One reader of LA Justice
said “This book is something more like two books, rather than one. Vernon spends the first half of the book telling
his view of the department and what his career was like and how it ended during the aftermath of the LA Riots of 1992. If
you are interested in police work and in the LAPD in particular you will enjoy that part. If you are interested a police officer's
view during the Los Angeles Riots of 1992 it also for you. Robert Vernon's father was a 20-year veteran of LAPD and he
tells of his father's frustration of working in the (then) terribly corrupt department. Vernon then writes of his rise
up the ranks and chronicles the evolution of the department during his time there.
The second part of the book deals with Vernon's
observations on American society and the things that have contributed its changes, not all of them for the better. These personal
observations seem to be the recollections of an older gentleman who wishes to impart some of his acquired knowledge to a younger
generation that might have a chance to make some changes for the better.
I met Mr. Vernon earlier this year at a Pointman Leadership
Seminar that my employer sponsored. It was well worth my time and inspired me to read this book, which I had just acquired
a month prior to the seminar. Having met the man prior to reading the book and getting a more insightful view of what makes
him tick made the book more inspiring. I hope he might update the book and make it available to participants in his seminar
as I believe he has grown a lot, spiritually, since it was written and that aspect of his personality could better be presented
in the book today.”
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