Interesting story here. Meanwhile, in Amsterdam the move to re-criminalize psychedelic mushrooms has been postponed another year. They’re still sold legally in stores. Some of my friends in Amsterdam (from where I write this) are E.R. nurses. They complain to me about the summer influx of drugged-out people to the hospitals. They’re all tourists and mostly casualties of shrooms and…
Man kills burglars
A man in Texas killed two men who had burglarized his neighbor’s property. A grand jury decided not to indict the killer. In general, I don’t have much sympathy who criminals who get killed in the act of committing a serious crime. But this case pushes the limit because the guy wasn’t protecting his life or his property, he called…
You can’t make this stuff up!
Missouri Town Finds Drug Agent Is Really an Impostor
“Engaging as Well as Persuasive”
So says Diane Scharper in the Baltimore Sunabout my book, Cop in the Hood. Here’s the whole review: In his classic book, On Writing Well, William Zinsser claimed that people and places were the twin pillars on which all good nonfiction is built. These three books – all with a local connection – prove that point. Their subjects qualify them…
Does cheap gasoline cause crime?
I wish gas were taxed more. Much more. Luckily, I’m not running for political office. I saw this figurein an article in today’s New York Times. The point of the article is that gas in the U.S. is still pretty cheap compared to most countries. But when I look at the figure, I see what I think is an inverse…
“Couldn’t put it down”
I don’t know who this guy is, but I like him because he likes my book. A lot. Certainly more than he likes O’Malley.
Officer Pete says (rule 1):
Always keep your hands where I can see them. [All the rules of “Officer Pete says” can be seen here. Got any to add? Please do so in a comment!]
Officer Pete says (rule 2):
Please sit still when I ask you to.
NIJ Taser Report
The National Institute of Justice has released a report on Tasers. Basically, they say they’re safe, but with some important qualifications. I think those qualifications need more emphasis than the report gives them.
Ivy-League cops
I had a piece in the Princeton Alumni Weekly about my experiences as a police officer. Turns out I’m not the only Ivy-League cop out there. Here’s an excerpt from an email I received from a North Carolina police officer. I thought I would take a bunch of crap for being an Ivy League guy – I try to keep…