This account of the struggle to bring law and order to a city rich with gold rush money, at odds with Mexican bandits, and teeming with forty-niners and confederate sympathizers chronicles the chaotic early days of Los Angeles, which
boasted the highest homicide rate in America by 1850. From profiles of the frontier-style lawmen hired to stop the initial mayhem to an analysis of the the city's modern sheriff's office—the largest in America—this book draws comparisons
between the uproar of the early days, the racial tensions that erupted during the Watts riots, and the safety issues that preoccupy the police force today.
About the Author
Sven Crongeyer is a 17-year veteran of the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department and the author of many articles for law enforcement publications. He lives in Northridge, California.
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Presenting 15 famous cases from Fresno, California, set in the first part of the 20th century, a long-time detective in the sheriff's office introduces key figures such as a bootlegger, an unfortunate local dubbed Alligator Jack, and a perpetrator known as the Fig Garden Fiend. Featuring local landmarks such as Mussel Slough—the setting for Frank Norris's The Octopus—and offering additional commentary that compares these sensational past cases to current high-profile criminal cases. A consideration of the changing face of crime, this history reveals a modern upswing in child abuse, multiple murders, and kidnapping cases and highlights the extended nature of the current legal process as compared to the open-and-shut character of the early 1900s. About the Author Scott Morrison is a former detective with the Fresno County Sheriff's Office who served in the homicide, sex crimes, and intelligence units. he lives in Fresno, California. |
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UPDATE Apr. 23, 2008 Embossing and Leather Bound editions are available. Volume II is in the early planning stages. If you have badges that you would like to have added to this second volume please contact me. Email
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Click Here to see the front and back cover design of Badges of America's Finest.
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