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400 Things Cops Know: Street-Smart Lessons from a Veteran Patrolman
How does it feel to be in a high-speed car chase? What is it like to shoot someone? What do cops really think about the citizens they serve? Nearly everyone has wondered what its like to be a police officer, but no civilian really understands what happens on the job. 400 Things Cops Know shows police work on the inside, from the viewpoint of the regular cop on the beata profession that can range from rewarding to bizarre to terrifying, all within the course of an eight-hour shift. Written by veteran police sergeant Adam Plantinga, 400 Things Cops Know brings the reader into life the way cops experience ita life of danger, frustration, occasional triumph, and plenty of grindingly hard routine work. In a laconic, no-nonsense, dryly humorous style, Plantinga tells what hes learned from 13 years as a patrolman, from the everyday to the exotichow to know at a glance when a suspect is carrying a weapon or is going to attack, how to kick a door down, how to drive in a car chase without recklessly endangering the public, why you should always carry cigarettes, even if you dont smoke (offering a smoke is the best way to lure a suicide to safety), and what to do if you find a severed limb (dont put it on iceyou need to keep it dry.) 400 Things Cops Know deglamorizes police work, showing the gritty, stressful, sometimes disgusting reality of life on patrol, from the possibility of infectioncriminals dont always practice good hygieneto the physical, psychological, and emotional toll of police work. Plantinga shows what cops experience of death, the legal system, violence, prostitution, drug use, the social causes and consequences of crime, alcoholism, and more. Sometimes heartbreaking and often hilarious, 400 Things Cops Know is an eye-opening revelation of what life on the beat is really all about.
194 pages, Kindle Edition
First published January 1, 2014
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January 31, 2015
PLOT | Don't let the economical cover design and link-bait sounding title fool you, 400 Things Cops Know is requisite reading for a better understanding of law enforcement, as well as for learning about problems endemic to urban American life. The book is written by Adam Plantinga, an active Sergeant in San Francisco, who boasts fifteen years experience shared between two different urban departments. He breaks policing down into its loosely-defined components, and then writes a number of aphorisms and anecdotes specific to each part of these law enforcement components. Examples include: officer-involved shootings and use of force, vehicle and foot chases, working with juveniles, dealing with dead bodies, and making arrests.
The book is titled numerically because Plantinga includes four hundred paragraph-length, and sometimes page-length, pieces of wisdom about his profession. His writing is a very entertaining mix of stories from the job, insider information about officer best-practices, and insight into some of the problems with society that involve police. On this last point, despite being a part of law enforcement and having cause to be bitter about one-dimensional media representations and bitter towards citizens who are not always thankful for police service, Plantinga is very sensitive and even-handed. He is honest in his assessment of the mistakes made by individual officers and their departments, and equally honest in his indictment of those who choose to commit crime.
ANALYSIS | Officers refer to their profession as "front row seats to the greatest show on earth," and it's these same stories that frequently fascinate people, regardless of if they do or do not like law enforcement. Needless to say, I was pleasantly surprised when the two things I liked most about 400 Things Cops Know were NOT the gritty stories. Plantinga's prose is so on point, his ethical compass so due north, his writing so funny (without being mean-spirited), that he comes off like Richard Russo in Straight Man, or like a non self-deprecating Tim Kreider circa We Learn Nothing. His writing has a literary quality, evidenced by strong and creative similes (ex: "Considering who to arrest is a lot like fishing. You gotta throw some back."), a clear authorial voice, and pockets of descriptive beauty (ex: When describing walking through a naturally deceased persons home, he describes household items as "The things that people gather to show that this is who they are and this is what they did.").
Lantinga, pairing his masterful writing with political tact, is not afraid to address problems that must be dealt with, problems that belong to officers and citizens alike. He doesn't bring up specific controversies, the Michael Browns of days past; rather, he discusses poverty, recidivism, misguided youth, boredom, drugs, mental illness, and all of the other problems tomorrows criminals must suffer. Plantinga doesn't pretend to be the solution, or even have an idea of what a solution would look like, for most of these problems. When discussing serious mental illness, he sort of shrugs, saying, "All I can really come up with is that it's nice not to be them". The only time he really buries his spade is in discussion of personal responsibility, and even then, he makes it clear that an officer is not the exception, but the rule, in this matter.
QUOTES | The following are some of my favorite quotes from the book, and I've included them to help give you sense of Plantinga's skill as a writer (I've tried to give a context for each quote, but I probably failed):
* On leaving a HAZMAT [hazardous materials] situation up to the Fire Department: "It wouldn’t kill the firefighters to take an occasional break from surfing Match.com at the station house or primping for next year’s calendar to get out there and work for a living." (Section 3, #17)
* An empathetic section on having to arrest a Juvenile: "You snap back to reality as you book the thirteen-year-old auto thief. Food is stuck in his hair and he smells bad. He lives with his grandma because he doesn’t know his father and his mother is in prison for the next decade. When you’re filling out your arrest paperwork and ask him how to spell his middle name, he takes a stab at it before admitting he’s not sure. You stare at him, trying to penetrate his thoughts, to mentally peel open his brain to see what’s going on in there. To see if he’s going to make it. And you don’t know. What you do know is that, for better or worse, he’s the future." (Section 5, #17)
* On a police officer's attitude about death, after having done numerous death investigations: "As a police officer, you are put in situations where you can do right by a person simply by showing common decency. You are in just as many situations where you can do them a grievous wrong by its absence."* AND *"It comes down to this - you're sorry that person is dead. You're glad you're still going." (Section 13, #6 and #14 respectively)
* On officer integrity, and being truthful in case reports: "But you can’t quite get on board with that approach. Because you know that if you step over the line to make a case stick, next time the line will get pushed back further still. And soon enough, you will be one of those people who wonder how it all came to this. You’ve seen it happen to other cops you used to respect. Cops who made a series of terrible choices, each one worse than the next, until they watched hell open up beneath their feet. Sure, you can lose a case because you put in your report that you didn’t see the suspect drop the drugs or the gun. But honesty will last longer than that case. Honesty will mean more. Your word has to be good. You have to stand for something. So you leave the lying to the criminals. They’re better at it than you anyways." (Section 19, #29)
CONCLUSION | Police officers, deservedly and not, are at the center of many of our most pressing political debates: gun control, acceptable ranges of use of force, dealing with the mentally ill, localized poverty, profiling, and so forth. Just once though, it may be worth looking at the occupation from the point of view of an officer, one of civilization's sanitation engineers who "has always wanted a job that other people didn't want, or couldn't do, or were too scared to do well". If people were to better understand the things required of an officer, maybe we would be more forgiving of decisions made in situations where there are no right answers, just available (and inevitably disheartening) solutions.
TL;DR | If you want a well-written, funny, and uplifting book about the realities of being an effective police officer in an urban setting, look no further. Sergeant Plantinga will deliver that and more, and you'll have a deeper appreciation for social problems that are without cause or solution by the end.
The book is titled numerically because Plantinga includes four hundred paragraph-length, and sometimes page-length, pieces of wisdom about his profession. His writing is a very entertaining mix of stories from the job, insider information about officer best-practices, and insight into some of the problems with society that involve police. On this last point, despite being a part of law enforcement and having cause to be bitter about one-dimensional media representations and bitter towards citizens who are not always thankful for police service, Plantinga is very sensitive and even-handed. He is honest in his assessment of the mistakes made by individual officers and their departments, and equally honest in his indictment of those who choose to commit crime.
ANALYSIS | Officers refer to their profession as "front row seats to the greatest show on earth," and it's these same stories that frequently fascinate people, regardless of if they do or do not like law enforcement. Needless to say, I was pleasantly surprised when the two things I liked most about 400 Things Cops Know were NOT the gritty stories. Plantinga's prose is so on point, his ethical compass so due north, his writing so funny (without being mean-spirited), that he comes off like Richard Russo in Straight Man, or like a non self-deprecating Tim Kreider circa We Learn Nothing. His writing has a literary quality, evidenced by strong and creative similes (ex: "Considering who to arrest is a lot like fishing. You gotta throw some back."), a clear authorial voice, and pockets of descriptive beauty (ex: When describing walking through a naturally deceased persons home, he describes household items as "The things that people gather to show that this is who they are and this is what they did.").
Lantinga, pairing his masterful writing with political tact, is not afraid to address problems that must be dealt with, problems that belong to officers and citizens alike. He doesn't bring up specific controversies, the Michael Browns of days past; rather, he discusses poverty, recidivism, misguided youth, boredom, drugs, mental illness, and all of the other problems tomorrows criminals must suffer. Plantinga doesn't pretend to be the solution, or even have an idea of what a solution would look like, for most of these problems. When discussing serious mental illness, he sort of shrugs, saying, "All I can really come up with is that it's nice not to be them". The only time he really buries his spade is in discussion of personal responsibility, and even then, he makes it clear that an officer is not the exception, but the rule, in this matter.
QUOTES | The following are some of my favorite quotes from the book, and I've included them to help give you sense of Plantinga's skill as a writer (I've tried to give a context for each quote, but I probably failed):
* On leaving a HAZMAT [hazardous materials] situation up to the Fire Department: "It wouldn’t kill the firefighters to take an occasional break from surfing Match.com at the station house or primping for next year’s calendar to get out there and work for a living." (Section 3, #17)
* An empathetic section on having to arrest a Juvenile: "You snap back to reality as you book the thirteen-year-old auto thief. Food is stuck in his hair and he smells bad. He lives with his grandma because he doesn’t know his father and his mother is in prison for the next decade. When you’re filling out your arrest paperwork and ask him how to spell his middle name, he takes a stab at it before admitting he’s not sure. You stare at him, trying to penetrate his thoughts, to mentally peel open his brain to see what’s going on in there. To see if he’s going to make it. And you don’t know. What you do know is that, for better or worse, he’s the future." (Section 5, #17)
* On a police officer's attitude about death, after having done numerous death investigations: "As a police officer, you are put in situations where you can do right by a person simply by showing common decency. You are in just as many situations where you can do them a grievous wrong by its absence."* AND *"It comes down to this - you're sorry that person is dead. You're glad you're still going." (Section 13, #6 and #14 respectively)
* On officer integrity, and being truthful in case reports: "But you can’t quite get on board with that approach. Because you know that if you step over the line to make a case stick, next time the line will get pushed back further still. And soon enough, you will be one of those people who wonder how it all came to this. You’ve seen it happen to other cops you used to respect. Cops who made a series of terrible choices, each one worse than the next, until they watched hell open up beneath their feet. Sure, you can lose a case because you put in your report that you didn’t see the suspect drop the drugs or the gun. But honesty will last longer than that case. Honesty will mean more. Your word has to be good. You have to stand for something. So you leave the lying to the criminals. They’re better at it than you anyways." (Section 19, #29)
CONCLUSION | Police officers, deservedly and not, are at the center of many of our most pressing political debates: gun control, acceptable ranges of use of force, dealing with the mentally ill, localized poverty, profiling, and so forth. Just once though, it may be worth looking at the occupation from the point of view of an officer, one of civilization's sanitation engineers who "has always wanted a job that other people didn't want, or couldn't do, or were too scared to do well". If people were to better understand the things required of an officer, maybe we would be more forgiving of decisions made in situations where there are no right answers, just available (and inevitably disheartening) solutions.
TL;DR | If you want a well-written, funny, and uplifting book about the realities of being an effective police officer in an urban setting, look no further. Sergeant Plantinga will deliver that and more, and you'll have a deeper appreciation for social problems that are without cause or solution by the end.
January 25, 2015
Had heard this is the "bible" for many crime writers & it did not disappoint. Alternately funny, grim and touching, really gives you an appreciation for what cops go through on the job.
Plantinga is a gifted writer & brings little snippets of the realities of a tough and often thankless profession into sharp relief.
If you like "The Wire," "Homicide," or crime fiction by Michael Connelly or George Pelecanos, this one's a keeper.
Plantinga is a gifted writer & brings little snippets of the realities of a tough and often thankless profession into sharp relief.
If you like "The Wire," "Homicide," or crime fiction by Michael Connelly or George Pelecanos, this one's a keeper.
December 28, 2014
Excellent reading, written by a person who knows the subject they're writing about. Anyone who is curious about police work or law enforcement culture ought to pick this book up and give it a scan. I've been doing research on crime and police action for a couple years now and I was enthralled by what I read here. The subject matter is presented in a forthright manner with a sprinkling of dry humor and tough-as-nails street poetry thrown in...The result is both easy and hard to read by turns, but always informative and always interesting.
You'll laugh, you'll wince, you'll be surprised and occasionally you'll have the urge to throw up, but one thing you won't be is bored.
I recommend it to crime fiction authors looking to inject a dose of realism into their work, as well as social activists who want to effectively critique the behavior of police departments. There is a lot to learn here.
You'll laugh, you'll wince, you'll be surprised and occasionally you'll have the urge to throw up, but one thing you won't be is bored.
I recommend it to crime fiction authors looking to inject a dose of realism into their work, as well as social activists who want to effectively critique the behavior of police departments. There is a lot to learn here.
October 5, 2014
Terrific book by a writer who is also a patrol officer and currently a sergeant. It reminded me of Homicide, with less tendency to go into editorializing. Humble and straightforward in its premise, "400 Things" puts you into the position of being a patrol officer better than any other book I know. A powerful mix of detail and broader theorizing, it is neatly broken into 400 paragraphs, in chapters with titles like "18 Things Cops Know About The Use of Force" or "28 Things Cops Know About Booze and Drugs". It's easy to read a bit at a time, but it's so good you'll want to keep going. Plantinga's style is dry and funny, but can carry serious emotional weight.
Note that this is from a small press. Buy it, and support small presses. People who like small publishers, people who like crime fiction and non-fiction, and police officers (I imagine) will be interested in this book.
Note that this is from a small press. Buy it, and support small presses. People who like small publishers, people who like crime fiction and non-fiction, and police officers (I imagine) will be interested in this book.
July 2, 2015
Well, if you ever wanted 400 reasons not to be a cop, this book has them. Although, I can just give you one reason: it will kill your soul.
As with 90% of the other reviewers here, I read this as a part of research for potential crime story writing.
I'd say it's a good start.
By the way, the little rivalry that they have between cops and firemen in Brooklyn Nine-Nine and every cop movie ever? Totally true. This author likes to sneak in jabs now and then at the boys in red.
As with 90% of the other reviewers here, I read this as a part of research for potential crime story writing.
I'd say it's a good start.
By the way, the little rivalry that they have between cops and firemen in Brooklyn Nine-Nine and every cop movie ever? Totally true. This author likes to sneak in jabs now and then at the boys in red.
July 26, 2015
Smart, funny, and useful -- should be on every mystery and crime writer's shelf. And they should take it down and browse it once in a while! Readers who don't write will find it full of intriguing law enforcement details, from the daily occurrences to the rare-but-noteworthy.
October 1, 2014
Sometimes I buy a book because I think it will be good for research in the future. I usually scan it, pick up and read random chapters and put it on the shelf. Then I bought 400 Things Cops Know: Street-Smart Lessons from a Veteran Patrolman by Adam Plantinga, I thought I'd follow the same pattern. So did not happen.
I don't know what I expected, but Plantinga delivered so much more information in a way that made this list of "things" a page turner. Well written with terrific organization, the book falls into chapters like "16 Things Cops Know about Booze and Drugs." Each chapter has a theme and a series of short entries. "You'll read about people on their fifth DUI conviction, their seventh, their ninth. It's enough to make you look around at the way other countries do things. Drive drunk in Finland and the punishment is a year of hard labor."
"If you encounter an assault victim in the 'hood who has been punched in the mouth and is missing teeth, ask him if his teeth were knocked out tonight or had they already been like that. It is a wholly appropriate question, for dental hygiene is one of many casualties of the urban environment."
For a writer, Plantinga's blunt and often humorous style should help us be better writers. Why? Because for one thing, he takes us inside a cop's head so we can look at the world through his eyes. Because he debunks so much of what we watch on television. It should come as no shock that the needs for visual drama trump policing procedures.
Take the Miranda bugaboo. Cops in real life don't immediately read a perp his rights. "As a police officer, you are required to read someone their rights only after they are in police custody and you have begun interrogating them about an offense. Custody plus interrogation equals Miranda, not before."
Chasing a perp isn't high on Plantinga's list of preferred activities. Many reasons. You don't usually stand a chance of catching a fleet-footed youth. You don't know what's around the corner and down an alley. You may have spent too much time at the Donut Diner. And female cops and detectives NEVER, EVER chase a suspect in high heels. Sure way to break an ankle. Besides, you won't catch him.
I ordered this before it was released. When it arrived, I fell on it like a starving person finding a chocolate cache.
For my mystery writer peeps out there, stop reading this and order it. Read it. Return to it often. I plan to.
I don't know what I expected, but Plantinga delivered so much more information in a way that made this list of "things" a page turner. Well written with terrific organization, the book falls into chapters like "16 Things Cops Know about Booze and Drugs." Each chapter has a theme and a series of short entries. "You'll read about people on their fifth DUI conviction, their seventh, their ninth. It's enough to make you look around at the way other countries do things. Drive drunk in Finland and the punishment is a year of hard labor."
"If you encounter an assault victim in the 'hood who has been punched in the mouth and is missing teeth, ask him if his teeth were knocked out tonight or had they already been like that. It is a wholly appropriate question, for dental hygiene is one of many casualties of the urban environment."
For a writer, Plantinga's blunt and often humorous style should help us be better writers. Why? Because for one thing, he takes us inside a cop's head so we can look at the world through his eyes. Because he debunks so much of what we watch on television. It should come as no shock that the needs for visual drama trump policing procedures.
Take the Miranda bugaboo. Cops in real life don't immediately read a perp his rights. "As a police officer, you are required to read someone their rights only after they are in police custody and you have begun interrogating them about an offense. Custody plus interrogation equals Miranda, not before."
Chasing a perp isn't high on Plantinga's list of preferred activities. Many reasons. You don't usually stand a chance of catching a fleet-footed youth. You don't know what's around the corner and down an alley. You may have spent too much time at the Donut Diner. And female cops and detectives NEVER, EVER chase a suspect in high heels. Sure way to break an ankle. Besides, you won't catch him.
I ordered this before it was released. When it arrived, I fell on it like a starving person finding a chocolate cache.
For my mystery writer peeps out there, stop reading this and order it. Read it. Return to it often. I plan to.
October 22, 2015
I read this book because I heard the author speak at Saturday's California Writers' Club meeting. His presentation inspired me to buy the book from him and to read it right away. I was not disappointed at all. This is a great read. The format - numbering things cops know is a really smart way to impart a plethora of first hand information from a beat cop. It's very well written, engaging, eye-opening, and even heart-breaking. Having read it and hearing Plantinga speak gives my much more insight into the profession, and respect for what they do and who they are. Of course there are those who fall short and/or even commit crimes themselves - but the book makes me feel that by far the majority are good people who are trying to do an extremely difficult and often dangerous job that most people can't or wouldn't do. A fascinating, first-hand look also at a world that most of us don't see and/or want to see up close.
February 2, 2015
This is a quick read. It is interesting to get a police officer's perspective on life as a cop, and thankfully Adam Plantinga gives what appears to be an honest portrait. I do not understand why anyone would want to be a cop and Adam doesn't offer any insight into the why. He states that 90% of the people are good and 10% are bad, a police officer will spend 90% of their time with the 10%. It becomes a we (the police) against them (all 100% of us) because they judge everyone based upon that 10%. Then he complains about how most people dislike cops but love firemen. Is there really any question as to why?
March 7, 2022
Decent read with good sense of humour. Although I’ve never wanted to be a police officer less than I do right now. Interesting how he says about the cynicism you get by being a police officer and it’s pretty detectable in his writing.
January 13, 2019
Oh man! What a listen. His disturbing insights into society and criminals would be hilarious if they weren't disturbingly true. I saw a guy the other day who lodged a machete into an innocent man's skull in a failed attempt to steal his car. Some wonderful do-gooder ran into the assailant with his car. There were two girls who showed up in the ER, wanting to see if the criminal was OK. The cops had to bar the young women from the room. The fact that they were interested in interacting with a violent thug who just attacked an innocent man with a machete somehow didn't lessen the women's attraction for him. I can attest to the depravity, self destructive behavior, and stupidity that is manifest in our population every day. He tells these stories with true story-telling skill.
January 24, 2015
At a time when all cops seem under attack, this is a good reminder about how absurd, surreal and relevant this job is every day to the person who calls 911. With compassion and humor, Plantinga does not hold back from sharing criticism or admiration, but the details steal the show. I will never look at a man wearing a leather jacket with a fake fur collar the same way again. Read it for the details, and let them flow over you.
April 29, 2018
An interesting look at the profession of law enforcement by an actual officer. It was easy to read, but had a few typo's (maybe the digital format). It was interspersed with humor and was a welcomed eye opener in this time of open season on law enforcement by the media and others. The author does make some good points and offers a couple of common sense suggestions that we all would be wise to heed.
January 4, 2015
A must-have, must-read for anyone writing crime fiction involving police officers. The author, a veteran cop presents a well-written, articulate summary of 19 different aspects of police work. Instead of spouting "just the facts," he puts you inside the head of a cop, something necessary for writers who want their characters to be believable.
January 6, 2015
This book gave a very "real" account of policing in today's environment. Everyone should read it for an informed account of what really happens - there could be more understanding of what cops are faced with and not so many unfair judgements. The NYC mayor would do well to take a peek within it's covers.
June 19, 2015
Entertaining and informative. Funny and well written recollection of lessons learned policing. Well worth the time. If you are interested in police work, and who isn't, this is a hilarious way to get an inside look. Be warned, some strong language and graphic descriptions of vice.
If he had another book, I would read it.
If he had another book, I would read it.
November 23, 2014
Well. We always wondered.
A book that tells the truth has merit. This truth is not a literary explication of a truth or two. Thank goodness the author
can write with humor,or this book would have hurt a lot.
A book that tells the truth has merit. This truth is not a literary explication of a truth or two. Thank goodness the author
can write with humor,or this book would have hurt a lot.
February 1, 2015
Reading this book, at times, was kind of a downer, as it shows you what all cops have to put up with and what they encounter on a regular basis. It is well written and let's you know what it is like to be a cop and how they see things. It makes you really appreciate what they do.
May 30, 2015
Terrific read and full of good information
July 5, 2019
This was an interesting and rather fun book. The premise of making it a list of 400 things seemed a bit annoying at first but with time was handled in such a way as to be a minor gimmick that was fun while serving as a workable framework to insert stories and thoughts and anecdotes. And overall this felt like a genuine thoughtful introduction to what life is like for a police officer. The risks, the considerations, the pros and cons, what the life often leads to (or doesn't), it was quite enjoyable. And for those who have no exposure to this world it's worth reading to try and understand something of it, something far too few in our society do.
At the same time, in a few places I found myself a bit skeptical of the author's fairness. In this area I would have appreciated a discussion of specific instances to get into the detail of the complexities and allow the reader to understand how hard such things can be. What came out instead seemed more like a blank check for illegal/immoral behavior in a way that seemed somewhat biased. This dovetailed with a discussion of police officers defending other cops that felt rather sketchy at times. The author seemed on the edge of condoning lying to protect cops who had broken the law.
That said, this only felt truly concerning in one or two instances, and in other areas it was more effective for communicating the complexities inherent even in a cop trying to do the right thing and how often this can look very wrong from the outside even when it is right, or just how incredibly difficult this can be. I'd have liked it more if he'd had more of this and a bit less of the former.
Overall though, still well worth the read, particularly for anyone who has no understanding of the inside of this world and would like to gain a bit.
That said, this was one of relatively few places
At the same time, in a few places I found myself a bit skeptical of the author's fairness. In this area I would have appreciated a discussion of specific instances to get into the detail of the complexities and allow the reader to understand how hard such things can be. What came out instead seemed more like a blank check for illegal/immoral behavior in a way that seemed somewhat biased. This dovetailed with a discussion of police officers defending other cops that felt rather sketchy at times. The author seemed on the edge of condoning lying to protect cops who had broken the law.
That said, this only felt truly concerning in one or two instances, and in other areas it was more effective for communicating the complexities inherent even in a cop trying to do the right thing and how often this can look very wrong from the outside even when it is right, or just how incredibly difficult this can be. I'd have liked it more if he'd had more of this and a bit less of the former.
Overall though, still well worth the read, particularly for anyone who has no understanding of the inside of this world and would like to gain a bit.
That said, this was one of relatively few places
April 8, 2019
I really enjoyed reading this book! I've sometimes wondered what the day-to-day life of a police office might be like. The author provides 400 very short articles on all the aspects of police duties that most people probably wonder about.
The author makes a point to call out a couple of very important facets of police life throughout the book: (1) the mind of a police officer is already overloaded with rules, regulations, and the current state of popular opinion before he/she even starts their shift; (2) integrity and professionalism, under any and all circumstances, is everything and reveals your true character.
Not a day goes by that you don't read a headline somewhere about a police officer committing some offense against a defenseless and/or unarmed person, as if that's something police just do for kicks. From the book, I gather most police officers have a mindset of "expect the worst" when it comes to engaging people in tense situations. If the office finds himself/herself in a dark alley, being approached by someone that appears to be walking quickly towards him, something [too dark to tell] in the suspect's hands, the officer *must* assume harmful intent. It would be naive and probably lethal to assume the best.
The author provides numerous examples of situations where an officer has an opportunity to lie, cheat, steal, etc. to advance their careers, make some extra money, or even plant evidence on someone they *know* is guilty, but also knows real evidence against that person is lacking at the moment. The author makes a statement that, once you let your professionalism and integrity slip a little, it's a slippery slope from there, and your personal standards just go downhill from there. Eventually, your wrongs *will* catch up with you, and the office will find themselves facing an Internal Affairs investigation.
The author makes a point to call out a couple of very important facets of police life throughout the book: (1) the mind of a police officer is already overloaded with rules, regulations, and the current state of popular opinion before he/she even starts their shift; (2) integrity and professionalism, under any and all circumstances, is everything and reveals your true character.
Not a day goes by that you don't read a headline somewhere about a police officer committing some offense against a defenseless and/or unarmed person, as if that's something police just do for kicks. From the book, I gather most police officers have a mindset of "expect the worst" when it comes to engaging people in tense situations. If the office finds himself/herself in a dark alley, being approached by someone that appears to be walking quickly towards him, something [too dark to tell] in the suspect's hands, the officer *must* assume harmful intent. It would be naive and probably lethal to assume the best.
The author provides numerous examples of situations where an officer has an opportunity to lie, cheat, steal, etc. to advance their careers, make some extra money, or even plant evidence on someone they *know* is guilty, but also knows real evidence against that person is lacking at the moment. The author makes a statement that, once you let your professionalism and integrity slip a little, it's a slippery slope from there, and your personal standards just go downhill from there. Eventually, your wrongs *will* catch up with you, and the office will find themselves facing an Internal Affairs investigation.
December 13, 2022
Very entertaining book. Adam Platinga is an excellent writer full of insight, humor, advice, humility, real-talk and white. Somehow the structure leaves something to be desired, it is like an organized cops PG-13 version of Proverbs.
Unfortunately after reading it I’m not an expert of the streets. Adam mentioned you need 6 good years as a cop before you start to “get it”. But I do have a lot better understanding of what it’s like to be a cop and a respect for those in uniform. That being said this is a balanced account. Adam shares the good, bad and the ugly from all sides. He is introspective and not afraid to mention when and how sometimes cops go wrong. I wish that cop haters would read this account just as I might wish cop praisers also read some other books to understand other sides.
One especially poignant question Adam presents that I’ve paraphrased: We don’t expect the fire department to prevent fires, they respond to them. Why do we expect the police department to prevent crime?
The problem of crime is greater than a police department. Adam delegated it to great thinkers and perhaps politicians… where then and how can it be addressed? City? State? Federal? Religion? Unfortunately only questions here. But does get my mind going on where we might find some answers to such a complicated problem.
Unfortunately after reading it I’m not an expert of the streets. Adam mentioned you need 6 good years as a cop before you start to “get it”. But I do have a lot better understanding of what it’s like to be a cop and a respect for those in uniform. That being said this is a balanced account. Adam shares the good, bad and the ugly from all sides. He is introspective and not afraid to mention when and how sometimes cops go wrong. I wish that cop haters would read this account just as I might wish cop praisers also read some other books to understand other sides.
One especially poignant question Adam presents that I’ve paraphrased: We don’t expect the fire department to prevent fires, they respond to them. Why do we expect the police department to prevent crime?
The problem of crime is greater than a police department. Adam delegated it to great thinkers and perhaps politicians… where then and how can it be addressed? City? State? Federal? Religion? Unfortunately only questions here. But does get my mind going on where we might find some answers to such a complicated problem.
September 7, 2023
Interesting and a easy read. Not sure about what the intended audience is for this book but it seems everyone can learn something out of it. The biggest take away for me is cops walk the line between good and evil and when defending the good they have a unfair battle in that they have to fight it the right way against bad guys who can fight every which way they can! This shed a new light on the Hindu epic Mahabharatha where every act of fudging the law of fair fight by the good guys had been analyzed and criticized for generations.
90/10 rule was another enlightening moment for me. 90% of the people are nice but it is the other 10% that the cops battle 90% of the time.
His depiction of how undercover cops try to bait the hookers and johns is enlightening and I am having a hard time to accept how trying to entice someone into temptation (especially his description of good looking, fit under cover cops as opposed to on drugs hookers) and catching them in the act is fair.
It is all laid out as fact based except for few sections/incidents where in the author shows his strong opinion especially the one involving Lenny Kravitz. I really would like to hear the other side of the story. All in all it is a good easy read although I think the flow could have been improved as well as some of the stories could have been elaborated.
90/10 rule was another enlightening moment for me. 90% of the people are nice but it is the other 10% that the cops battle 90% of the time.
His depiction of how undercover cops try to bait the hookers and johns is enlightening and I am having a hard time to accept how trying to entice someone into temptation (especially his description of good looking, fit under cover cops as opposed to on drugs hookers) and catching them in the act is fair.
It is all laid out as fact based except for few sections/incidents where in the author shows his strong opinion especially the one involving Lenny Kravitz. I really would like to hear the other side of the story. All in all it is a good easy read although I think the flow could have been improved as well as some of the stories could have been elaborated.
June 23, 2025
More anecdotal stories than text book, I found this book to be more entertaining than enlightening. But then again, I used to volunteer with the police and state troopers as a training role-player (e.g. I was an active shooter, someone who broke into cars, and an innocent bystander), and learned a lot from those experiences (I highly recommend volunteering if you're at all interested). I'd already imagined how tough it would be to be a cop - and this book definitely reinforced that.
Despite being an active officer, I thought Plantinga did a good job of providing an unbiased view of the "political" aspects of law enforcement. He acknowledged that there is a variation in quality of members of law enforcement (some a great, some totally suck, and everything in between). While at the same time he pointed out that public opinion is easily swayed to the negative.
Ultimately, I enjoyed the book. It reinforced what I learned volunteering with law enforcement. And it gave me a better understanding of the difficulty good people face everyday as they encounter the worst society has to offer. Like one anecdote he told: No one calls 911 to ask police to come to their 4 year olds birthday party.
Despite being an active officer, I thought Plantinga did a good job of providing an unbiased view of the "political" aspects of law enforcement. He acknowledged that there is a variation in quality of members of law enforcement (some a great, some totally suck, and everything in between). While at the same time he pointed out that public opinion is easily swayed to the negative.
Ultimately, I enjoyed the book. It reinforced what I learned volunteering with law enforcement. And it gave me a better understanding of the difficulty good people face everyday as they encounter the worst society has to offer. Like one anecdote he told: No one calls 911 to ask police to come to their 4 year olds birthday party.
July 21, 2018
A dark, funny, and sad look into the world of policing. It's informative but also grisly at times. I learned some things I could've gone without knowing.
What's ironic is that Plantinga spoke of a prostitute who told him more than he wanted to know. Dude, sometimes you've told us more than we wanted to know! Some descriptions were graphic to make a point, but other times he just didn't need to go there. It's almost like an older brother trying to gross out a younger brother. Yes, I get it. Cops see gruesome stuff. And he talks about how they can't get it out of their heads. I'm sorry it's stuck in their heads. I really am. It breaks my heart. But don't pass that onto me because it's stuck in my head now. The other ironic thing is that he says he wishes he could go back to ignorance. In some ways, I feel like that, too. A few gory things did the trick well enough.
So I guess my point is, be ready for some jarring things that might be disturbing to some. There are no warning labels on books, so you've been warned.
I kind of have to deal with it, though, since I have a police officer in my book series.
What's ironic is that Plantinga spoke of a prostitute who told him more than he wanted to know. Dude, sometimes you've told us more than we wanted to know! Some descriptions were graphic to make a point, but other times he just didn't need to go there. It's almost like an older brother trying to gross out a younger brother. Yes, I get it. Cops see gruesome stuff. And he talks about how they can't get it out of their heads. I'm sorry it's stuck in their heads. I really am. It breaks my heart. But don't pass that onto me because it's stuck in my head now. The other ironic thing is that he says he wishes he could go back to ignorance. In some ways, I feel like that, too. A few gory things did the trick well enough.
So I guess my point is, be ready for some jarring things that might be disturbing to some. There are no warning labels on books, so you've been warned.
I kind of have to deal with it, though, since I have a police officer in my book series.
November 18, 2017
400 Things Cops Know by Adam Plantinga is a very interesting book about what cops do on the job. Written by a former police officer, it gives people an inside look about what it’s really like to be the long arm of the law. This book shows that the job of a police officer isn’t as glamorous as it looks, but that it is dangerous and stressful. It shows that police officers aren’t as respected as they should be. I would rate it 5 stars because Plantinga is descriptive, funny, and straightforward about the life of a police officer.
I think anyone who likes to learn would like this book because it is kind of long and has a lot of facts in it. Plantinga goes over every aspect of a police officer’s life in a humorous and entertaining way. If you’ve ever wanted to know what the life of a cop is like, 400 Things Cops Know tells you about everything from court cases to car chases. Overall, the book holds your interest and helps you to understand what a service police officers do for our community.
I think anyone who likes to learn would like this book because it is kind of long and has a lot of facts in it. Plantinga goes over every aspect of a police officer’s life in a humorous and entertaining way. If you’ve ever wanted to know what the life of a cop is like, 400 Things Cops Know tells you about everything from court cases to car chases. Overall, the book holds your interest and helps you to understand what a service police officers do for our community.
July 26, 2019
I still don't know what to make of this book. Some of the items were insightful, such as the police guidelines and requirements on necessary force, due process, and search and seizure. Some of the items and stories help humanize police officers, showing some of the fine lines they have to walk and the Catch-22 situations their jobs place them in on a regular basis.
However, more than one of stories show the sexism and hazing that still goes on inside many departments. Plantinga states these things are changing and becoming better, but his tales still show problems within the system with what comes off as a soft smile and a "that's just the way things are."
These aside, the bulk of these lists are common sense and no surprise for those of use who follow true crime and police documentaries, or who grew up on shows like Dragnet, Adam-12, Law and Order, and the like. While these shows are fictitious and not always the most accurate, they illustrate more clearly the jobs, the joys, and the hardships of the everyday officer in a way that Plantinga's lists simply cannot match.
However, more than one of stories show the sexism and hazing that still goes on inside many departments. Plantinga states these things are changing and becoming better, but his tales still show problems within the system with what comes off as a soft smile and a "that's just the way things are."
These aside, the bulk of these lists are common sense and no surprise for those of use who follow true crime and police documentaries, or who grew up on shows like Dragnet, Adam-12, Law and Order, and the like. While these shows are fictitious and not always the most accurate, they illustrate more clearly the jobs, the joys, and the hardships of the everyday officer in a way that Plantinga's lists simply cannot match.
March 25, 2018
Este libro lo disfrutarán aquell@s a quienes les gusten las películas, series o novelas de policías en elos EE.UU., ya que este libro (escrito por un ex-policía) explica lo que es el día a día de un policía y lo numerosos errores de la ficción. Ej: si se detiene a una persona, NO hay que leerle sus derechos (como ocurre en la TV que se los leen en seguida). Solo si se la va a interrogar.
¿Cómo comportarse ante el primer cadáver? ¿Y ante el primer suicidio? ¿Qué meses son los más complicados para los policías? Este libro responde a estas y a otras muchas preguntas, y lo hace de una manera rápida y directa. Sobra muy poco.
Tras leerlo se da uno cuenta de lo difícil que es ser policía y de lo fácil que debe ser caer en el cinismo. El autor habla de tratar una y otra vez con los mismos drogadictos o alcohólicos: "se dice que un 90% de la gente es buena y solo un 10% es mala. Bueno, en este trabajo se trata un 90% con ese 10%".
¿Cómo comportarse ante el primer cadáver? ¿Y ante el primer suicidio? ¿Qué meses son los más complicados para los policías? Este libro responde a estas y a otras muchas preguntas, y lo hace de una manera rápida y directa. Sobra muy poco.
Tras leerlo se da uno cuenta de lo difícil que es ser policía y de lo fácil que debe ser caer en el cinismo. El autor habla de tratar una y otra vez con los mismos drogadictos o alcohólicos: "se dice que un 90% de la gente es buena y solo un 10% es mala. Bueno, en este trabajo se trata un 90% con ese 10%".
March 15, 2022
While not a story in the conventional sense, Adam Plantinga manages to weave some character and plot into this behind-the-scenes look at police work. It is well-written with humor and compassion. The compassion is especially remarkable since Plantinga admits "... dealing with people at their hopeless worst solders an extra layer onto your skin." Even though I am part of the 90% of people who rarely interact with the police, I didn't find much truly surprising about the job description or the utterly bad and stupid behavior of people at their worst. What I did find surprising is that the narrative was so engaging. Spot-on literary or pop culture references and analogies. Plus a sophisticated vocabulary with just the right amount of words I had to look up. Plantinga is one of the good guys - good cop and good writer. Published in 2014, I found out about this book because it is mentioned in the Acknowledgments of Nick Petrie's most recent Peter Ash novel, The Runaway.
August 22, 2019
Listened to as audiobook. But would be a good read.
I really enjoyed this book. The author is a cop but writes like he talks and doesn’t try to clean up or scrub thing so they sound bland or sterile. There is some cursing but it is in context and he explains why he’s saying what he’s saying.
Very insightful. And I like the fact he challenges cops to be better, but doesn’t shy away from the Monday Morning QBs who decry “police brutality” and “excessive force”. Even better he challenges the people who question “profiling” suspects and rampant accusations of “racism” any time there is an arrest someone doesn’t like. Kind of similar to the dangers and strangeness of responding to domestic disputes.
They narrator is very good. In my opinion he really captures the authors voice in his reading.
I will Mikey listen to this again in the next 18 months. Entertaining and interesting.
I really enjoyed this book. The author is a cop but writes like he talks and doesn’t try to clean up or scrub thing so they sound bland or sterile. There is some cursing but it is in context and he explains why he’s saying what he’s saying.
Very insightful. And I like the fact he challenges cops to be better, but doesn’t shy away from the Monday Morning QBs who decry “police brutality” and “excessive force”. Even better he challenges the people who question “profiling” suspects and rampant accusations of “racism” any time there is an arrest someone doesn’t like. Kind of similar to the dangers and strangeness of responding to domestic disputes.
They narrator is very good. In my opinion he really captures the authors voice in his reading.
I will Mikey listen to this again in the next 18 months. Entertaining and interesting.
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