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Good Cop, Bad War
'Undercover, you're never just acting; you're only ever a different version of yourself.'
Neil Woods spent fourteen years (1993-2007) infiltrating drug gangs as an undercover policeman, befriending and gaining the trust of some of the most violent, unpredictable criminals in Britain. But Neil was never your stereotypical gung-ho, tough-guy copper. This is the story of how a thoughtful, idealistic character learned to use his empathetic nature to master some of the roughest, most dangerous work in law enforcement. There was no training, no manual and no plan for when things went wrong; he was just dropped at a corner and told to make connections. But, inevitably, having swords thrust against his jugular, witnessing beatings, stabbings, and gangsters burning suspected rats with acid took its toll.
Drawing on Neil’s experiences, with the insight that can only come from having fought on the front lines, GOOD COP, BAD WAR is at once a narrative-driven true crime read and a fascinating story of a character under pressure.
Neil Woods spent fourteen years (1993-2007) infiltrating drug gangs as an undercover policeman, befriending and gaining the trust of some of the most violent, unpredictable criminals in Britain. But Neil was never your stereotypical gung-ho, tough-guy copper. This is the story of how a thoughtful, idealistic character learned to use his empathetic nature to master some of the roughest, most dangerous work in law enforcement. There was no training, no manual and no plan for when things went wrong; he was just dropped at a corner and told to make connections. But, inevitably, having swords thrust against his jugular, witnessing beatings, stabbings, and gangsters burning suspected rats with acid took its toll.
Drawing on Neil’s experiences, with the insight that can only come from having fought on the front lines, GOOD COP, BAD WAR is at once a narrative-driven true crime read and a fascinating story of a character under pressure.
320 pages, Paperback
First published August 18, 2016
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June 22, 2022
Neil Woods, author of this book, is chairman of the organisation LEAP UK, this stands for 'Law Enforcement Against Prohibition', and consists of policemen and detectives who want to encourage the decriminalization of drugs.
The book is a description of Woods' work in the police force as an undercover agent in various drug squads in the UK. It details his experiences up to the point of his epiphany - the moment when he realises how fruitless and destructive it is for the police to wage war on drug dealers, and people who take drugs.
The book also deals with the macho and often imperfect culture of the police force. I think I was quite naive in this respect, and found some of the disclosures a bit depressing.
An important part of the book is about how the police catch big drug dealers - inevitably members of powerful gangs - by getting undercover agents to start getting drugs from these dealers. At some point they will wire up their agent so he can record some transaction, thus implicating the dealers. After the dealers have been followed for some time, there will be a major bust by the police, with often large number of people arrested and brought to trial.
But.....the first step is for the undercover agent to befriend local drug addicts on the street, who are also doing small time dealing to earn money. Then after some time, they ask the small street addicts to introduce them to their dealers - the people with the real power, who are making money from drugs. The trouble is that after this has happened a few times in a few cities, the big time dealers start to get very paranoid about their little street dealers introducing anyone new to them, because their experiences now tell them that the new person could easily be an undercover policeman. They are not stupid, they can see what is happening, and how the system works. The result? A reign of terror amongst small time addicts/dealers, who are told it is more than their life is worth to introduce anyone new to the big dealers. Any transgression is punished with severe violence, or even death. In the end, the only people the police forces can bust are just ordinary addicts, they no longer have any access to the big dealers and gangs.
Another big issue is that while ordinary addicts are being treated as criminals and being incarcerated, they are under a lot of pressure to live anti-social lives, ie to keep shoplifting and committing burglaries to fund their habit, or to practice prostitution. Their lives are often miserable. Once drugs are decriminalized everything can change for the better, especially if help is offered in place of persecution. I was touched by the degree to which Woods became fond of a lot of the addicts he worked with (albeit that he was under cover.) It was good to read about them as individual people, and see something of their struggles.
A further issue is that the money for gangs in drug dealing encourages the bribing of policeman. Woods gives a telling description of the Manchester Police Force, where a special task force of 12 men is set up to investigate drugs (amongst a police force of about 11,000 men), as it cannot be guaranteed that amongst the general force there aren't several policemen or detectives being paid by drug dealers to leak them information.
Finally, the decriminalization of drugs would immediately take a lot of power away from the big drug gang leaders. It would pull the carpet from under their feet. Insofar as we make drugs illegal, we give big time criminals the opportunity for an excellent livelihood. "The narcotics trade permeates every level of organised criminality. There is more money in drugs than every other criminal enterprise combined. In fact, now there is virtually no organised criminal activity that isn't in some way drug-related.We would scratch the surface of a murder and almost invariably find a turf war between dealers, or a gang protecting their supply network. In policing organised crime, all roads lead to dope."
My one quibble about this book is that rather than Woods recounting experience after experience as an underground agent, taking up chapter after chapter of the book, I would have just liked a synopsis of what he did, and what he learnt from these experiences. His discussion about his work with LEAP (Law Enforcement Against Prohibition) takes up a slim chapter at the end. I would have liked at least half the book to discuss experiences in countries where drugs have been legalized, or talking with people who support the cause to legalize drugs. Instead, it was mostly a biography of his life as an undercover agent.
I shall end with my usual dollop of notes, mostly taken directly from the book.
-----------------------------------
LEAP UK
http://ukleap.org/
An in-depth Guardian article about the decriminalization of drugs in Portugal.
https://www.theguardian.com/news/2017...
The Guardian review of this book
https://www.theguardian.com/society/2...
The Young Turks: What happened when Portugal decriminalized drugs?
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=unu-s...
Another good article on the situation in Portugal. (From MIC)
https://mic.com/articles/110344/14-ye...
The book is a description of Woods' work in the police force as an undercover agent in various drug squads in the UK. It details his experiences up to the point of his epiphany - the moment when he realises how fruitless and destructive it is for the police to wage war on drug dealers, and people who take drugs.
The book also deals with the macho and often imperfect culture of the police force. I think I was quite naive in this respect, and found some of the disclosures a bit depressing.
An important part of the book is about how the police catch big drug dealers - inevitably members of powerful gangs - by getting undercover agents to start getting drugs from these dealers. At some point they will wire up their agent so he can record some transaction, thus implicating the dealers. After the dealers have been followed for some time, there will be a major bust by the police, with often large number of people arrested and brought to trial.
But.....the first step is for the undercover agent to befriend local drug addicts on the street, who are also doing small time dealing to earn money. Then after some time, they ask the small street addicts to introduce them to their dealers - the people with the real power, who are making money from drugs. The trouble is that after this has happened a few times in a few cities, the big time dealers start to get very paranoid about their little street dealers introducing anyone new to them, because their experiences now tell them that the new person could easily be an undercover policeman. They are not stupid, they can see what is happening, and how the system works. The result? A reign of terror amongst small time addicts/dealers, who are told it is more than their life is worth to introduce anyone new to the big dealers. Any transgression is punished with severe violence, or even death. In the end, the only people the police forces can bust are just ordinary addicts, they no longer have any access to the big dealers and gangs.
Another big issue is that while ordinary addicts are being treated as criminals and being incarcerated, they are under a lot of pressure to live anti-social lives, ie to keep shoplifting and committing burglaries to fund their habit, or to practice prostitution. Their lives are often miserable. Once drugs are decriminalized everything can change for the better, especially if help is offered in place of persecution. I was touched by the degree to which Woods became fond of a lot of the addicts he worked with (albeit that he was under cover.) It was good to read about them as individual people, and see something of their struggles.
A further issue is that the money for gangs in drug dealing encourages the bribing of policeman. Woods gives a telling description of the Manchester Police Force, where a special task force of 12 men is set up to investigate drugs (amongst a police force of about 11,000 men), as it cannot be guaranteed that amongst the general force there aren't several policemen or detectives being paid by drug dealers to leak them information.
Finally, the decriminalization of drugs would immediately take a lot of power away from the big drug gang leaders. It would pull the carpet from under their feet. Insofar as we make drugs illegal, we give big time criminals the opportunity for an excellent livelihood. "The narcotics trade permeates every level of organised criminality. There is more money in drugs than every other criminal enterprise combined. In fact, now there is virtually no organised criminal activity that isn't in some way drug-related.We would scratch the surface of a murder and almost invariably find a turf war between dealers, or a gang protecting their supply network. In policing organised crime, all roads lead to dope."
My one quibble about this book is that rather than Woods recounting experience after experience as an underground agent, taking up chapter after chapter of the book, I would have just liked a synopsis of what he did, and what he learnt from these experiences. His discussion about his work with LEAP (Law Enforcement Against Prohibition) takes up a slim chapter at the end. I would have liked at least half the book to discuss experiences in countries where drugs have been legalized, or talking with people who support the cause to legalize drugs. Instead, it was mostly a biography of his life as an undercover agent.
I shall end with my usual dollop of notes, mostly taken directly from the book.
-----------------------------------
LEAP UK
http://ukleap.org/
An in-depth Guardian article about the decriminalization of drugs in Portugal.
https://www.theguardian.com/news/2017...
The Guardian review of this book
https://www.theguardian.com/society/2...
The Young Turks: What happened when Portugal decriminalized drugs?
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=unu-s...
Another good article on the situation in Portugal. (From MIC)
https://mic.com/articles/110344/14-ye...
September 11, 2016
It takes a certain courage for a person to take an unflinching look at their life’s work, a cold, forensic, unwavering look. Most people simply don’t have the guts to do so, perhaps fearing that they might come up wanting. Neil Woods is not most people. Neil spent fourteen years infiltrating drug gangs as an undercover police officer; he put his life on the line many a time, he was responsible for the capture, prosecution and conviction of numerous dangerous criminals. And yet when he took that critical look at his life’s work he could only conclude one thing: that it was a complete waste of time. That the war on drugs had failed, that his part in it had failed.
Perhaps I’m being a bit harsh. Reading Good Cop, Bad War, it’s clear that more than a few of the people he helped convict needed to be taken off the street. These were dangerous and deeply unpleasant people. Throughout his deployments in towns and cities across the UK he dealt with psychopaths and villains who preyed on addicts, torturing, maiming and killing those who crossed them. The violence these people displayed was gratuitous and ugly, the contempt they showed their victims heartless and inhumane. And Neil did take them off the streets, and was very effective at doing so. But herein lay the problem: no matter how often he knocked a villain off his perch (I say “he” for they most often were men), no matter how many he took down, there was always another to take their place.
Right from the beginning of Good Cop, Bad War, Neil comes across as an idealist. He joined the police wanting to “fight the good fight”, to help the downtrodden. He writes about being appalled by the casual racism he encountered, first at training college and later in various deployments, and the attitudes some officers held towards addicts, down and outs, and other vulnerable communities. Throughout his accounts of his various deployments he writes with compassion for the addicts he encountered, describing their characters and personalities. This is a man with real empathy for the people he was trying to help, an outlook that is seriously at odds with most books penned by former police officers.
In fact, this is something that sets apart this remarkable work. I’ve read numerous police biographies, not a few by undercover officers, and none show such sensitivity to the people they met. Many such accounts demonstrate a jaded cynicism, combined with a macho posturing. There is little of that here and it’s a refreshing change. This ability to emphasise with the underdog might explain how the doubts started, it is certainly the case that Neil found it difficult when the very addicts he felt for were rounded up with the hardened gangsters when an operation came to a close. The powers that be saw little difference between an addict dealing to fund their habit and the gun-toting thugs a rung above and would charge them both just as happily. And unlike many of his colleagues, this stuck in Neil’s craw.
But it’s the sheer illogicality of the war on drugs that finally broke him. As a former current affairs journalist I can sympathise. For facts are facts and prohibition isn’t working. This is demonstrable on any measure. ON average street prices have fallen year in year, a clear demonstration that interdiction isn’t preventing drugs from reaching our shores. The population of addicts is rising. Violence in our inner cities is as bad as ever - while crime rates as a whole are falling, knife crime and gun crime is hardly a thing of the past on the sink estates that dot British cities.
What’s most alarming is the point Neil demonstrates with painful clarity: that police action drives much of this. Gangs have learnt the lessons of undercover policing, informants, etc. During his career he witnessed increased brutality, violence meted out to addicts who spoke out, or even who introduced a stranger to their dealer. Corruption within the police is also driven by the huge profits generated by drugs. Neil recounts how at one point, while chasing a major league dealer in Manchester, he came into contact with a secret squad of twelve police officers. This squad had been specifically set up to pursue this gangster in utmost secrecy, so fearful was the Commissioner of the Greater Manchester force that corrupt officers might tip the man off. How have we come to such a situation, Neil asks? That a secret squad has to be set up to guard against corruption.
It will be tempting for those in favour of prohibition to paint Neil Woods as a limp-wristed, bleeding-heart liberal. But this couldn’t be further from the truth. Throughout his career he got results, got the job done, locked up some really bad people. Indeed, there is no doubt that some of those involved in the drug trade are vicious bullies and would be whatever the case, after all a bully is a bully, no matter what walk of life he or she is found. But it’s equally evident that drugs are the most profitable aspect of criminal behaviour, that without prohibition the money gangsters could make would be much reduced. In fact, I would argue that Neil’s stance that something has to change, as well as being personally brave in that it calls into question much of his former achievements, is actually tougher on criminality than the prohibition brigade. For what hurts criminals more than an attack on their wallets? Find a solution to the drug problem, rob the villains of their incomes, and one does more damage to organised crime than any number of convictions. Less money from drugs means less money to invest in other criminal activity, too.
To be clear, Neil doesn’t argue for simple legalisation, he doesn’t want to see crack and heroin sold in Tesco’s. In fact he’s honest enough to admit to not knowing all the answers. He points to Portugal where simple possession of drugs has been decriminalised (not possession with intent to supply, e.g. dealing) and states in America where Cannabis has effectively been legalised, as pointing to possible solutions. But what he does insist on is a debate. For make no mistake, as this book abundantly makes clear, current policy has failed.
A painfully honest and touching memoir, this books is a must read for anyone even remotely concerned by the issues raised.
September 30, 2021
Prohibition doesn't work. We know that. Not only doesn't it work, it also ensures criminals make lots of money and the police have to devote a lot of their resources to enforcing the prohibition. Addicts and users also risk becoming criminalised instead of getting the help and support they need to lead useful and productive lives.
Neil Woods provides a very compelling argument in support of the decriminalisation of drugs in Good Cop, Bad War (2016). He knows what he's talking about having worked extensively as an undercover officer bringing down organised criminal gangs who profit from drugs. Not only was undercover policing counterproductive in the long term, it was also an arms race with the gangs becoming ever more violent and ruthless to avoid being caught.
In addition to being a compelling and coherent argument in favour of decriminalisation, this book also provides numerous incredible stories from Neil Woods' years undercover. All his stories are gripping, powerful, harrowing, disturbing and frequently heartbreaking. Suffice to say, some very nasty individuals are drawn to the enormous profits from drug dealing and trying to catch them is therefore very dangerous.
The sooner drugs are regulated and decriminalised the better. Not convinced? Read this book.
4/5
Neil Woods provides a very compelling argument in support of the decriminalisation of drugs in Good Cop, Bad War (2016). He knows what he's talking about having worked extensively as an undercover officer bringing down organised criminal gangs who profit from drugs. Not only was undercover policing counterproductive in the long term, it was also an arms race with the gangs becoming ever more violent and ruthless to avoid being caught.
In addition to being a compelling and coherent argument in favour of decriminalisation, this book also provides numerous incredible stories from Neil Woods' years undercover. All his stories are gripping, powerful, harrowing, disturbing and frequently heartbreaking. Suffice to say, some very nasty individuals are drawn to the enormous profits from drug dealing and trying to catch them is therefore very dangerous.
The sooner drugs are regulated and decriminalised the better. Not convinced? Read this book.
4/5
January 17, 2018
‘Undercover work in British policing is divided into two sections: Level 1 and Level 2. The Level 1 operatives are the guys you see in films. They perform deep infiltration on ultra high-level criminal organisations. They receive massive logistical support, with forged documents at the ready to corroborate their cover identities, and the most state-of-the-art espionage equipment available. These guys will spend months working in an area, just so their faces have been seen and their backstory carries more weight. Then there are the Level 2 guys. Guys who are dropped on a corner and told to go and buy some crack. Guys like me.’
This is not James Bond in a Tux with fast cars and beautiful women. It is charity shop clothes and having a sword waved at your throat by a heroin dealer at his dirty house. This is the undercover work done by Neil Woods in his early police career. The work he needed to do to get someone put away for a few years is frightening. It must take a hell of a lot of nerve. No wonder his marriage faltered constantly.
The book is set into chapters of towns where he was thrown in as an undercover operative with the objective being to arrest the main drug dealer of the area. The setting is grim and the characters even grimmer. It is dangerous work. Very, very dangerous. To top it all this really was new science in Britain at that time. He was winging it but would gain so much knowledge of the craft especially when it came to the complex codes and etiquettes of junkies and street dealers that he would provide training even to the Level 1s.
‘I wandered past the council estates and boarded-up shops, weaving my way through the shambling smackheads, broken-down drunks and packs of predatory kids in hoodies. Then I caught a glimpse of my own reflection in a betting shop window. My breath caught in my throat. That wasn’t me. That wasn’t Neil. That was a ****ed-up, overly skinny, sallow-cheeked skag addict. I hadn’t realised how deep I had gone.’
He was good at what he had to do but he was basically living the life of a junkie without being a drug user. As the ‘War on Drugs’ continues his views on how this is being waged change. The no-hoper junkies were getting the same length of prison sentences as the vicious murdering dealers. The gangs were becoming more and more savage.
‘I had devoted my professional life to fighting the War on Drugs. I was now discovering that, like every war, the people who suffered most weren’t the combatants, but the civilians caught in the crossfire.’
His perspective and experience on the streets make you listen. I have read enough narco books and educated myself to know that this ‘War on Drugs’ is a total sham. I agree with Woods view completely. These drugs gangs are ruthless. They will gang-rape your girlfriend if you default on a debt or you could find yourself on crutches for the rest of your life after having acid poured on your knees. You put them in prison and someone instantly takes their place. This industry is worth £7 billion in the UK alone and this money is going to gangsters.
Very good book that will entertain, make you squirm, repulse you and make you think.
This is not James Bond in a Tux with fast cars and beautiful women. It is charity shop clothes and having a sword waved at your throat by a heroin dealer at his dirty house. This is the undercover work done by Neil Woods in his early police career. The work he needed to do to get someone put away for a few years is frightening. It must take a hell of a lot of nerve. No wonder his marriage faltered constantly.
The book is set into chapters of towns where he was thrown in as an undercover operative with the objective being to arrest the main drug dealer of the area. The setting is grim and the characters even grimmer. It is dangerous work. Very, very dangerous. To top it all this really was new science in Britain at that time. He was winging it but would gain so much knowledge of the craft especially when it came to the complex codes and etiquettes of junkies and street dealers that he would provide training even to the Level 1s.
‘I wandered past the council estates and boarded-up shops, weaving my way through the shambling smackheads, broken-down drunks and packs of predatory kids in hoodies. Then I caught a glimpse of my own reflection in a betting shop window. My breath caught in my throat. That wasn’t me. That wasn’t Neil. That was a ****ed-up, overly skinny, sallow-cheeked skag addict. I hadn’t realised how deep I had gone.’
He was good at what he had to do but he was basically living the life of a junkie without being a drug user. As the ‘War on Drugs’ continues his views on how this is being waged change. The no-hoper junkies were getting the same length of prison sentences as the vicious murdering dealers. The gangs were becoming more and more savage.
‘I had devoted my professional life to fighting the War on Drugs. I was now discovering that, like every war, the people who suffered most weren’t the combatants, but the civilians caught in the crossfire.’
His perspective and experience on the streets make you listen. I have read enough narco books and educated myself to know that this ‘War on Drugs’ is a total sham. I agree with Woods view completely. These drugs gangs are ruthless. They will gang-rape your girlfriend if you default on a debt or you could find yourself on crutches for the rest of your life after having acid poured on your knees. You put them in prison and someone instantly takes their place. This industry is worth £7 billion in the UK alone and this money is going to gangsters.
Very good book that will entertain, make you squirm, repulse you and make you think.
June 1, 2018
Interesting!
February 21, 2021
Fascinating stuff.
Admittedly, this is not my usual Saturday night read, but this was recommended by a colleague and I found I really enjoyed it.
Neil Woods is a former undercover police officer, who spent years infiltrating drugs gangs throughout the Midlands (UK) in the 90’s and 00’s and has waived anonymity to speak out about what he learned. I live in the Midlands, so I could envision everywhere he detailed.
Essentially, after dedicating his life to putting away drug lords and fighting what he believed was a “good war”, he now believes the only way to make a difference, to really win the war on drugs, is to decriminalise the trade.
A bold statement.
But throughout this book, Woods details how, as policing advances, so do Organised Crime Gangs; his work, and the work of undercover drugs agents, has only served to make criminal gangs smarter, harder and more professional.
Neil claims police tactics for dealing with drugs gangs don't wipe out the drug market, they simply "change the shape of it".
This is why Neil started to see legalisation as the only solution and would support a change in government policy on drugs.
There’s a moment in this book, after taking down a particularly nasty gang, a superior congratulations him on “Disrupting the drug flow into this city... for all of seven hours” and laughs, and that stuck with me. Would police resources not be better spent elsewhere?
He details how criminals are now becoming informants specifically in order to manipulate the police. Having a corrupt officer in their pocket has become just another tool for any serious gangster. With the money that can be made from drugs, corruption is always going to happen.
Whatever your thoughts are, recreational drug use is here to stay.
Woods details his life undercover and makes you confront the reality of the drugs trade. The irony of officers locking up drug lords but taking cocaine themselves; the small time addicts who serve similar sentences to ruthless crime bosses, the sad reality that as you take out one gang, another instantly replaces them; the list goes on and in the end, he certainly makes a compelling case.
Admittedly, this is not my usual Saturday night read, but this was recommended by a colleague and I found I really enjoyed it.
Neil Woods is a former undercover police officer, who spent years infiltrating drugs gangs throughout the Midlands (UK) in the 90’s and 00’s and has waived anonymity to speak out about what he learned. I live in the Midlands, so I could envision everywhere he detailed.
Essentially, after dedicating his life to putting away drug lords and fighting what he believed was a “good war”, he now believes the only way to make a difference, to really win the war on drugs, is to decriminalise the trade.
A bold statement.
But throughout this book, Woods details how, as policing advances, so do Organised Crime Gangs; his work, and the work of undercover drugs agents, has only served to make criminal gangs smarter, harder and more professional.
Neil claims police tactics for dealing with drugs gangs don't wipe out the drug market, they simply "change the shape of it".
This is why Neil started to see legalisation as the only solution and would support a change in government policy on drugs.
There’s a moment in this book, after taking down a particularly nasty gang, a superior congratulations him on “Disrupting the drug flow into this city... for all of seven hours” and laughs, and that stuck with me. Would police resources not be better spent elsewhere?
He details how criminals are now becoming informants specifically in order to manipulate the police. Having a corrupt officer in their pocket has become just another tool for any serious gangster. With the money that can be made from drugs, corruption is always going to happen.
Whatever your thoughts are, recreational drug use is here to stay.
Woods details his life undercover and makes you confront the reality of the drugs trade. The irony of officers locking up drug lords but taking cocaine themselves; the small time addicts who serve similar sentences to ruthless crime bosses, the sad reality that as you take out one gang, another instantly replaces them; the list goes on and in the end, he certainly makes a compelling case.
May 30, 2023
Unreal book. Makes us challenge our perspective on addicts, policing, and high end crime. Properly gritty but also written from a reasoned point of view on the war on drugs. The guy who writes it isn’t just a hippy idealist but breaks down the facts with the stories he’s seen. If u want to know about the war on drugs read this and Chasing the Scream - both amazing books.
August 4, 2017
This was the easiest 5 star rating this year so far. A real life page turner from an ex undercover cop with each chapter getting more and more intense, culminating in some true powerful observations and insights from the author. A perfect gift to law enforcement officers and others who still believe that the drug war in its current form still can be won.
July 29, 2017
This book has single-handedly changed my views on the legalisation of drugs. This guy really knows what he's talking about and he's not a bearded hippy. Everyone should read this book and consider its message seriously.
March 9, 2017
Best book I've read on undercover policing in the UK.
September 7, 2024
This was a great read from two directions.
From the first, it's an exciting story about real, gritty undercover police work and a fantastic recount of how 'level 1' undercover operations basically became a thing in the UK in the 90s and through to the 2000s. The first-hand account of how organised crime escalated over that time period is really eye-opening.
From the other, I think this is one of the best and most trustworthy arguments for a complete rethink in (inter)national drug policy that you can find. This is totally approachable as a read but also totally convincing and really bomb-proof in terms of its argumentation. I would have pushed towards 5 stars if there had been more examples of how Woods and organisations like LEAP want to shape policy in the years to come, rather than just blanket terms like 'drug decriminalisation/legalisation'. That said, I was totally convinced of the premises and only lack the answer to the follow up questions of "ok, so what exactly should we do now?"
I would recommend this to everyone because I think the conclusions of this book are going to be essential to society moving forward: the only way to win the War on Drugs, and ultimately break down organised crime, is going to be by taking drug abuse from a law enforcement problem towards a regulatory one. If you find yourself raising an eyebrow at this line, then don't take it from me, take it from an experienced police detective, his account of his life and work with organised drug crime on the streets, and the concrete statistics and research he points to.
From the first, it's an exciting story about real, gritty undercover police work and a fantastic recount of how 'level 1' undercover operations basically became a thing in the UK in the 90s and through to the 2000s. The first-hand account of how organised crime escalated over that time period is really eye-opening.
From the other, I think this is one of the best and most trustworthy arguments for a complete rethink in (inter)national drug policy that you can find. This is totally approachable as a read but also totally convincing and really bomb-proof in terms of its argumentation. I would have pushed towards 5 stars if there had been more examples of how Woods and organisations like LEAP want to shape policy in the years to come, rather than just blanket terms like 'drug decriminalisation/legalisation'. That said, I was totally convinced of the premises and only lack the answer to the follow up questions of "ok, so what exactly should we do now?"
I would recommend this to everyone because I think the conclusions of this book are going to be essential to society moving forward: the only way to win the War on Drugs, and ultimately break down organised crime, is going to be by taking drug abuse from a law enforcement problem towards a regulatory one. If you find yourself raising an eyebrow at this line, then don't take it from me, take it from an experienced police detective, his account of his life and work with organised drug crime on the streets, and the concrete statistics and research he points to.
May 24, 2025
This is a great book. Neil is a great storyteller and beautiful human being. Apart from the thrilling descriptions of the events, this book has a central thesis: the War on Drugs is pointless. And the book presents many convincing arguments to support this.
I'm not exactly sure why I'm giving it 4 stars. It just didn't have the extra something that e.g., I found in "American Prison: A Reporter's Undercover Journey into the Business of Punishment."
I'm not exactly sure why I'm giving it 4 stars. It just didn't have the extra something that e.g., I found in "American Prison: A Reporter's Undercover Journey into the Business of Punishment."
July 3, 2017
I listened to this book as an audiobook from Whole Story Audiobooks.
Good Cop, Bad War is probably one of the most absorbing reads I've had in terms of a non-fiction memoir I've experienced. Absolutely. Incredible. It's hard to believe that Neil Woods actually experienced all the situations he discusses - you imagine for it to be falling straight out of a gangster movie scene, or for Leonardo DeCaprio to walk in like i'm watching THE DEPARTED. But no, it is real, and bloody hell, is it shocking, eyeopening, jaw dropping and written in a way that a crime/thriller would captivate its reader.
Neil Woods discloses to his readers his career spanning over 15+ years as an undercover cop, working in the war against drugs and the struggles and hardships not only that he faced on the streets, including being forced into a stripsearch at gunpoint, nearly being ran down by a car and being most mentally and physically tormented on the streets, but also gives us deep insight into the pressures from the law enforcement itself and the pressures on Neil's home life, relationships and moral compass.
What I loved most about this book is the wide range of geographical areas covered. Being from Leicestershire myself, hearing the section on the drug and gang crime in Leicester was shocking. Having lived in the city myself, I couldn't believe that such visible drug use and abuse with substances as hard as it gets, heroin and crack, were so plentiful. Derby, Nottingham, Northampton - to learn so much about the real state of the war on drugs and those helpless victims of addiction, is so deeply upsetting but ultimately, eyeopening and so important to be read, and heard by the general public.
What's even more impressive about Good Cop, Bad War, is realising how much the author has put himself at risk by even writing and creating this book, besides the numerous years he spent undercover, somewhat dismantling his own well being not only to protect the general public, but to ensure now moving forward in his life, he can help and support the real victims of the war on drugs - those who are suffering from addiction with no support, homeless, ill, with little hope or direction on how to recover safely.
I highly enjoyed this book and found it absolutely absorbing - Malk Williams narrated and I really do recommend you give the audiobook a go, it was fantastically read and really puts each scene into a shocking, realistic perspective for the listener.
Good Cop, Bad War is probably one of the most absorbing reads I've had in terms of a non-fiction memoir I've experienced. Absolutely. Incredible. It's hard to believe that Neil Woods actually experienced all the situations he discusses - you imagine for it to be falling straight out of a gangster movie scene, or for Leonardo DeCaprio to walk in like i'm watching THE DEPARTED. But no, it is real, and bloody hell, is it shocking, eyeopening, jaw dropping and written in a way that a crime/thriller would captivate its reader.
Neil Woods discloses to his readers his career spanning over 15+ years as an undercover cop, working in the war against drugs and the struggles and hardships not only that he faced on the streets, including being forced into a stripsearch at gunpoint, nearly being ran down by a car and being most mentally and physically tormented on the streets, but also gives us deep insight into the pressures from the law enforcement itself and the pressures on Neil's home life, relationships and moral compass.
What I loved most about this book is the wide range of geographical areas covered. Being from Leicestershire myself, hearing the section on the drug and gang crime in Leicester was shocking. Having lived in the city myself, I couldn't believe that such visible drug use and abuse with substances as hard as it gets, heroin and crack, were so plentiful. Derby, Nottingham, Northampton - to learn so much about the real state of the war on drugs and those helpless victims of addiction, is so deeply upsetting but ultimately, eyeopening and so important to be read, and heard by the general public.
What's even more impressive about Good Cop, Bad War, is realising how much the author has put himself at risk by even writing and creating this book, besides the numerous years he spent undercover, somewhat dismantling his own well being not only to protect the general public, but to ensure now moving forward in his life, he can help and support the real victims of the war on drugs - those who are suffering from addiction with no support, homeless, ill, with little hope or direction on how to recover safely.
I highly enjoyed this book and found it absolutely absorbing - Malk Williams narrated and I really do recommend you give the audiobook a go, it was fantastically read and really puts each scene into a shocking, realistic perspective for the listener.
November 2, 2020
Thought Provoking
Neil Woods is the real deal when it comes to undercover work his career speaks for itself. This isnt a fictitious account full of elaborate tales in order to sell books, this is a gritty, powerful, frank and at times harrowing, heartbreaking account of his years working undercover to take down some seriously dangerous criminals. He does love himself though and his ego I guess is the thing that kept him alive through his experiences. Hats off to him. He very much walked the walk, some of the things he experienced most people couldnt even imagine in theyre worst nightmares and he lived to tell the tale. Clearly a crusader for righteousness! I did find myself in a juxtaposition on whether I liked his personality at times throughout the book with some of the tough decisions he made. I think what won me over was his acceptance on responsibility of his actions and the impact that he had on the peoples lives he had affected and by extension his ability to self reflect and understand the futility of the war he'd been fighting internally as well as externally in his career and through this his desire to learn and evolve from his experiences. He is clearly a very smart guy and I would consider this a very important piece of literature on moving forward with our countrys archaic understanding of the drug laws. Overall an outstanding book for me and I'd like to thank him for his honesty and strength in writing this.
Neil Woods is the real deal when it comes to undercover work his career speaks for itself. This isnt a fictitious account full of elaborate tales in order to sell books, this is a gritty, powerful, frank and at times harrowing, heartbreaking account of his years working undercover to take down some seriously dangerous criminals. He does love himself though and his ego I guess is the thing that kept him alive through his experiences. Hats off to him. He very much walked the walk, some of the things he experienced most people couldnt even imagine in theyre worst nightmares and he lived to tell the tale. Clearly a crusader for righteousness! I did find myself in a juxtaposition on whether I liked his personality at times throughout the book with some of the tough decisions he made. I think what won me over was his acceptance on responsibility of his actions and the impact that he had on the peoples lives he had affected and by extension his ability to self reflect and understand the futility of the war he'd been fighting internally as well as externally in his career and through this his desire to learn and evolve from his experiences. He is clearly a very smart guy and I would consider this a very important piece of literature on moving forward with our countrys archaic understanding of the drug laws. Overall an outstanding book for me and I'd like to thank him for his honesty and strength in writing this.
October 19, 2017
Good cop goes into streets and finds not everything he was propagandized for is true. What we often hear from media propaganda about "war on drugs" is just oversimplified simulation of reality pretending to be the only and the only truth. Having bigger picture in mind, war leads to "evolution" of "species", - 1) war becomes harder. Like those U.S. criminals fighting in Iraq for a decade first believed it would be easy, like Putin rightly said "it should have been done carefully from inside, not carelessly from outside". And 2) not only war becomes harder and you can't easily take down the real criminals, but also most vulnerable people loose more, because idiots should "show something in statistics".
To summarize what I want to say, it's your fucking "war on drugs" that created the mobs, idiot, exactly like your idiotic wars in Iraq, Chechnya, etc. created ISIS. Can't believe so many people don't see this bigger picture that says one simple things - nothing, fucking nothing comes from out nowhere. All your idiotic fights are destined to utter failure, because it is how reality works. Reality doesn't listen to your beliefs and prayers.
For even bigger line of events: your responsibility -> social, education problems -> criminals -> war -> smarter criminals -> people suffer -> brave new world.
Overall, very good book, everyone should read it.
Also posted to my blog
November 1, 2018
"The best book ever written about the British drugs trade" proclaims journalist Johann Hari on the cover. He may well be right as it's the only one I have read, but it is a deeply disturbing insight into the murky world of drugs in this country. Neil Woods moved from constabulary to constabulary going undercover to familiarise himself with the local druggies and infiltrate the dealers while keeping his secret life a secret! His family and works colleagues had to remain in the dark as he worked his way around the country. Needless to say his marriage had no chance and he could never have a working relationship with his police colleagues. As he has now left the police force, he was able to say it how it was!
A brilliant, though disturbing read.
A brilliant, though disturbing read.
April 4, 2017
an action packed inside account from an ex-undercover cop who is forced to realise the hard way the futility of the war on drugs, well-written, moving and engaging with an important social messageeach
December 5, 2017
This was a gripping and fascinating read. It kept me enthralled all the way to the anti-prohibition message at the end, which I thought was well delivered. All the preceding recounts added weight to Woods' argument.
The only thing I wasn't blown away by was the description of his marriage. He kind of portrayed himself as the victim of arbitrary shouting, and indirectly justifying his infidelity. I can understand why he wouldn't want to go into detail though.
I thought this was a great read.
The only thing I wasn't blown away by was the description of his marriage. He kind of portrayed himself as the victim of arbitrary shouting, and indirectly justifying his infidelity. I can understand why he wouldn't want to go into detail though.
I thought this was a great read.
June 18, 2022
I came to this book after seeing its author on YouTube rate undercover scenes in movies.
It's a superb book, which has given me more insight into the UK's 'War on Drugs' than anything else I've seen or read. What sets it apart is the author's compassion for the addicts he had to blend in with and his gradual realisation that the 'war' he was involved in was having the opposite affect to what he joined up to.
The final chapter setting out how this 'war' could be won - by not waging war at all - should be compulsory reading for the idiots who persist in fighting it.
It's a superb book, which has given me more insight into the UK's 'War on Drugs' than anything else I've seen or read. What sets it apart is the author's compassion for the addicts he had to blend in with and his gradual realisation that the 'war' he was involved in was having the opposite affect to what he joined up to.
The final chapter setting out how this 'war' could be won - by not waging war at all - should be compulsory reading for the idiots who persist in fighting it.
July 23, 2024
A very absorbing read with deeply involved experiences of a police officer in the despairing life of a drug addict and the gangs related with the drugs trade. In my eyes, his experiences provide a far more compelling argument against the War on Drugs than a book filled with stats and data could.
March 21, 2025
An awesome look inside the drug war from the police’s perspective. I liked how the guys thoughts and views changed on it as he got deeper into different operations.
September 10, 2019
Very gripping account, and very persuasive on its central argument, although I have to admit that he was preaching to the converted with me.
Id recommend to anyone interested in the subject matter. It does suffer from the unavoidable flaw of being restricted to only one person's version of events, but that's not a serious shortcoming.
Id recommend to anyone interested in the subject matter. It does suffer from the unavoidable flaw of being restricted to only one person's version of events, but that's not a serious shortcoming.
March 21, 2017
Couldn't put this down. Perfect balance of grit, realism and highlighting the stupidity of #warondrugs which is actually a war against vulnerable people. I don't agree with the model of addiction but this is a man who has been in the prison of his own mind and has the generosity to do something about an issue which harms more than it helps.
My fav line "I don't need to understand more about drugs. I need to understand more about people"
My fav line "I don't need to understand more about drugs. I need to understand more about people"
February 9, 2023
Fantastic book which makes you think about the reality of drug crime and the war against it. Before reading this I would have thought legalising hard drugs was madness but doing so makes so much sense....don't believe me give the book a read
March 31, 2020
Neil Woods tells the story of working as an undercover drug addict in order to take down the hierarchy of the drug dealers and traffickers all across the UK. His story unveils the victims of the 'Drug War' in the form of the down and out drug users who are at the bottom of the hierarchy. Neil has a good story to tell and paints a dark picture of what it is like to step into the shoes of addicts who are treated badly by both dealers and police forces who see them as criminals. This book is a very interesting read if you are interested in the casualties of 'The War On Drugs' or how drug dealers and criminals operate in general. You will come away from the book feeling that in some sense big changes need to be made by governments if the fall out from dealing drugs and its effect on society is to be reduced. I hope that within my lifetime we will see changes in these policies like some of the cannabis legalisation that has taken off in some of the U.S States. Only time will tell.
August 1, 2025
I could kiss this guy -- he's fantastic. As proper a copper as the guy from "Blue on Blue: An Insider's Story on Good Cops Catching Bad Cops" - -but without the Polly-Anna blindness to reality. He's what every officer should aspire to, an awareness of his duty, his goal, and the effects of his actions.
Cheers Neil, you're an inspiration. And this is coming from a guy who never did drugs (well, a little pot), but spent a lot of time living in the community. People are people, and innate humanity is essential -- the police must be focused on their basic reality, your job is to help people, and protect them. If you aren't doing that, if you're focusing on punishing people, you've failed. And to the politicians and so on that make these shit policies, you've failed your office, your nation, your people, your family, your god (if you have one), your people. You've broken every oath you took to take office. You may not be a bad person, but your actions are, you must do better.
Edit 2025: Nah man, ACAB.
Cheers Neil, you're an inspiration. And this is coming from a guy who never did drugs (well, a little pot), but spent a lot of time living in the community. People are people, and innate humanity is essential -- the police must be focused on their basic reality, your job is to help people, and protect them. If you aren't doing that, if you're focusing on punishing people, you've failed. And to the politicians and so on that make these shit policies, you've failed your office, your nation, your people, your family, your god (if you have one), your people. You've broken every oath you took to take office. You may not be a bad person, but your actions are, you must do better.
Edit 2025: Nah man, ACAB.
August 29, 2018
First half great, second half a campaign
This book started off with great promise, getting to read about Neil’s life going from standard cop to undercover and all that entails. The risks, the situations, the scenarios, were so gripping and could be straight out a blockbuster, but the pen halfway through the whole premise and purpose of the book or story changes to a personal campaign. If I wanted to read about his mission on decriminalizing drugs then there are other books, I wanted to read about undercover cops and the work and effort that goes on. I did not want to read about someone with regrets and a clear disdain for his work over the last x number of years. I can understand his points and reasons, but feel mis sold on the story and the purpose I bought this book.
This book started off with great promise, getting to read about Neil’s life going from standard cop to undercover and all that entails. The risks, the situations, the scenarios, were so gripping and could be straight out a blockbuster, but the pen halfway through the whole premise and purpose of the book or story changes to a personal campaign. If I wanted to read about his mission on decriminalizing drugs then there are other books, I wanted to read about undercover cops and the work and effort that goes on. I did not want to read about someone with regrets and a clear disdain for his work over the last x number of years. I can understand his points and reasons, but feel mis sold on the story and the purpose I bought this book.
May 8, 2017
I had listened to a few of the LEAP UK Stop and Search podcasts, which this author is the chairman of, so had heard his softies and thoughts etc.
But to actually read his full experience is incredible. The situations are volatile, hostile and very unpredictable. To be able to change and adapt to the circumstances is admirable. They way he always remembered that addicts and people caught up in drug use or dealing are often the victims and they needed help, support and the protection of the police instead of being collateral damage was what fascinated me the most.
An incredible read.
But to actually read his full experience is incredible. The situations are volatile, hostile and very unpredictable. To be able to change and adapt to the circumstances is admirable. They way he always remembered that addicts and people caught up in drug use or dealing are often the victims and they needed help, support and the protection of the police instead of being collateral damage was what fascinated me the most.
An incredible read.
December 5, 2016
Not a bad read
Gave it three stars difficult to gauge how much is true as police are not necessarily going to want to reveal secret tactics but interesting as to what goes on the streets. Fairly interesting but not enough depth bit superficial in places lacking real reader intrigue.
Gave it three stars difficult to gauge how much is true as police are not necessarily going to want to reveal secret tactics but interesting as to what goes on the streets. Fairly interesting but not enough depth bit superficial in places lacking real reader intrigue.
April 9, 2020
2019.02.28–2019.03.01
Contents
Woods N (2016) (08:48) Good Cop, Bad War
Dedication
01. Buxton
02. Derby
03. Glossop
04. Derby II
05. Chesterfield
06. Clowne
07. Whitwick
08. Stoke
09. New Mills
10. Wakefield
11. Leicester
12. Nottingham
13. Northampton
14. Brighton
15. Buxton II
16. A Thousand Wasted Years
Acknowledgements
Contents
Woods N (2016) (08:48) Good Cop, Bad War
Dedication
01. Buxton
02. Derby
03. Glossop
04. Derby II
05. Chesterfield
06. Clowne
07. Whitwick
08. Stoke
09. New Mills
10. Wakefield
11. Leicester
12. Nottingham
13. Northampton
14. Brighton
15. Buxton II
16. A Thousand Wasted Years
Acknowledgements
Displaying 1 - 30 of 111 reviews