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Street Warrior: The True Story of the NYPD's Most Decorated Detective and the Era That Created Him
As Seen On Discovery Channel's "Street Justice: The Bronx"
2,000 arrests. 100 off-duty arrests. 6,000 assists. 15 shootings. 8 shot. 4 kills. These are not the performance statistics of an entire NYPD unit. They are the record that makes Detective 2nd Grade Ralph Friedman a legend.
Friedman was arguably the toughest cop ever to wear the shield and was the most decorated detective in the NYPD’s 170-year history. Stationed at the South Bronx’s notorious 41 Precinct, known by its nickname “Fort Apache,” Friedman served during one of the city’s most dire times: the 1970s and ‘80s, when fiscal crisis, political disillusionment, an out-of-control welfare system, and surging crime and drug use were just a few of its problems.
Street Warrior tells an unvarnished story of harrowing vice and heroic grit, including Friedman’s reflections on racial profiling, confrontations with the citizens he swore to protect, and the use of deadly force.
2,000 arrests. 100 off-duty arrests. 6,000 assists. 15 shootings. 8 shot. 4 kills. These are not the performance statistics of an entire NYPD unit. They are the record that makes Detective 2nd Grade Ralph Friedman a legend.
Friedman was arguably the toughest cop ever to wear the shield and was the most decorated detective in the NYPD’s 170-year history. Stationed at the South Bronx’s notorious 41 Precinct, known by its nickname “Fort Apache,” Friedman served during one of the city’s most dire times: the 1970s and ‘80s, when fiscal crisis, political disillusionment, an out-of-control welfare system, and surging crime and drug use were just a few of its problems.
Street Warrior tells an unvarnished story of harrowing vice and heroic grit, including Friedman’s reflections on racial profiling, confrontations with the citizens he swore to protect, and the use of deadly force.
272 pages, Hardcover
Published July 25, 2017
104 people are currently reading
688 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 26 of 26 reviews
November 28, 2020
By the time I finished this book, I took one big breath, and I really felt honoured to have Mr. Friedman shared the memories from his truly fine career as a NYPD cop & detective. This was just a fabulous book. As a kid who grew up on a diet of cop shows in the 1970s, this book was just amazing to read, and Mr. Friedman recounted all of his stories all with truly a respectful attitude and approach. A must read to anyone who grew up in the 1970s and loved shows like "Kojak", or is just interested in policing in general.
November 19, 2023
An 8 hour unabridged audiobook. The stories this gentleman must have... it left me wishing for more. Which naturally begs a sequel (which I hear is in the works). I liked this book.
Want to read
January 28, 2021From Follett: Friedman was arguably the toughest cop ever to wear the shield and was the most decorated detective in the NYPD's 170-year history. Stationed at the South Bronx's notorious 41 Precinct, known by its nickname "Fort Apache," Friedman served during one of the city's most dire times: the 1970s and '80s, when fiscal crisis, political disillusionment, an out-of-control welfare system, and surging crime and drug use were just a few of its problems.
Street Warrior tells an unvarnished story of harrowing vice and heroic grit, including Friedman's reflections on racial profiling, confrontations with the citizens he swore to protect, and the use of deadly force.
Street Warrior tells an unvarnished story of harrowing vice and heroic grit, including Friedman's reflections on racial profiling, confrontations with the citizens he swore to protect, and the use of deadly force.
January 31, 2025
When Police were allowed to be Police and fight the bad guys.
Also helps to dispel the *Law&Order SVU* and *CSI* mythology of it taking only forty-five minutes between crime and conviction. Specifically, he points out that, even though one of his arrests did not hold up in court, it still got the skell printed and registered and took an illegal gun off the streets.
Also helps to dispel the *Law&Order SVU* and *CSI* mythology of it taking only forty-five minutes between crime and conviction. Specifically, he points out that, even though one of his arrests did not hold up in court, it still got the skell printed and registered and took an illegal gun off the streets.
January 7, 2025
Excellent book about the realities of being a high speed, low drag cop in the big city. Those days were an awesome time to be a cop too! Highly recommend if you want to experience real police work under real leadership. Not todays, politically correct, CYA, I'm only here for the promotion job!
November 29, 2025
A bird's eye view of what it was to be a cop in one of the toughest precincts in NYC by one of NY's finest.
Det. Friedman shares his stories of catching the bad guys and the highs and lows that the job brings. Told in a straightforward way, this was what it was to be a good cop in the 70's.
Det. Friedman shares his stories of catching the bad guys and the highs and lows that the job brings. Told in a straightforward way, this was what it was to be a good cop in the 70's.
June 11, 2025
Terrible.
November 11, 2025
Loved it! Policing as it should be today!
April 30, 2020
I saw some raw footage on YouTube of the Bronx in the early 1980s. It legit looked like a war zone. Huge lots were just filled the rubble of old buildings. The streets were littered household junk: old bed frames; rusted shopping carts; bags of trash; assorted debris. One might guess the sidewalks to be dangerous without the threat of criminals (tetanus seemed a constant threat), and the weeds growing up through the sidewalk suggested disuse. It looked like France after WWII, or modern-day Aleppo.
I knew little about the Bronx of that era and wanted to dig into the research. How the hell had that war zone happened? One of the first books I saw during a quick initial search was Street Warrior. Seemed like the jackpot. Who would know more about that place in that time than a member of the NYPD?
If Ralf knew anything about the socio-economic conditions that transformed a bustling city into a moonscape, he doesn’t share those insights in this book. He barely touches on the physical nature of the landscape; the absolute decay. I was bummed. Ralph stuck to the telling of his own story within a pretty small scope.
Street Warrior is basically a litany of old police reports (at one point Ralph actually confirms this notion). They are action-packed, filled with pathos and humor, but there’s almost no depth to this book. There’s no character arc for Ralph. He joined the NYPD, arrested the shit out of some criminals for a bunch of years, racked up a huge number of commendations and medals, dated a bunch of chicks, and was forced to retire early after a car accident. BTW, this isn’t really a spoiler. There’s no real story to spoil. The end has all the emotional impact of a waving passerby. Bye, we never really knew you!
We never really see the sights, hear the sounds or smell the smells. We learn nothing about the cultures inhabiting the city at time (listing off census numbers doesn’t count).
We learned that Ralph enjoyed busting punks; had some moral flexibilities when it came to observing citizens' civil rights protected by the constitution (a document that unquestionably made his job more difficult) and doesn’t like politicians and police brass.
He undoubtedly made the city safer, during that period. He would argue that this fact makes him a good police officer. I would argue, eehhhhhhhhh… I’m not so sure.
I understand why this book is being rated so highly. It is action-packed, cops-and-robbers mayhem from start to finish. I’m giving it a much lower rating. I didn’t learn much, reading this book, other than Ralph really likes to pat himself on the back. With all those medals you would think he needn’t, but he still does.
I knew little about the Bronx of that era and wanted to dig into the research. How the hell had that war zone happened? One of the first books I saw during a quick initial search was Street Warrior. Seemed like the jackpot. Who would know more about that place in that time than a member of the NYPD?
If Ralf knew anything about the socio-economic conditions that transformed a bustling city into a moonscape, he doesn’t share those insights in this book. He barely touches on the physical nature of the landscape; the absolute decay. I was bummed. Ralph stuck to the telling of his own story within a pretty small scope.
Street Warrior is basically a litany of old police reports (at one point Ralph actually confirms this notion). They are action-packed, filled with pathos and humor, but there’s almost no depth to this book. There’s no character arc for Ralph. He joined the NYPD, arrested the shit out of some criminals for a bunch of years, racked up a huge number of commendations and medals, dated a bunch of chicks, and was forced to retire early after a car accident. BTW, this isn’t really a spoiler. There’s no real story to spoil. The end has all the emotional impact of a waving passerby. Bye, we never really knew you!
We never really see the sights, hear the sounds or smell the smells. We learn nothing about the cultures inhabiting the city at time (listing off census numbers doesn’t count).
We learned that Ralph enjoyed busting punks; had some moral flexibilities when it came to observing citizens' civil rights protected by the constitution (a document that unquestionably made his job more difficult) and doesn’t like politicians and police brass.
He undoubtedly made the city safer, during that period. He would argue that this fact makes him a good police officer. I would argue, eehhhhhhhhh… I’m not so sure.
I understand why this book is being rated so highly. It is action-packed, cops-and-robbers mayhem from start to finish. I’m giving it a much lower rating. I didn’t learn much, reading this book, other than Ralph really likes to pat himself on the back. With all those medals you would think he needn’t, but he still does.
April 20, 2018
Ralph Friedman was a cop in the Bronx in the 1970s, when basically the whole borough was on fire (or might as well have been and no one was going to put it out.) Even Manhattan was in poor shape in that decade, and the Bronx probably had it the worst in terms of crime and poverty.
Ralph had grown up in the Bronx so he was thrilled with his posting when he became a cop. He arrested someone on his first day, and never slowed down. Eventually he became the most decorated cop in the history of the NYPD, and had the most arrests. Which is even more impressive considering that he was sidelined by a major injury and wasn't able to get in his full 20 years. He would frequently arrest people while off-duty. He would arrest multiple people a day. He figured out a way, with the Bronx DA's office, to get his arrestees processed quickly and to get himself in and out of the courthouse fast on court days, as that was most cops' biggest problem if they wanted to have high arrest numbers. (It's also helpful to have a partner who doesn't want arrests--one who has a family and wants to only work 40 hours a week and not get overtime.)
Ralph shot and killed a few people. He saw his partner get shot. He helped track down the bad guys when his little brother, a transit cop, was hurt. He took down mobsters, drug dealers, and lots of general bad-time hoods. He became a detective and was on his way to be one of the most legendary NYC cops of all time when he had the aforementioned injury.
This book is a fun adrenaline rush. Mr. Friedman and I don't see eye to eye politically, and he's very sure about some opinions which I think are more opinion than fact (as he presents them) in terms of how things have changed since the 70s and why. However, that's a pretty small part of the book altogether, and this was a fun read. Would be great for a dad or brother who isn't a big reader, any NYC buffs, or even Law & Order fans.
Ralph had grown up in the Bronx so he was thrilled with his posting when he became a cop. He arrested someone on his first day, and never slowed down. Eventually he became the most decorated cop in the history of the NYPD, and had the most arrests. Which is even more impressive considering that he was sidelined by a major injury and wasn't able to get in his full 20 years. He would frequently arrest people while off-duty. He would arrest multiple people a day. He figured out a way, with the Bronx DA's office, to get his arrestees processed quickly and to get himself in and out of the courthouse fast on court days, as that was most cops' biggest problem if they wanted to have high arrest numbers. (It's also helpful to have a partner who doesn't want arrests--one who has a family and wants to only work 40 hours a week and not get overtime.)
Ralph shot and killed a few people. He saw his partner get shot. He helped track down the bad guys when his little brother, a transit cop, was hurt. He took down mobsters, drug dealers, and lots of general bad-time hoods. He became a detective and was on his way to be one of the most legendary NYC cops of all time when he had the aforementioned injury.
This book is a fun adrenaline rush. Mr. Friedman and I don't see eye to eye politically, and he's very sure about some opinions which I think are more opinion than fact (as he presents them) in terms of how things have changed since the 70s and why. However, that's a pretty small part of the book altogether, and this was a fun read. Would be great for a dad or brother who isn't a big reader, any NYC buffs, or even Law & Order fans.
June 28, 2019
I’ll be the first to admit, I don’t know much about the NYPD, New York, or policing in the 70s and 80s. My previous exposure had been to firefighting classics such as Dennis Smith’s Report from Engine Co. 82.
Also growing up in the 80s and 90s, I was well aware of New York’s reputation with regard to crime, drugs, and arson.
This book is a really well written autobiography into a “super cop” that gives a good insight into what being a police officer during that time was like, and how different it is from today. Focusing on the South Bronx area of “Ft Apache” and what it was like to go on patrol when the people of the neighborhood would toss things down off rooftops on walking cops, and all of the violence and social ills of the area, it paints a picture of an area that had run amuck and yet still was full of good people who needed help.
Yeah, there’s the fair share of bravado and machismo, but it’s very well tempered with good storytelling, and both information and perspective of the times. More than anything, like Smith’s and Campisi’s books, it’s an interesting window into what New York was like back when the city was crumbling financially and socially in what became known as Ft. Apache.
Also growing up in the 80s and 90s, I was well aware of New York’s reputation with regard to crime, drugs, and arson.
This book is a really well written autobiography into a “super cop” that gives a good insight into what being a police officer during that time was like, and how different it is from today. Focusing on the South Bronx area of “Ft Apache” and what it was like to go on patrol when the people of the neighborhood would toss things down off rooftops on walking cops, and all of the violence and social ills of the area, it paints a picture of an area that had run amuck and yet still was full of good people who needed help.
Yeah, there’s the fair share of bravado and machismo, but it’s very well tempered with good storytelling, and both information and perspective of the times. More than anything, like Smith’s and Campisi’s books, it’s an interesting window into what New York was like back when the city was crumbling financially and socially in what became known as Ft. Apache.
May 14, 2022
This might be the best cop/crime book I ever read. Friedman tells an amazing story of crime in the South Bronx’s 41st Precinct and his career with the NYPD. Detective work and proactive (back then anyways) policing is filled in this book and will leave you on the edge of your seat. I found it pretty crazy to see how much has changed with policing in NYC and the country in general since Friedman was a police officer. S/O to all the NYPD police officers for what they deal with everyday in the city, and all police officers on the frontlines today.
November 14, 2018
This is a very exciting book that outlines true accounts on many dangerous cases worked by Det. Friedman. His time on the job was in one of the worse times in New York City's history. As a retired LEO, I was amazed at his commitment to the job, and arresting some of the worse violent criminals in New York's history. I enjoyed the book and his many tactics he used to forthwith these violent criminals to justice.
August 24, 2018
I really enjoyed having an inside view to police work in NYC in the 1970’s. The author gives good insight on the use of force and why and the people being arrested. It seems like a different world compared to now and he points out the differences. He gives great narration to his career and you truly see how and why he became a legend in the NYPD.
August 13, 2017
Fairly decent read about a NYPD detective's experiences on the job. Friedman focused mostly on the shoot-'em-up takedowns and it would've been interesting to read more about the regular cases he handled, rather than the gun crimes ones.
August 18, 2017
I picked this up as it told the story of the darkest days of NYC. It was an interesting book and one I couldn't put down.
It tells the story of one of the bravest NY police officers and highlights from several of his cases and how they were solved.
It tells the story of one of the bravest NY police officers and highlights from several of his cases and how they were solved.
August 27, 2017
This is a Goodreads First Reads review.
Ralph Freidman writes a enthralling book about his time in one of the most dangerous precincts in New York City. He says what he thinks and isn’t afraid to be blunt, but also owns up to his mistakes.
Ralph Freidman writes a enthralling book about his time in one of the most dangerous precincts in New York City. He says what he thinks and isn’t afraid to be blunt, but also owns up to his mistakes.
December 22, 2017
Great read!
Incredibly interesting. A true story about a real-life hero whose career was cut short. Detective Friedman’s wit made me feel like I was there. I highly recommend for fast readers.
Incredibly interesting. A true story about a real-life hero whose career was cut short. Detective Friedman’s wit made me feel like I was there. I highly recommend for fast readers.
June 19, 2018
Very interesting and gripping book from the on-set!! Amazing read about a cop and all his arrests and medals. Intriguing reading about how it was on the 70’s and 80’s in a different city, especially a city like New York.
March 30, 2020
A book by a cop for cops
Read 40 pages and gave up. Revisionist history is just so telling of the author. Thank God Giuliani came along to clean up the cops and the Bronx. I lived through that nightmare as a nurse. Never met a cop I trusted
Read 40 pages and gave up. Revisionist history is just so telling of the author. Thank God Giuliani came along to clean up the cops and the Bronx. I lived through that nightmare as a nurse. Never met a cop I trusted
December 1, 2017
A great book written by a truly dedicated officer. The times back then were so different from times today including the methods used in policing! Good read.
November 2, 2017
Totally amazing book about the NYPD in the 70's and 80's. Captivating stories that were so unreal.
Anyone who enjoys reading about police work will not be able to put the book down.
Anyone who enjoys reading about police work will not be able to put the book down.
October 18, 2018
HERO NYPD DETECTIVE
Great War stories! I didn’t want to put this book down ! Great insight on how policing was back in the day
PO Axel Foley Nassau County Police Department
Great War stories! I didn’t want to put this book down ! Great insight on how policing was back in the day
PO Axel Foley Nassau County Police Department
April 4, 2021
Great cop adventures!
Liked comparing older times to today. Cops have it hard at any time. Good discussion about how admin and politics can get in the way for sure.
Liked comparing older times to today. Cops have it hard at any time. Good discussion about how admin and politics can get in the way for sure.
May 24, 2022
A great read. Easy with a flow to it that made it so I did not want to put it down.
August 17, 2022
Interesting story but I could do without the self admitted abuse of power by the author.
Displaying 1 - 26 of 26 reviews