One of our Department's most experienced gang officers has written a book that I would like to recommend to you. Detective Tony Moreno's book titled "LESSONS FROM A GANG COP" is not about teaching someone how to combat gangs and putting them in jail. Instead, it is advice to all of us, perhaps focused a little more on the newer generation of coppers, who are continually coming to grips with the job, the changes in our lives, families and situation.

Tony doesn't lecture. He gives wise counsel "lessons" and then illustrates his points with stories (from an experienced gang cop). The book is particularly important for those officers with two to 10 years on the job; for officers who are struggling with the dichotomy in which we as police officers live - in other words, being on the thin blue line between the civilized nice world and the world of crime and violence.

I recently had the pleasure of reading Tony Moreno's new book entitled "Lessons from a Gang Cop" and to say I was impressed would be an understatement.

Tony has created a book that is more in tune with modern day policing than any book currently available. His knowledge of street cop psychology is nothing short of amazing.

Firstly this book gives any police officer a clear understanding of issues that they have been struggling with for years. Youth crime, lack of community involvement, supervsiory ignorance, inter-departmental jealousies, poor training and officer burn-out. These are just a very few of the topics covered so well in this must read title. "Must Read." Yes. Every officer in every department must read this book if not for the sake of the communities they serve then at least for their own gratification and sanity.

One point that struck me was something I had understood for a long time but had never articulated it as well as Tony. You can find many officers who claim they have 20 years of police experience when in actuality they only have one year of police experience that has been repeated 20 times.

In this book Tony points out the simple formula that success is the intersecting of character, competence and commitment. He then takes the reader in a systematic street patrol of each of these points. When you finish this book you understand why this man is as good as he is.

I feel this book is mistitled. Although Tony permits the reader to view life through the eyes of a Gang Cop from central LA he really speaks to every cop - and from the heart.