by Jack Maple, Chris Mitchell
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Product Description
Former NYPD Deputy Commissioner Jack Maple was a man in a bow tie and homburg--he was also on a mission to revolutionize the way crime is fought: how cops go after crooks, and how they prevent crime in the first place. And he succeeded.
But Maple is not satisfied. In The Crime Fighter, he shows how crime can be attacked all across America. Laced with fascinating, incredible, and often very funny tales of Maple's adventures as a cop, the book is as entertaining as it is informative. Anyone interested in how criminals think and act, and how the police should do their jobs, will devour this absorbing book.
Amazon.com Review
Jack Maple was a former NYPD transit cop who found himself appointed deputy commissioner in 1993. Upon assuming his new office, the erstwhile Don Quixote of urban crime led a charge to reform the way cops go about their everyday business--namely, busting the bad guys. Amazingly, Maple succeeded, and New York's crime rate--previously spiraling out of control--took a 39 percent tumble within two years of his ascension to policymaker, with murders alone falling an astounding 50 percent. The Crime Fighter is the story of a regular beat cop with big ideas, and Maple's fast-paced, two-fisted tone helps punctuate an often madcap assortment of recollections. Maple's an unusual character to say the least, a somewhat rotund dandy who sports a bow tie and derby in public and nurtures a reputation as a gourmand. He takes the lion's share of credit for NYC's reduction in crime, but almost in an offhand, good-sportish way, rather than incessantly beating his own drum. He'd rather tell tales about the time he chewed out the chief ("I'll be damned if I'm going to start looking over my shoulder because of a guy down here wearing Ricky Nelson suits") or the time he played up his hemorrhoid problems to goad a prisoner into making a confession. Once he gets past his active days on the beat, Maple settles down into a steady rhythm, systematically laying out the obstacles he faced in trying to get his department to fight crime in an orderly, sensible manner, and then explaining the process whereby he went right ahead and did it. (The COMSTAT system he devised for storing and tracking crime information is now standard operating procedure in many police departments across the country.) The Crime Fighter never gets bogged down in its own grandeur--on the contrary, parts of Maple's look back read like good Elmore Leonard-type crime fiction, and several passages are so beautifully absurd that it takes a supreme effort of will to remember that, yes, a cop really wrote that. --Tjames Madison
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Average Customer Review:
0 of 0 people found the following review helpful:
 Crime Fighter: How You Can Make Your Community Crime Free, 2007-12-25
Maple's book is interesting reading. His big-city experience and get tough approach to crime get and keep your attention. His ideas for rounding up criminals and thoroughly investigating all leads on a cases should be routine police work for all agencies in the United States.
You hear what Maple wants you to hear in this book - no matter how impractical it may be for your community. NYPD has staggering resources compared to any other law enforcement agency in the U.S. It has the ability to throw officers at problems that makes most other agencies' mouths water. It is a good big-city approach and has some practical application for jurisdictions of all sizes.
My rating is four stars for both entertainment value and some key points that would improve almost any law enforcement agency.
0 of 0 people found the following review helpful:
 Read Jack Maple's book now and here is why..., 2007-12-02
Jack Maple's analogy comparing the NYPD to a company like General Motors back in 1923 when GM was a big conglomerate minus a unified management was visionary and key now more than ever because the NYPD post 9-11 has to fight terrorism along with ever expanding population and complicated issues of city living. Technology like Compstat, communication, and leadership that William Bratton and his team layed down was very an important foundation at the time for lowering the crime rate and improving the quality of life and post 9-11 even more so with a greater need for tech, teamwork, communication and creative dynamic thinkers like Maple.
Jack Maple includes "A Cannon for Crime Free Communities" which is still right on but I would amp it up with the newest technology including his idea about tv and I would add community outreach, safety tips and building relations instead of just catching perps. He also gives a nod to Commish Kelly and if you read this book you will want to read William Bratton's "Turnaround".
My favorite story is Jack catching a crook that involved the subway, a taxi ride and put it this way, Jack Maple was not built like a sprinter but he had the heart of a gold medalist Olympic sprinter when he ran down those steps and caught the perp. Maple redines the word "motivated". Jack Maple educates readers while entertaining them and includes analogies to history like this one, "...when the Roman army was in deep decline, the great military adviser Vegetius laid much of the blame on deteriorating recruitment standards..." Jack Maple is now in Heaven having passed away from cancer. Last night I saw a large group of NYPD cars lining up for some anti-terrorism drill and I was deeply moved. I treasure this book with the cover picture of his bearded face, homburg and bow tie, and he dedicated this book to "...all victims of violent crime, particularly those cops who died for the greater good of all. Jack Maple stated, "All cops must be well recruited, well trained, well equipped, well paid, and well supervised." True and now more than ever here in NYC, now more than ever.
p.s. Maple was enchanted with the "A list", loved to hang out at Elaines and even admited to mortgaging his house so he could "A list". He dressed like he was auditioning for "Guys and Dolls" but he truly was a star, dynamic thinker and beyond motivated.
0 of 3 people found the following review helpful:
 Political nonsense!, 2006-11-17
I'm a police officer for a local agency in California, and this book was mandatory reading for the sergeants test. I've heard from other officers that this book was nonsense, but I approached the book with an open mind and read it anyways.
It was a very tough read for me, because it was just a bunch of war stories about the author telling the reader how awesome he is.
There are a lot of good things in the book that I agreed with. However these practices have been done in law enforcement before Jack Maple was even a police officer, and he steals the credit for these accomplishments.
Because this is the latest trend in law enforcement, every politician and police administrator must have this book. But in short, just use the word "Community Policeing" in your grant writing, and your agency will get the money.
0 of 0 people found the following review helpful:
The Real Deal, 2005-10-22
This is an excellent book. Citizens need to make sure that their local politicians are aware of it. We need to hold them accountable for improving police procedures so that crime is reduced and everyone's quality of life improves. Jack Maple lays it all out clearly. We just need to do it.
0 of 3 people found the following review helpful:
good transaction, 2005-10-01
The book was shipped to me relatively fast and in good condition, thanks.
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