NYPD: A City And Its Police

By R.Z. Sheppard

To the chagrin of its outstanding fire department, the Big Apple's police are the ones known as New York's Finest. That accolade undergoes some expert scrutiny in this lively anecdotal history of the force, which began as a loosely organized, ethically lax group of constables. Some things don't change. As the authors note, "The great corruption scandals have come along every 20 years or so, with almost astronomical regularity."

--By R.Z. Sheppard