of Bang: How the Marine Corps’ Combat Hunter Program Can Save Your Life by Patrick Van Horne
“Left of Bang” is a phrase used in the military to describe an ambiguous fearful feeling. The feeling that something is not quite right is a sense we all get from time to time, and a sense that led General James Mattis to authorize a new program called the Marine Corp Combat Hunter Program. In this book, the author explains how this successful program can help law enforcement officers heighten their sense of awareness in the field and prevent them from being caught off guard.
5. Law Dogs: Great Cops in American History by Dan Marcou
Law enforcement officers, history buffs and any other reader who enjoys a good non-fiction story will love the book “Law Dogs: Great Cops in American History.” Written by retired Lt. Dan Marcou, the book profiles the lives and legacies of some of the most renowned and memorable law officers in American history, separating their actual achievements from folklore. From the rough and tumble lawmen of the Old West, the Gangs of the 20s and 30s, to present-day heroes, this book offers a genuine and unfiltered picture of law enforcement through the decades.
4. The War on Cops: How the New Attack on Law and Order Makes Everyone Less Safe by Heather Mac Donald
“The War on Cops: How the New Attack on Law and Order Makes Everyone Less Safe” defines “misguided and malice-laced” attacks on law enforcement, particularly in crime-ridden areas of the United States. She points to data to prove that crime, not race, drives police actions and prison rates, She goes on to say that targeted policing in high-crime areas has not only garnered the results those policies seek to achieve but also made those neighborhoods safer for the general public.
3. Force under Pressure: How Cops Live and Why They Die by Dr. Lawrence Blum
Dr. Lawrence Blum describes situations law enforcement officers may face that represent extraordinary danger in the field. Blum argues that the current training protocol for officers neglects certain strategies that may help reduce officer injury and prevent unnecessary deaths. These additional training methods Blum addresses could help improve quick thinking and concentration in times of conflict, stress and confrontation.
2. The Book of Five Rings by Miyamoto Musashi
Penned in 1643 by the renowned samurai Miyamoto Musashi, “The Book of Five Rings” offers a poignant look at the “art of human confrontation.” The book, which was originally written as a guide for martial artists, has now become a valuable text for leaders from many industries, including law enforcement. The book analyzes the various processes and struggles typically involved with human interaction, and provides tips and solutions on how to master the difficult and seemingly unsolvable problems that can — and often do — arise during confrontational dilemmas.
1. The Art of War by Sun Tzu
“The Art of War,” which historians believe was written in the 4th or 5th century by the Chinese military leader Sun Tzu, is an ancient text outlining the fundamental rules and principles of warfare, giving the reader advice on how and when to fight given a certain predicament. The 13 chapters lay out tactical advice, including how to proceed into dangerous and occupied terrain and how to select the correct weapon for specific battle-related scenarios.
This article, originally published on March 7, 2017, has been updated.