Signal Zero

Rating:
Summary: Great Book!
Review: A great story of how a Berkeley Criminology professor gets his come-uppance when he agrees to walk a mile in the shoes of the police officers he so unflatteringly portrays in his lectures. A poignant indictment of liberal academia. Still applicable as we enter the 21st century.

Rating:
Summary: How True It Is
Review: I am a Police Officer from the same department that the author worked for. Though this book was written some time ago, it still holds true today. If you ever wonder why police officers are how they are, read this book.

Rating:
Summary: best cop book ever
Review: I read this book 24 years ago when I was a rookie policeman, after 25 years on the job I can tell you it accuratly describes how a regular person becomes a "cop". Any person who thinks they know how cops think, especially those so called experts in academia who wouldn,t know a crook until one hit them over the head and stoled their money, should read this book. The author sucks you into the side of society most people don,t want to see or hear about, but once u start readin you won,t put it down. And when your done you will never look at a "cop" the same way again.

Rating:
Summary: best cop book ever
Review: I read this book 24 years ago when I was a rookie policeman, after 25 years on the job I can tell you it accuratly describes how a regular person becomes a "cop". Any person who thinks they know how cops think, especially those so called experts in academia who wouldn,t know a crook until one hit them over the head and stoled their money, should read this book. The author sucks you into the side of society most people don,t want to see or hear about, but once u start readin you won,t put it down. And when your done you will never look at a "cop" the same way again.

Rating:
Summary: Facinating Reading
Review: I read this book in 1977 and have never forgotten how I could not put it down. It is a look at police work from both sides of the table. It makes you think and re-think your ideas about police officers. My question when I finished reading this work was ... Do people develop a certain mind set and personality because of the occupation or are they drawn into this job because they are of that mind set and personality. This book provokes much thought.

Rating:
Summary: Signal Zero - A Police Classic
Review: In my 20-years as a law enforcement officer, and 18 years of (simultaneous) college studies, I found Dr. George L. Kirkham's story to be one of the most intriguing, interesting, and accurate police stories. It is now a classic in police and criminal justice literature. This is a true story in which Dr. Kirkham, a college professor, becomes a street cop in a tough South Florida city (on a sabbatical from teaching). The reader will learn firsthand the changes - the metamorphosis - that Dr. Kirkham goes through. Would this happen to most any person who becomes a police officer? He describes a tough job, that sees American society often at it's worst. Kirkham learns that police theory and actual police practices are often far apart. (A short vignette of the story appeared as an article entitled "Street Lessons" by George L. Kirkham PhD, in the FBI Law Enforcement Bulletin, March 1974, pp. 14-22). This story is required reading in all my Introduction to Criminal Justice classes.

Professor John Hill - Criminal Justice (retired street cop)

Rating:
Summary: I like this book !
Review: It about first time of New York City's Police man, I like the story that the author told in the book very much.

Rating:
Summary: Superb
Review: Signal Zero contains a rare look into the mind of an academic, the author, who had spent his life studying the police profession from the outside. As with most academics, he thought the profession was made up of semi-literate individuals who became police officers to violate the cvil rights of others. The author then received a challenge from a student who was a police officer in one of his classes. Following this the author joined a police department through a police reserve program. Within a short time the author never looked at police work the same again. This book is a must read for anyone in the police profession, anyone thinking about becoming a police officer, or anyone interested in the men and women who serve as police officers. It is a shame this book is no longer in print. I hope the positive comments on this site make the book easier to obtain in the future. Good luck finding a copy!!!

Rating:
Summary: A must for criminologists and civilians alike.
Review: This is an amazing book. This should be a required read for all criminologists who intend to teach about police and their subculture. I also recommend it to anyone who thinks that cops, in general, have bad attitudes or those who question a person's reasons for becoming a cop. Law enforcement is a difficult, misunderstood, low-paying and high stress occupation. This book would help the relationship between civilians and law officers immensely if it were widely read. I wish it would be brought back into print. Highly recommended.

Rating:
Summary: A must for criminologists and civilians alike.
Review: This is an amazing book. This should be a required read for all criminologists who intend to teach about police and their subculture. I also recommend it to anyone who thinks that cops, in general, have bad attitudes or those who question a person's reasons for becoming a cop. Law enforcement is a difficult, misunderstood, low-paying and high stress occupation. This book would help the relationship between civilians and law officers immensely if it were widely read. I wish it would be brought back into print. Highly recommended.