When You’re the Only Cop in Town . . .: A Writer’s Guide to Small Town Law Enforcement

by Debra Dixon, Jack Berry

An indispensable guide to facts, procedures, and the how-to’s of small town law enforcement from Debra Dixon, author of Goal, Motivation, and Conflict. Jack Berry has over 30 years in law enforcement, the last 17 as chief in a small town. He also happens to be Debra’s dad. Crack the covers of this book and enjoy a writer’s feast of the funny, the odd, and the mundane. Find out what you need to know and what it’s really like on the mean streets of Smallville, U.S.A.“Don’t start your small town crime story without this comprehensive guide!” — Maggie Shayne, New York Times bestselling author.“Not only a great resource, but a great read. I wish I’d had this book when I started writing. Highly recommended.” — Jenny Crusie, New York Times bestselling author.“An accurate and revealing slice of life about an American small-town cop that includes his mindset and responsibilities. Not just the cop facts—but the job, the character, and the lifestyle. An essential reference for writers of crime and suspense.” — Susan Kearney, USA Today bestselling author.

Genres: Writing, Nonfiction

161 pages, Kindle Edition

Published June 6, 2016

Reviews

[Samantha Luce · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very informative, but not dry. The author and his daughter weave in plenty of true cases that are sometimes funny, sometimes scary, and always interesting. Really gives a good idea on the little details people would most likely overlook when writing a fiction piece about how law enforcement works in a small town.

I'm a writer and I can definitely see myself for referring back to this book for procedural information and perhaps for a little story inspiration too.

Received an ARC from Netgalley in return for an unbiased review.

[Martha · Rating 5 out of 5]

interesting and commonsense approach to community policing

[Peter · Rating 3 out of 5]

Interesting, but references need to be updated. 1997 is not a few years ago as of the 2016 release.

[Rachel · Rating 3 out of 5]

"When You're the Only Cop in Town" provides a clear, succinct guide to writers on the the inner workings of small town law enforcement from the perspective of a retired small town police chief. I love books like this, even though I am not a writer. I enjoy peeking in to someone's life and getting their perspective. You don't always like what you see when you peek in to the world of someone else, and there was some of that here, but overall I enjoyed the book.

While I did devour the book in just a few sittings, some of the technology and some of the tactics are (I hope) outdated. There were a few times where I had to double check the release date (2016) because it refers to technology and policing strategies from the 90s as if that were current.

ARC provided by NetGalley

[William · Rating 5 out of 5]

A fascinating book. This literally runs a close second to having an actual ride-along with a small-town police chief. It has the same feel of "here's how it is". Jack Berry had extensive experience as a cop in a larger city, then he took on the job of small-town chief. For a time, he really was the only cop in town. His experiences are a wonderful resource for any writer such as myself who is writing anything that involves small town police work.

[Martha Brindley · Rating 4 out of 5]

A very good read and an insight into small town policing in America. Great funny and odd stories of policing from one who experienced it. Thank you Net Galley for my copy which I really enjoyed.