Blue on Blue

The author gives an authentic account of his time in the NYPD Internal Affairs Bureau. He fulfilled a childhood dream to be a Police officer and writes with honesty and integrity. A fascinating insight into Police investigating corrupt Police in the largest Police force in the world. Many thanks to Net Galley for my copy. I reviewed on Goodreads.

I loved this book and the peeks inside America's Police Department. Written with unflinching honesty and in terms anyone, Police Officer or not, can relate to, this is a must read for those who are curious about what happens 'behind the scenes' in larger than life Police Departments, or for those of us who have served in a Police Department.

Prepare to be stunned at some points, and absolutely smitten at others. From the back rooms to the front lines Charles Campisi tells the whole truth and nothing but.

I very rarely give a 5 star rating. This book was absolutely incredible. He brought the NYPD right to your door step. He made yo understand their problems. It was well crafted and grabbed your attention immediately.
This is a must read for everyone..

I received an e-ARC of this novel through NetGalley and Scribner. Thank you.

I love to read a story-behind-the-story and Charles Campisi (along with Gordon Dillow) has provided that in this completely fascinating look into the world of police officers charged with investigating other police officers in New York City. As is made very clear in this book, nobody wants to be known as a snitch and certainly not a rat, so how do you overhaul a department charged with investigating whispers, tips, complaints, and allegations against New York cops? Well, by changing it into a bureau, of course. Naturally that is a simplified answer, but it is what happened in order to put the authority needed behind the endeavor. It went from the Internal Affairs Division (IAD) to the Internal Affairs Bureau (IAB) which moved it above the level of simply being one of many departments. In addition Chief Charles Campisi was given a broader scope for the department and allowed to put his own stamp on how to run it with help from police chiefs and city mayors over his seventeen years as chief of the IAB. What follows is a look at what it takes to investigate the police officers who make wrong decisions and cross the line between protector and criminal.

The book covers all kinds of fascinating information about how sting operations were set up and run, how 'uncles' (undercover agents) were used to gather evidence and proof and much more. Officers didn't want to serve in the capacity of investigating their own so a system of drafting a police officer for two years was put into place with practically no excuse being good enough to allow someone to dodge the assignment. By making the service mandatory the stigma of being a snitch was removed and many officers elected to stay with the IAB when their two year hitch was finished. I learned about how testing situations were put in place to see if officers passed or took the bait and committed a crime, investigating an incident when an officer was involved and questions might possibly be raised, investigating the use of excessive force, how complicated - and long running - an investigation could be using uncles, wire taps, and video, cooperation between NYC and other law enforcement communities, plus much more.

The book doesn't place special emphasis on big, attention grabbing news stories although those are discussed and described. If you don't live in New York you would probably not have head about most of the cases, but two high profile cases, Abner Louima and Amadou Diallo, were familiar to me. Sometimes the irony involved was almost more than a civilian such as I could fathom. Like the policeman who was talking on his phone with disgust about dirty cops when the IAB unit was listening to his conversation because all of his cell phones had been tapped and he was being shadowed almost 24/7 because of the investigation into the criminal activity he was involved in.

I enjoyed this book very much and feel that I've come away with a better understanding and much more sympathy for the police who have to police the police. It may not be everybody's favorite two year stretch, but it certainly is necessary because the temptations for police officers are everywhere.

This book is an authentic look into the New York Police Department through the eyes of a man who has been through it all. Charles Campisi fulfilled his dream of being a police officer,ending up running the Internal Affairs Bureau. He lets us know how all cops 'hate' the IAB,calling them the 'rat squad'. Nobody wants to be a snitch,so Campisi comes up with many ideas that make it easier for any cop to report another who is really corrupt. This book is very interesting and quick moving,you feel like you are there as Campisi works through many different problems in keeping the NYPD corruption free to the best of his ability. This is a candid look behind the scenes and is very real. I received this book from Netgalley,Charles Campisi and publisher Scribner,who I thank as that has enabled me to read and review this great story.

This book caught my eye - the inside story of the IAB - it must be good, surely?

Having finished it in just three sessions, I have to confess that, in my opinion, Campisi has delivered an excellent reflection over his professional life as a member of the NYPD.

It is well written, informative and does not leave the reader feeling cheated - that corners have been cut or artistic license taken with the subject matter.

Recommended for readers of biographies and police procedure novels as well as those of us who will pick up a book based on positive reviews and try it for themselves, irrespective of whether the subject matter initially appeals.

In my opinion, this book is a worthwhile addition to anyone's library, be it an electronic or physical one.

In this eye opening memoir by the longest serving chief of NYPD's Internal Affairs Bureau we learn about the exposure of bad cops. Charles Campisi headed the Department from 1996-2014.

I like reading memoirs and this book, for me, did not disappoint. We get an honest and at times fascinating insight into good police investigating bad police.

I would like to thank NetGalley, Scribner and the author Charles Campisi for my ARC in exchange for an honest review

Blue on Blue is about the New York City Policy's Internal Affairs Bureau. The author was the chief of the IAB for many years. He recently retired and has co-written this book about the IAB's work and his own experience. I found this book really interesting, but I can't imagine it will please all readers. Here are a few random thoughts:
-My favourite aspect of the book is that Campisi does a great job explaining the history of the IAB and the unique position of the IAB in investigating "bad" cops, including the challenges faced in gaining credibility with other cops.
-Another favourite aspect is that there are lots of interesting stories about investigations -- the bad stuff some cops have been up to and how they were caught. It's a long book, and the stories are the primary focus.
-Campisi comes across as a bit of a Pollyanna -- albeit a likeable and commendable Pollyanna. He goes to great lengths to explain how he has never ever crossed the line, and how the vast majority of cops never cross the line. There are only a few bad cops out there he assures his readers.
-While Campisi was very dedicated to ridding his police force of "bad" cops, he stays away from any analysis of systemic issues that may affect how the police do their job. When bad things happen it's because bad cops were involved. He supports this view with lots of statistics, shying away from the issue of whether the bad cops' victims were predominantly visible minorities or economically disadvantaged and not touching on how some groups are systematically treated differently by the police than other groups. This is an observation, and not really a complaint although it highlights the challenges in addressing systemic issues -- they are not necessarily visible to those inside the system.
All said, I really enjoyed reading Blue on Blue. Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for an opportunity to read an advance copy.

“There are never as many cops like that out there as some people choose to believe, but for us, and for all the honest cops, there are always too many. And they are the reason we exist.”

Charles Campisi, the longest serving chief of NYPD’s Internal Affairs Bureau provides a revealing narrative. This is an eye-opening insider’s perspective of the man who cleaned up the NYPD, the world’s largest police force, weeding out their own ‘boys in blue’, the bad apples, those with badges who once vowed to protect and serve but ended up on the wrong side of the law. Campisi’s expose is riveting. He sends the message to the troops early on that corruption will not be tolerated and then takes the reader behind the scenes of investigations, providing captivating glimpses of a world the average citizen does not normally see; a hard business full of deception and betrayal. Campisi’s formula for policing the police worked: his passion, integrity and achievements impressive and undeniable.

As a side note, I felt a bit more of a personal connection than other readers I suspect, as my husband rose thru the ranks as an internal affairs investigator. I have a considerable respect for these hard working people - their job are not easy. I also developed a huge respect for those who protect and serve even earlier on in my life, while working a 5-year stint alongside the man who headed the federal witness protection program and went on to become a well-respected police commissioner. It pains me to think our cops who sacrifice their lives every day for the greater good are getting such a bad rap today.

*Note: will also post on Amazon, Powells, etc. once published.

Police corruption is a subject that I’ve been interested in for a good few years, right back to when I myself worked in current affairs journalism. In the UK there are two books which looked at police corruption in London’s Metropolitan Police, Bent Coppers by Grahame McLagan and Untouchables by Michael Gillard and Laurie Flynn. Broadly speaking, Bent Coppers argues that the Met was effective in combatting the scourge of corruption, while Untouchables takes a far more pessimistic view. What these books both have in common is that their authors are journalists, a police officer involved in the fight against corruption has yet to put pen to paper.

Across the Atlantic, in New York, the reverse is now the case. Charles Campisi was head of the NYPD’s Internal Affairs division from 1996 through to 2014, and his book Blue on Blue outlines his experiences. A lot happened in New York during his tenure. As mayor, Guliani presided over his so-called zero-tolerance. While some claim that led to a drop in crime, a number of police officers appear to have taken it as a green light for brutality. This is not to place the blame for any of what happened at Guliani’s door, I’m not suggesting that he bears any responsibility, but a minority of officers do appear to have interpreted the policy this way.

A big difference between the Met’s problems and those of the NYPD seem to be the scale of violence. Undoubtedly, this is in no small part due to New York officers being routinely armed. Campisi developed a reputation as incorruptible, as something of a hard-nosed investigator, and his tenure at IAD saw a marked fall in the number of New Yorkers gunned down by police and the number of officers who failed integrity tests. That said, he still presided over some harrowing cases. The choking death of Anthony Baez, the killing of Amadou Diallo who was shot nineteen times by police, and Abner Louima who was sexually assaulted by NYPD officers, are just some of those he had to deal with. Then there were the officers trafficking drugs and helping organised crime.

As mentioned, both books written on the Met’s battle against corruption have been penned by journalists. Having read Campisi’s book, it would be interesting to read a journalist’s perspective on New York’s battle. Similarly, I would love a Met police officer to pen an insider account as Campisis has done. Only when we have both can we hope to have something close to a complete picture.

That said, Charles Campisi has written an engaging and intelligent account of the NYPD’s battle against corruption and it’s a book I have no hesitation in recommending.

5 out of 5 stars.

One of the most authentic and consistently illuminating portraits of police work ever, Blue on Blue describes the fascinating inner workings of the world’s largest police force and Chief Charles Campisi’s unprecedented two decades putting bad cops behind bars.

From 1996 through 2014 Charles Campisi headed NYPD’s Internal Affairs Bureau, working under four police commissioners and gaining a reputation as hard-nosed and incorruptible. When he retired, only one man on the 36,000-member force had served longer. During Campisi’s IAB tenure, the number of New Yorkers shot, wounded, or killed by cops every year declined by ninety percent, and the number of cops failing integrity tests shrank to an equally startling low.

But to achieve those exemplary results, Campisi had to triple IAB’s staff, hire the very best detectives, and put the word out that bad apples wouldn’t be tolerated.

While early pages of Campisi’s absorbing account bring us into the real world of cops, showing, for example, the agony that every cop suffers when he fires his gun, later pages spotlight a harrowing series of investigations that tested IAB’s capacities, forcing detectives to go undercover against cops who were themselves undercover, to hunt down criminals posing as cops, and to break through the “blue wall of silence” to verify rare—but sometimes very real—cases of police brutality.

Told in an edge-of-the-seat way by a born storyteller, Blue on Blue puts us in the scene, allowing us to listen in on wiretaps and feel the adrenaline rush of drawing in the net. It also reveals new threats to the force, such as the possibility of infiltration by terrorists. Ultimately, the book inspires awe for the man who, for almost two decades, was entrusted with the job of making sure the words “New York’s Finest” never ring hollow.

A truly revelatory account, Blue on Blue will forever change the way you view police work

Blue on Blue is about the New York City Policy's Internal Affairs Bureau. The author was the chief of the IAB for many years. He recently retired and has co-written this book about the IAB's work and his own experience. I found this book really interesting, especially after becoming so engrossed in the true crime and wrongful conviction podcasts that have popped up over the past few years. Fans of these shows will really enjoy this book, but I don't doubt that it will anger some who either believe that all police are bad or that all police or good. Personally, I choose to believe that police, like any group of people, are mostly good but that bad eggs infiltrate all aspects of society. It is nice to know that there are people in power looking out for the good of society, even if it means bringing down friends or associates who are in the wrong.

Book received from Netgalley.

This book is the biography of a former member of IAB, Internal Affairs Bureau, Charles Campisi. He is now retired from the NYPD, he worked the department during 9/11 and went through multiple scandals with it. I enjoyed reading this since prior to reading this I have only known of the department through the portrayal of it on shows like CSI. Working in that department seems to be a very hard job, especially since your fellow officers don't trust you and consider you a rat. It was really enjoyable and I will probably read this again.

A grim look at corruption and misbehavior in the police force, Blue on Blue reminds us what it is like to be all too human: making mistakes and then going down the slippery slope, psychological problems and the like. However, it also shows the good side of humanity - of integrity and duty.
I never know how it is like to police your own people - Blue on Blue was an eye-opening read in this aspect.In addition, you see how it is like to make decisions as a cop.
I was never bored throughout this action-packed book. A recommended read.