The Cops Are Robbers: A Convicted Cop's True Story of Police Corruption

by Gerald W. Clemente, Kevin Stevens

A former police captain describes how he and two other policemen became involved in a bank robbery

Genres: Nonfiction

234 pages, Hardcover

First published July 1, 1987

Reviews

[Mads · Rating 5 out of 5]

What an intriguing book! Since I frequent the restaurant Salvatore’s & I am a Medford resident, I figured it would be worth a read since people are always asking about the Depositors Trust robbery in 1980. I did not realize how corrupt the police force was in Medford and Metropolitan Boston. From other robberies to drug dealing within the force, it was very corrupt and crazy to read about. I found it very intriguing. I wonder how corrupt the force is these days. I rented the book from Medford Public since it is out of rotation!

[Katie · Rating 3 out of 5]

So, I found this interesting because I live a five-minute walk from where the robbery took place and I knew where most of the places mentioned in the book are. I'm not sure anyone without that connection would find it quite as interesting. But it is a pretty straightforward account from a crooked cop about how the whole thing went down. And wow, Clemente is a sociopathic asshole. (Or was? I think he's still alive. I think at this point he'd be in his early nineties and probably out of prison.) He doesn't seem to be sorry about anything except getting caught, and I guess about the corruption of the police in general. And then he's weirdly self-righteous about other things- he's like, I did all this other corrupt stuff but NOT DRUGS! At least I didn't get into drugs!

There is one pretty big thing that the book doesn't mention, and I'm not sure whether it's because the information hadn't come out when the book was written or if it was left out on purpose. One of the perpetrators, alarm expert Arthur "Bucky" Barrett, disappeared in 1983. Turns out he was murdered by none other than Whitey Bulger- some of the jewels in the safes that were stolen belonged to the mob.

[Bo · Rating 5 out of 5]

if you didn't grow up there then you wouldn't understand my father had a safety deposit box in that bank and some of the cops were pretty good. the book is absolutely fact checked but dont think you know everything. Ask YOURSELVES why was it taken ileagely taken out of circulation.?

[Nanci Robertson · Rating 3 out of 5]

Sad that the police departments fostered so much corruption back in the 1980's. Hope they are more honest & reliable today. A good story, but the author indicates little concern that about the impact his robberies had on its victims.

[Kasey Deschler · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a super engaging true story about the depths of police corruption in the ladder half of the 20th century. 200 pages never felt longer than this story and that is thanks to the foreshadowing and clif hangers sprinkled throughout.

[Reggie · Rating 4 out of 5]

I was turned onto this book when I worked for the Commonwealth of Massachusetts. A coworker who was a long time employee for the state told me about this story of corrupt polices pulling off a bank heist right in our own backyard. I was hooked and hunted down a copy of this book. I'm glad I did! A fascinating tale about crime and corruption in Massachusetts!

[Jean · Rating 3 out of 5]

I had a special interest in this book, as I worked for Depositors Trust Co. for awhile, albeit at the branch in South Medford. For those of you who are intrigued by Boston mobsters, crooked cops, this is a fun read....

[Amy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great book....typical Medford!

[Jane H · Rating 4 out of 5]

Totally not my usual genre, but I found this fascinating. Partially due to the local history, and partially due to the conversational writing style.

[Marilyn · Rating 2 out of 5]

If you live in Medford, this is fascinating!