THE OATH WE TAKE is the last of a three-book series about police work featuring the first-person accounts of former officers with the Los Angeles Police Department, following THE STREETS ARE BLUE and MORE THAN HEROIC.To become a police officer with the Los Angeles Police Department, one swears or affirms an oath of office, promising to faithfully discharge the duties of a police officer. In this book are the stories of twenty-four former officers who each took an oath affirming their commitment to serve the citizens of the City of Los Angeles. And serve they did – from chasing East Coast mobsters out of town and capturing serial murderers, to rescuing hostages and hunting down the killers of a fellow officer, the officers in this book kept faith with the oath they took while maintaining courage in the face of danger. They recognized their badge as a symbol of faith, and they dedicated themselves to their chosen profession: law enforcement. An author can tell a story or let the story be told. Gary Farmer chose to let those who were there tell their stories.***Gary Farmer served on the Los Angeles Police Department from 1975 to 2007. His thirty plus years included assignments in patrol, vice, gangs, and detectives, and he worked Wilshire, Seventy-Seventh, and Hollywood Divisions among others. His son is currently on the Los Angeles Police Department. THE OATH WE TAKE is Gary Farmer’s third book.
Tabla de materias
Contents
Note: Dates in brackets indicate years on the
Los Angeles Police Department
Acknowledgments ……………………………………………………………. ix
From the Author ………………………………………………………………. xi
What Is a Cop? ……………………………………………………………….. xiii
1. Lindo “Giaco” Giacopuzzi [1942–1964] ……………………………… 1
2. Harold “Hal” Williams [1942–1963] …………………………………. 13
3. Leon Mott [1947–1967] …………………………………………………….. 24
4. Leonard Bovee [1948–1959] ……………………………………………… 35
5. George Beck [1950–1980] …………………………………………………. 45
6. Vince Furriel [1953–1971] …………………………………………………. 57
7. Donald “Don” Dapper [1954–1980] …………………………………. 72
8. Gilbert “Sandy” Sandoval [1955–1977] …………………………….. 88
9. Frank Gallant [1956–1978] ……………………………………………… 108
10. Jackie Howell [1957–1982] ……………………………………………… 129
11. Donald “Don” Stanley [1959–1984] ………………………………… 159
12. Ronald “Ron” Mc Carthy [1960–1984] …………………………….. 177
13. John “Jack” Howell [1961–1982] …………………………………….. 202
14. Patrick “Pat” Mc Kinley [1964–1993] ………………………………. 221
15. Robert “Bob” Holley [1967–1970] …………………………………… 244
16. Kirk Mellecker [1970–1991] ……………………………………………. 257
17. Clifton “Cliff” Le Fall [1973–2004] ………………………………….. 288
18. Ben Lee [1977–2009] ……………………………………………………….. 304
19. Paul Coulter [1977–2012] ……………………………………………….. 327
20. Chris Kaufmann [1977–1987] …………………………………………. 353
21. John Incontro [1979–2014] ……………………………………………… 384
22. Bruce Barber [1980–2002] ……………………………………………….. 413
23. Julie Boyer [1981–2014] ………………………………………………….. 433
24. Gina Holmstrom [1990–2015] ………………………………………… 451
Tribute …………………………………………………………………………… 475
Photo Credits …………………………………………………………………. 477
Los Angeles Police Department Patrol Divisions Map …… 479
Index ……………………………………………………………………………… 481
Front Cover: Hollenbeck Division detectives with arrestee entering
Hollenbeck Station, circa late 1950s
Title Page: Leonard Kamp and daughter, Linda