The Streets: Confessions of an Undercover Cop

by Lachlan McCulloch

Genres: True Crime, Nonfiction

231 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2000

About the author

Detective Senior Constable Lachlan McCulloch was a member of the Victoria police force for almost 16 years, working undercover and in the drug squad. He is known for infiltrating one of the country’s most notorious crime families.

Reviews

[Fergus Moffat · Rating 3 out of 5]

I read The Streets, a combined volume of The Street and The Street 2. For this reader, who had been only vaguely aware--from afar--of the policing and criminal environment that was Victoria during the twenty-odd years of the last decade, this book has been a revelation. McCulloch displays the nature of 'the job' in a gritty, bleakly realistic, and humourous manner. His narrative is an "...unflinching account of the dark side of life on the streets ... dealing with the bad, the sad and the mad ... and that was just other police. Beside them, the crooks were easy." A highly recommended holiday read.

[Brendon Fehre · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Street is a good looking into the workings of a cop and the street in St Kilda. It gives you a look into what happens and why in relation to catching crooks, drug dealers, the level of drug dealers and the way Vic Police go about catching crooks. Highly recommend reading if you are looking to find out more about this life and what it really means to be a cop in this era.

[Sam · Rating 3 out of 5]

The Streets offers a raw, first-person account of life as an undercover officer in the UK’s drug scene, with a focus on the personal cost of going deep into that world. Stephen Bentley pulls no punches in describing the psychological toll, moral ambiguity, and chaotic energy of undercover work. It’s a gritty and often compelling read, though the writing style and structure won’t be for everyone.

What I Liked:
- Bentley’s insider perspective is engaging and honest, giving readers a rare glimpse into the blurred line between criminal and cop.
- The book highlights the emotional and ethical complexities of undercover policing in a way that feels real, not dramatised.
- There’s an immediacy to the storytelling that makes you feel like you’re in the room, or the alley, when things go sideways.

What I Didn’t:
- The writing can be uneven, with moments where structure and clarity take a back seat to raw emotion.
- Some dialogue and scenes feel more like a stream of recollection than fully shaped narrative.
- It could have benefited from tighter editing to smooth pacing and deepen reflection in key moments.

[Dirk Lapere · Rating 3 out of 5]

Not my style but found that i just kept on reading. Knowing that this was based on true stories (with some embellishment, no doubt) made it interesting reading. The no nonsence writing style added to the interest.

[Sharon · Rating 4 out of 5]

So love this book, extreemly funny, The part about the guy flashing a false police ID at a group of undercover cops, had me absolutely wetting myself in laughter.
Brilliant!

[Mark Williams · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great read!!