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  • 400 Things Cops Know: Street-Smart Lessons From a Veteran Patrolman

  • Written by: Adam Plantinga
  • Narrated by: Mark Boyett
  • Length: 7 hrs and 4 mins
  • 4.7 out of 5 stars (58 ratings)

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400 Things Cops Know: Street-Smart Lessons From a Veteran Patrolman

Written by: Adam Plantinga
Narrated by: Mark Boyett
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Publisher's Summary

How does it feel to be in a high-speed car chase? What is it like to shoot someone? What do cops really think about the citizens they serve? Nearly everyone has wondered what it's like to be a police officer, but no civilian really understands what happens on the job.

400 Things Cops Know shows police work on the inside, from the viewpoint of the regular cop on the beat - a profession that can range from rewarding to bizarre to terrifying, all within the course of an eight-hour shift. Written by veteran police sergeant Adam Plantinga, 400 Things Cops Know brings the listener into life the way cops experience it - a life of danger, frustration, occasional triumph, and plenty of grindingly hard routine work. In a laconic, no-nonsense, dryly humorous style, Plantinga tells what he's learned from 13 years as a patrolman, from the everyday to the exotic - how to know at a glance when a suspect is carrying a weapon or is going to attack, how to kick a door down, how to drive in a car chase without recklessly endangering the public, why you should always carry cigarettes, even if you don't smoke (offering a smoke is the best way to lure a suicide to safety), and what to do if you find a severed limb (don't put it on ice - you need to keep it dry.)

400 Things Cops Know deglamorizes police work, showing the gritty, stressful, sometimes disgusting reality of life on patrol, from the possibility of infection - criminals don't always practice good hygiene - to the physical, psychological, and emotional toll of police work. Plantinga shows what cops experience of death, the legal system, violence, prostitution, drug use, the social causes and consequences of crime, alcoholism, and more. Sometimes heartbreaking and often hilarious, 400 Things Cops Know is an eye-opening revelation of what life on the beat is really all about.

©2014 Adam Plantinga (P)2015 Audible Studios

What listeners say about 400 Things Cops Know: Street-Smart Lessons From a Veteran Patrolman

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LEGIT!

being "on the job" I enjoy listening to others tales of life in their department. although this is set in the States & I work in Canada there were so so many points that I would quietly nod my agreement to or, sometimes, guffaw out loud at the honesty of it. there were several things that I also thought were great tips. enjoyed it very much.

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4 people found this helpful

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A Powerful Stimulus to Appreciate Police Officers

Although we know that cops have a difficult job to do, as citizens we tend to take them for granted. This book gives a better appreciation of the sacrifice that policing requires and the toll that it takes on the individuals who are brave enough to protect and serve our society. It should be required reading for all high school students to promote more respect for law enforcement for a job well done. The author presents a balanced and honest portrayal of what it is like to be a cop. The narrator does a fantastic job. Definitely one if the best audiobooks I have listened to! A must “read”.

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2 people found this helpful

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A must read or listen or whatever your are into

Great combo of the narrator and author. Hope to share it with the rest of the squad

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great, simple and funny book

it's a very simple formated book that breezes through the 400 points and is quite entertaining and funny at times

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Good

The title is meant to be taken literally. The book is comprised of 400 short, two sentance things about being a cop. I would have preferred 100 of the best tips with four times the information and backstory, but its neither here nor there. Thanks

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  • 2023-03-17

Simply Excellent!

I really loved this book - police officers don’t get the respect they deserve! Has a feel of Southland (tv show).

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Feel good read

This was awesome Adam Plantinga really knows what he’s talking about and the way this book is written is refreshing.

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loved it

great listen, im about to restart it and listen to it again. very entertaining

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