C-CASE: An Unlikely Journey from Transit Cop to Internal Affairs Bureau Squad Commander

by Robert L. Bryan

Investigating other police officers is a job no cop wants to do.Against the backdrop of the 1995 merger of the NYC Transit and Housing Police Departments into the New York City Police Department, this is the true story of a transit police lieutenant who abruptly finds himself walking a tightrope.

The author, then was a fourteen-year veteran lieutenant in the Transit Police Department at the time of the merger, is thrust into command of a squad of seasoned NYPD investigators with the Internal Affairs Bureau.

But the problem is...

He has no prior investigative experience having spent the previous fourteen years patrolling the subway system and dealing with subway-related crimes. But now Lieutenant Byran must be a leader to an Internal Investigations squad that were all so much more experienced than he was.

With almost forty thousand uniformed members of the service, the NYPD is a microcosm within the city. Just as there are murderers, thieves, and drug dealers in the city, there are also murderers, thieves, and drug dealers inside the police department. Somebody has to weed out these bad apples in the Big Apple.

It’s a tough job physically, mentally, and emotionally - especially with the “Rat” stigma that is so closely associated with Internal Affairs. Imagine managing a hardened team who had spent years working in the tough, thankless job of investigating homicides, narcotics cases, and organized crime rings, and bringing corrupt cops to justice.

Was the author able to deftly walk the fine line of leading his squad and gaining their respect without having experience in the job? Could he quickly get up to speed and learn how to perform the wide range of investigations conducted by the Internal Affairs Bureau without being undermined?

In this insightful, humorous, and sometimes poignant reflection on his distinguished career, Robert Bryan offers readers a window into the NYPD at a time when there is a lot of controversy and criticism of policemen.

If you enjoy true no-holds-barred cop stories then you’ll love C-Case. Written by an insider, this memoir will give you new and unexpected insights into what it takes to be a successful cop in the toughest city in America.

Scroll up now click the Buy Now button or click on the Look Inside feature to start reading the first chapter.

Genres: Nonfiction, Police, Memoir

203 pages, Kindle Edition

Published August 6, 2018

Reviews

[Lisa Diaz Meyer · Rating 5 out of 5]

There’s much to like about Robert L. Bryan’s C-CASE. The writing is clear and concise. The story, so interesting I couldn’t put it down. The cop humor and banter throughout is a realistic plus. Most of the book takes place in NYC areas (a place I’m very familiar with) so this New Yorker felt right at home in plenty of the settings. An excellent “cop” book that I really enjoyed reading! 5 out of 5 Stars!

[Leon Atterberry · Rating 5 out of 5]

Really enjoyed this book. As the author talks about, it’s not easy to be a cop of cops, BUT the internal affairs bureau, “ IAB”, keeps cops in check.

It has great stories and leaves us with s as good message, cops are being watched.

We all love the police but HATE bad cops.

[Clifford Thurlow · Rating 5 out of 5]

Robert L. Bryan was a cop and certainly knows the inner beating heart of being a cop, the idiosyncratic language, the thinking (dark, cynical, sometimes naïve), the things that annoy cops and those things that allow them to go to bed at night after a few beers knowing they have done the right thing and had a good day. It’s all about balance and cops are permanently on the point of losing it.

C-Case, written in the first person, draws you straight in as the inexperienced lieutenant sets about the worst job you can have in the police department – an investigation into other cops. You can feel his pain, his doubts, his slow but steady assurance about his own instincts as he winds his way through the complex twists and turns of the investigation. First rate, authentic read with some fascinating insights. I will be looking out for more cop tales from Officer Ryan.

[Linda Donohue · Rating 5 out of 5]

I have always enjoyed the "war stories" of the public servant professionals and Bryan did not disappoint me. As he stated in a couple of instances, "one could not make this stuff up". Even the police profession has individuals you wonder how they ever made it into the profession. The book was well written and kept my interest from the first page to the last. It is apparent the author is a well educated individual. I do look forward to his next book. I thank the author for the opportunity to read his first novel.

[Lisa · Rating 4 out of 5]

I love reading memoirs and accounts of career experiences; because I once also worked in an investigative capacity, including civilian review of police which required auditing Internal Affairs investigations, I was especially pleased to read the e-book version of this title, courtesy of the author through Goodreads Giveaways. This was thoroughly enjoyable -- even laugh-out-loud funny in places. Bryan writes admirably well and has a talent for setting a scene or describing a character. He opened with a good overview of his preceding years and how he ended up with a two-year Internal Affairs stint investigating serious allegations that went beyond minor infractions (such as discourtesy). As he aptly says in his book, the police department is a microcosm of society, including criminals and the corruptible, and gives his readers a window into cases involving organized crime, unauthorized "moonlighting," insurance fraud, theft. We sit in on interviews, ride along with a surveillance van (to hilarious effect) and peek in on office politics. I was in stitches reading a chapter about a road rage case. (No characters were harmed in the making of that chapter!)

The lay person can learn about an aspect of police operations not often addressed in thin-blue-line memoirs. I would have been interested to hear more about how the author's IA handled excessive and deadly force cases.

Overall, this was an enjoyable read and I look forward to reading more of Bryan's experiences.

[Tim Gray · Rating 5 out of 5]

A real find

It's very real and engaging. Come visit another very distinct place and time, and travel with Lieutenant Bob through two years of Internal Affairs.

[Henry Petruskewic · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very well written! Lots of humor and interesting facts about IAB.

Robert Bryan came full circle in his Police carrear. From Transit police to NYPD and than housing police. As a former NYC resident I loved the narrative about subway stations and my old stomping grounds in E!thirst and Maspeth.

[Douglas Mace · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great Stpry

Very interesting account. Exciting thank you for your insights. Not sure why amazon has minimum number of words. But here they are

[Gary F · Rating 5 out of 5]

Love it

This is one of those rare books that I truly wish was twice as long as it was so interesting, well written and just went too fast. Really really enjoyed this book

[Ed]

well written and great stories, will read all the authors books!!!1

[ANTHONY TYLER · Rating 4 out of 5]

easy read

This is an easy interesting read. No deep thought process or analysis but somewhat light hearted. It is a fast read also