The Coppers I Know

Patty here…

I love reading police procedurals but some rely too heavily on the old stereotype of the trench coat wearing loner who drinks too much and has a trail of ex-wives as long as Sunset Boulevard. I know a detective like that but he's the exception to the rule these days.



I’m a specialist reserve officer for the Los Angeles Police Department. I’m not a sworn officer. I’m a volunteer in my twelfth year of service. Here in L.A. the diversity among members of the police department is intoxicating. I suppose that's true for other large cities, as well. The sergeants (O.I.C. or officer in charge) who’ve led my unit have been men, women, gay, lesbian, straight, African-American, Asian, Anglo, Hispanic, people who have learned justice at universities and those who’ve learned it on the streets.

You see some of this multiplicity reflected in crime fiction today but not enough. That’s why it’s refreshing to read authors with real experience like our own James O. In FIELD OF FIRE, protagonist Alex Duarte, who is a tad compulsive about where he leaves his Glock (hmmm...), is an ATF agent who rooms with his brother in an apartment above his parent’s garage. I love the family set up because it feels real. As most of you know, James O is a special agent with the Florida Department of Law Enforcement and has also worked as an agent with the DEA and as a deputy marshal with the U.S. Marshals Service. He had credentials.


In my experience, law enforcement types hate it when books or movies get it wrong. I suppose any reader with insider knowledge or expertise would object, as well. When I read police procedurals about the LAPD, I'm hyper-alert, especially for terminology.

Here are a couple of words you rarely hear members of "The Department" say: (1) Cop. I’ve heard “copper” used but only when officers talk among themselves. Most say police officer. If you asked one of them what they do, I'm guessing they'll say police officer. They refer to a fellow officer by his or her name or their rank, i.e., “He’s a P-3 at Wilshire.” Sergeants in charge of my unit were usually called just plain “Sarg.” They also have nicknames for each other, but mostly I can't go into that. Too bad. Some of them are pretty interesting. (2) Perp. I have never heard a member of the LAPD use this word. Not to say some don't, but in L.A. the term generally used is “suspect.”

Working for the LAPD is the most fun I've ever had working for free (well, almost for free). I love hanging out with these people, because for the most part you know who they are and where they stand. They appreciate what little I contribute and aren't afraid to tell me so. I recently went to a retirement party for a friend who was leaving The Department after thirty-five years “on the job." That’s a long time. He was ready to go. Most of the people who attended the party were interesting enough to be a protagonist in somebody's novel.

There were many funny and touching moments during the evening, most notably when my friend’s two sons spoke about their dad. I also noticed there was a lot of hugging going on. I got in a few good ones myself. Maybe people were thinking ahead to their own retirement parties, imagining their kids in front of a crowd saying things that made people's eyes mist. Or maybe they were just wondering if they’d survive long enough to retire.

What's the most fun you ever had working for free or what seemed like free?

Happy Labor Day!