William Dunn Books

BOOT: An LAPD Officer's Rookie Year in South Central Los Angeles

BOOT, William Dunn's journal of his first year as a Los Angeles Police Officer in South Central Los Angeles and a bestseller when it was first published in 1997, has gone on to become a virtual bible for prospective law enforcement officers. Not only does it introduce with remarkable clarity the dangers and issues that are common to the street cop, it also brings alive the anxiety, frustration and personal exploration that forge the crucible of a police officers' character development. With the graduation of each Academy Class, a new crop of officers hits the streets to begin an intense, often grueling, sometimes harrowing year as a probationary year. There are car chases, gang

fights, and simple crimes that turn into situations that are not that simple. With remarkable insight into both his fellow officers and himself, Dunn leads us through the ups and downs, the small triumphs and tragedies of the year, in an absorbing and thought-provoking narrative that teaches the reader not only about policing and the LAPD, but also about the human beings who make them what they are.

BOOT: An LAPD Officer's Rookie Year in South Central Los Angeles

Barnes and Noble Link

Amazon Link

(Click a link to purchase book)

Gangs of Los Angeles

From the Multi-ethnic Gangs of 1890's Los Angeles to the contemporary street scene, this detailed account by best selling author and real life gang cop William Dunn is more then a simple recounting of the history of LA's gang problem; it is an eye popping examination of the culture itself and the police department tasked to combat it.

Starting with a tale about the Gangs of 19th Century New York and Sicily, Dunn then transports one to LA's early juvenile delinquent gangs, then brings them step-by-step, gunshot-by-gunshot, into the age of modern drug gang warfare. Included are detailed accounts from early
n

Sonoratown and Dogtown, the oft-forgotten Happy Valley Gang Wars of 1939, the Sleepy Lagoon Murder and the Zoot Suit Riots, the origins of Outlaw Motorcycle Gangs like the Satans Slaves, the early Mexican Mafia, Surrenos, the Crips, Men Of Blood (MOB), the ultra-violent La Mara Salvatrucha, Zetas, Kabiles, and on to the future of gang warfare. Interspersed throughout are personal interviews, as well as an examination of the programs and policies of LA's gang battles - both past and present - including those that worked, those that did not, and those that actually facilitated gangster growth; all written i in Dunn's fast paced, staccato style that made "BOOT" a hit!

Dunn is a true gang expert who has been in the trenchs; he weaves a historical fabric that is multilayed and inciteful. A must read for policymakers, law enforcement officers or anyone concerned about the future of America's gang phenomenon.

Double click to edit