Table of Contents

Foreword, by Tom Wolfe
Introduction: Be Careful What You Wish For
PART I. NEW YORK CITY
Chapter 1. Getting the Job
Chapter 2. The South Bronx
Chapter 3. From Sergeant to Management
Chapter 4. Captain Timoney
Chapter 5. Chinatown
Chapter 6. Back to Headquarters Under Dinkins
Chapter 7. The Bratton Era Begins
Chapter 8. CompStat, Crowd Control, and the "Dirty Thirty"
Chapter 9. The Beginning of the End
Chapter 10. Interregnum
PART II. PHILADELPHIA
Chapter 11. Philadelphia, Here I Come
Chapter 12. Pugnacious Philly
PART III. MIAMI
Chapter 13. Paradise Found: Miami
Chapter 14. Free Trade, Free Speech, and the Politics of Policing
Conclusion: Where We Were, Where We Are
Index

Promotional Information

From Beat Cop to Top Cop: A Tale of Three Cities documents John Timoney's rise, from his days as a tough street cop in the South Bronx right up to his role as police chief of Miami.

About the Author

John F. Timoney is former Chief of Police, City of Miami.

Reviews

"Both the ugly side of police work-particularly corruption-and the achievements of his beloved NYPD are showcased in this intriguing look at what it takes to fight crime."
*Publishers Weekly*

"Beat Cop to Top Cop is a riveting ride inside the accelerating squad car of John Timoney's career. Page by page, you realize that he's the real life version of the celluloid cop envisioned by countless casting directors. They usually get his physical fitness, rugged good looks, proud Irish heritage and honor of the badge. But Timoney is more than that. As he takes readers from the streets of New York City to Philadelphia to Miami, it becomes obvious what sets him apart: a rare blend of both street and intellectual smarts. Timoney's as comfortable with the beat cop or victim as he is with a city's mayor or its media elite. The blue line isn't thin when Timoney is in uniform. You pray he's the man in charge of the police department that answers your call to 911."
*Michael Smerconish, nationally syndicated radio host*

"If he had thought of him first, Damon Runyon would have invented John Timoney. A self-made man in the 'Runyonesque' mode, John Timoney recounts his remarkable story in this compelling book. He emerges from these pages as a cop's cop and a chief's chief, with a bit of a poet mixed in."
*Ray Kelly, New York City Police Commissioner*

"John Timoney writes like he talks (except, unfortunately for the reader, without his delightful Irish brogue). Beat Cop to Top Cop recounts his brilliant career in an always entertaining and insightful way. True to his Dublin story telling heritage, his tale draws the reader into the always exciting world of policing from the beat to the Commissioner's suite."
*Bill Bratton, former Chief of Police, Los Angeles*

"John Timoney is pure cop: tough and blunt, sensitive and caring. Deputy Commissioner in New York City, Commissioner in Philadelphia, and Chief in Miami, Timoney helped create Compstat and reduce crime in New York, bring homicide under control in Philadelphia, and demonstrated in Miami that he could reduce police shootings without endangering officers or allowing crime to increase."
*George L. Kelling, author of Fixing Broken Windows: Restoring Order And Reducing Crime In Our Communities*