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Alameda County Sheriff's Office
9781467160803
Regular price $24.99 Sale price $18.74 Save 25%In 1853, Alameda County was formed on the eastern shore of San Francisco Bay. On the land route to the California goldfields, the primarily agricultural county had problems with cattle rustling and thievery. It had the reputation of being one of the most lawless areas around. From famous lawmen like Harry Morse to infamous outlaws like Joaquin Murietta, the sheriff and deputies of Alameda County had their hands full. As the county changed, so did the law enforcement challenges. By the 20th century, the sheriff’s office was dealing with antiwar demonstrations, riots, kidnappings, suburban and rural crime, earthquakes, and other disasters that found the men and women of
county law enforcement always ready to respond. Often the challenges became newsworthy. During the 1960s and 1970s, the sheriff’s office riot squad became internationally known as the “Blue Meanies.”
Steven Minniear, a local historian, collected and assembled photographs and information from throughout Alameda County to bring to light the forgotten stories of the sheriff’s office. Many of these previously unseen photographs come from the Alameda County Sheriff’s Archive. In that process, he uncovered the lost stories and forgotten incidents that shaped the office and the communities it serves.
Los Angeles Police Department
9780738530253
Regular price $24.99 Sale price $18.74 Save 25%
No police force in history has gained as much fame and notoriety as the Los Angeles Police Department. The acronym LAPD is practically synonymous with the idea of professional law enforcement. The men in blue who patrol Hollywood and the sprawling metropolis of L.A. have been investigated by screenwriters more times than vice versa. With more than 9,300 sworn officers today, the LAPD endures seemingly endless controversies and media circuses. But then there's the other side of L.A.'s protective shield--the story of the force's evolution alongside the spectacular growth of its unique melting-pot city. This book's rare and often never-before-published photographs focus on that side: the excitement, danger, tragedy, and comedy of everyday beat cops and workaday detectives--with concessions to their limelight representations, including Jack Webb's Dragnet and Adam-12.
California Highway Patrol
9780738556208
Regular price $23.99 Sale price $17.99 Save 25%
The California Highway Patrol has its roots in the early 1920s motorcycle traffic cops employed by counties and cities. The CHP became a separate state entity in 1929 and has grown from the early traffic enforcement role to that of one of the premier law enforcement agencies in the United States. Their responsibilities range from patrolling the freeways and county roads of California to providing security for the state capital and other state buildings to protecting the governor and visiting dignitaries from around the world. The CHP has marshaled its forces to restore and maintain peace in times of war, civil unrest, or natural disasters.
The San Jose Police Department
9781467131247
Regular price $24.99 Sale price $18.74 Save 25%
Originally known as San Jose de Guadalupe, San Jose was ruled by Mexico until 1848, when, after the Mexican-American War, California joined the United States of America. In 1849, the newly elected government appointed a chief of police, and the San Jose Police Department was born. Its mission has been to respond to the distinctive needs of the community from the early agricultural age to today's high technology age. The San Jose Police Department has been a leader in law enforcement technology and training and is considered a model for modern police departments. Today, with a thousand sworn officers and 200 support personnel, the San Jose Police Department serves over a million citizens in the city and polices an area of over 180 square miles. The wonderful photographs compiled over the department's history illustrate the efforts of the hundreds of men and women who built the San Jose Police Department into one of the premier law enforcement agencies in the United States.
San Diego Police Department
9780738529981
Regular price $24.99 Sale price $18.74 Save 25%
The San Diego Police Department dates to 1889, when out-of-control crime forced the end of the highly ineffective city marshal's office. With violence on every corner and Tombstone's venerable Wyatt Earp running the marshals' gambling interests, change was desperately needed. But the first days of the SDPD weren't easy. Within two years of its formation, the city's economy tanked, 36,000 of the town's 40,000 citizens left, and the department's newly appointed chief refused to take the job. Still, San Diego
eventually developed into one of the nation's largest cities and most popular tourist destination--a multifaceted metropolis perched between the extremes of Los Angeles and Mexico, the Pacific Ocean and the desert. Today more than 2,000 highly trained sworn SDPD officers, 700 support staff, and more than 1,000 volunteers form one of the world's most innovative and internationally recognized police forces.
eventually developed into one of the nation's largest cities and most popular tourist destination--a multifaceted metropolis perched between the extremes of Los Angeles and Mexico, the Pacific Ocean and the desert. Today more than 2,000 highly trained sworn SDPD officers, 700 support staff, and more than 1,000 volunteers form one of the world's most innovative and internationally recognized police forces.
San Diego Police
9780738595481
Regular price $24.99 Sale price $18.74 Save 25%
A Pacific Coast metropolis famous for beautiful beaches and perfect weather and an American municipality since 1850, San Diego is America's eighth-largest city. Known as America's "Finest City," it contains a wealth of history--evolutionary as well as revolutionary--in its crime files. Among those are the founder of the California wine industry, Judge Roy Bean, a black officer before the Emancipation Proclamation, a 19th-century Native American police chief, and women who had the power to arrest before they had the right to vote. Major incidents include massive floods, civil unrest, wildfires, and some of the largest police gun battles in history. San Diego also witnessed mass murder, America's first major school shooting, the worst aviation disaster in American history, and the deadliest streets, per capita, to police. How the San Diego Police Department (SDPD) handled it all became textbook for many other police agencies.
San Francisco Police Department
9780738528984
Regular price $24.99 Sale price $18.74 Save 25%
The officers of the San Francisco Police Department would be the first to tell you that police work in this city is nothing like Dirty Harry, The Streets of San Francisco, or Nash Bridges. It's a gritty reality, occasionally infused with glamour, but always characterized by the innovation and unusual proceedings found as a matter of course in this unique city. The department was established in 1849, when the population surge from the Gold Rush created a desperate need for law enforcement. An initial 35-member force was formed to protect over 20,000 residents. Since then, the SFPD has presided over notorious events, including the case of the Zodiac Killer, Zebra Murders, the Patty Hearst Hibernia Bank robbery, the 1975 assassination attempt on President Gerald Ford, and the Golden Dragon Restaurant and 101 California Street Massacres. While the SFPD story includes a gruesome and sometimes scandalous past, its dedicated officers continue to provide a positive and invaluable service to the diverse metropolitan community of San Francisco.
San Luis Obispo County Sheriff's Department
9780738575452
Regular price $24.99 Sale price $18.74 Save 25%
Since 1850, the San Luis Obispo County Sheriff's Department has proudly served the community as the chief law enforcement agency. The office of sheriff was originally created by the California Constitution to meet the public safety needs of each county. From horseback to gigabit, the sheriff and his deputies have responded to the needs of the citizens by providing the highest quality of protection. While the manner in which service is delivered has changed significantly since 1850, the quality of protection has remained high throughout history and is chronicled in this unique portrayal.
Torrance Police Department
9780738547947
Regular price $24.99 Sale price $18.74 Save 25%
The Torrance Police Department dates to May 23, 1921, when city trustees appointed Ben Olsen as city marshal and, shortly thereafter, hired Byron Anderson as night watchman. The efforts of these men were devoted to dealing with thieves, keeping the peace, and "declaring war on speedsters." From such humble beginnings, the Torrance Police Department has grown into the fourth largest municipal law enforcement agency in Los Angeles County. Its position as the anchoring police force of the South Bay section of the county and its reputation as an innovator in crime fighting have been firmly established over time. Today, with a total of 242 sworn and 100 support personnel, the highly regarded Torrance Police Department serves more than 142,000 inhabitants in 21 square miles.
Redondo Beach Police Department
9780738581644
Regular price $24.99 Sale price $18.74 Save 25%
The Redondo Beach Police Department dates to May 9, 1892, when Marshall S. Rogers was appointed as the city's first marshal. One of the first city ordinances prohibited the discharge of firearms within city limits and provided the option for hiring of a deputy "if needed." He was needed, of course, as the city would grow into a major West Coast resort by the 1920s. The department adapted through the changes brought on by the Depression, World War II, and the postwar boom, serving and protecting citizens and fighting crime both unique to beach-city life as well as changing times while enforcing all laws for residents and tourists alike across the dawns of two centuries. In the 21st century, more than 250 sworn officers, support personnel, and volunteers serve one of Southern California's most respected and innovative departments.
San Diego Harbor Police
9781467132428
Regular price $24.99 Sale price $18.74 Save 25%
The San Diego Harbor Police Department has proudly provided more than 50 years of law enforcement. From its humble beginnings as a small security force formed after World War II to protect San Diego imports to the modern and sophisticated police force it is today, the San Diego Harbor Police Department serves as a shining example of the exciting and important role law enforcement plays in the development of a busy 21st-century city. Through a stunning collection of never-before-seen photographs, this book tells the story of the officers who have served and protected one of America's most historic and vital harbors. History lovers, police aficionados, and San Diego locals and visitors will be fascinated by the photographs within, which document the department's history from 1934 through its 1962 transition into the San Diego Unified Port District of today.
Oakland Police Department
9780738547268
Regular price $24.99 Sale price $18.74 Save 25%
The California legislature granted a charter to the new community of Oakland in 1862, and a year later, the town council appointed three peace officers. When it was a dusty Western town, Oakland's major business was raising cattle to feed San Franciscans and the gold miners north of Sacramento. Year by year, as Oakland grew in size and population, the police department grew with it. The Oakland Police Department pioneered the use of call boxes, police cars, and other technical innovations. It has served the city well through good times and bad, wars, fires, and earthquakes. A large, diverse organization serving a complex multicultural city, the Oakland Police Department today accepts the challenges of policing in the 21st century.
Napa County Police
9780738547527
Regular price $24.99 Sale price $18.74 Save 25%
The story of organized law enforcement in Napa County begins with the very first meeting of the board of supervisors in 1850 and the appointment of a county sheriff and marshals for each township. The
foundations for progress and prosperity in place, Napa County grew from a remote agricultural outpost to the preeminent wine-growing region in the United States and a booming tourist destination--and policing
has kept pace. Today, in addition to the Napa Sheriff's Department, the county is protected by the California Highway Patrol and three police departments: Napa, St. Helena, and Calistoga. Specialized police agencies have also grown out of unique needs, including the Napa State Hospital Police, Railroad Police, and Community College Police.
foundations for progress and prosperity in place, Napa County grew from a remote agricultural outpost to the preeminent wine-growing region in the United States and a booming tourist destination--and policing
has kept pace. Today, in addition to the Napa Sheriff's Department, the county is protected by the California Highway Patrol and three police departments: Napa, St. Helena, and Calistoga. Specialized police agencies have also grown out of unique needs, including the Napa State Hospital Police, Railroad Police, and Community College Police.
The Benicia State Capitol
9781467143844
Regular price $21.99 Sale price $16.49 Save 25%
In February 1853, Benicia was chosen as the third capital of the new state of California. Along with San Jose, Vallejo and Sacramento, Benicia had been vying for the honor of hosting the legislature, and competition was fierce. Benicia was not the first choice, nor did it have what many politicians considered critical amenities, but it had something the others didn’t: a beautiful, Greek-style capitol building available for use. Political rivalries and land disputes would eventually cause Sacramento to be awarded the capital, but for nearly thirteen months, Benicia held that distinction. Author James E. Lessenger provides an inside look at the politics at play in the fledgling Golden State and their effect on the ambitions of Benicia.
