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The Coppers' Lot: Frontline Policing in the UK
Policing is a uniquely dangerous, harrowing and challenging profession where officers are expected to do far more than prevent and detect crime. To be a police officer is also to be a social worker, marriage guidance counsellor, mental health worker and medic.”
Offering incredible true stories from the front line of policing, The Coppers' Lot is a compelling insight into what it takes to be a police officer in Britain in the 21st century. The extraordinary experiences recounted include:
The heroic officer who continued to put his life in grave danger as he pursued marauding terrorists wearing suicide vests, while they indiscriminatingly stabbed members of the public.
The undercover officer who targeted organised crime groups and drug dealers.
The courageous officer who regularly tackled knife crime head on, saving several lives.
The intense feeling of elation when an officer discovered key evidence to convict a murdering paedophile.
The officer who, trapped alone and disarmed with a violent man, persevered despite being in fear of her life as her radio was thrown away leaving no means of summoning help.
Taking readers on a ride along with the exceptional men and women who have sacrificed so much whilst protecting and serving their communities, these officers reveal, often in their own words, just how much policing has changed from the traditional notion of the bobby on the beat.
Offering incredible true stories from the front line of policing, The Coppers' Lot is a compelling insight into what it takes to be a police officer in Britain in the 21st century. The extraordinary experiences recounted include:
The heroic officer who continued to put his life in grave danger as he pursued marauding terrorists wearing suicide vests, while they indiscriminatingly stabbed members of the public.
The undercover officer who targeted organised crime groups and drug dealers.
The courageous officer who regularly tackled knife crime head on, saving several lives.
The intense feeling of elation when an officer discovered key evidence to convict a murdering paedophile.
The officer who, trapped alone and disarmed with a violent man, persevered despite being in fear of her life as her radio was thrown away leaving no means of summoning help.
Taking readers on a ride along with the exceptional men and women who have sacrificed so much whilst protecting and serving their communities, these officers reveal, often in their own words, just how much policing has changed from the traditional notion of the bobby on the beat.
171 pages, Paperback
Published February 1, 2023
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Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews
April 5, 2023
Wow. What a lot to digest. With all the negative press the police receive, it’s sobering to learn that it’s estimated that a serving police officer commits suicide every two weeks, and perhaps 1 in 5 have suffered from symptoms of PTSD.
This is not a regular job, of course: the incidents and scenes that cops respond to are often harrowing, violent and distressing. The various contributors talk about, amongst other things, terror attacks, decomposing bodies, armed and dangerous drug dealers—as well as structurally created stress such as long-running internal investigation and failure of senior personnel to adequately address mental health issues.
My overwhelming feeling listening to these stories was sadness: not only for those brave officers who had been injured in the line of duty, but also for those who had been forced out through no fault of their own, every one of whom had wanted to make the streets safer and do their best for victims.
A very worthy book that I recommend to anyone—especially those who view the police in a negative light.
This is not a regular job, of course: the incidents and scenes that cops respond to are often harrowing, violent and distressing. The various contributors talk about, amongst other things, terror attacks, decomposing bodies, armed and dangerous drug dealers—as well as structurally created stress such as long-running internal investigation and failure of senior personnel to adequately address mental health issues.
My overwhelming feeling listening to these stories was sadness: not only for those brave officers who had been injured in the line of duty, but also for those who had been forced out through no fault of their own, every one of whom had wanted to make the streets safer and do their best for victims.
A very worthy book that I recommend to anyone—especially those who view the police in a negative light.
July 18, 2026
Enjoyed reading this book, emphasised what the job really is like. The blurb made it sounds like it was going to be stories from exciting jobs but focused very much on mental health… which is important but repetitive in this book! Still a good read!
Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews