Blue on Blue: An Insider’s Story of Good Cops Catching Bad Cops

Campisi, the chief of NYPD’s Internal Affairs Bureau from 1996 to 2014, explains his methods for combating police corruption in this highly readable account of his time heading the world’s largest police anti-corruption unit. After conceding that eliminating all significant police misconduct is a utopian goal, Campisi places the thefts, brutalities, and other crimes in context by noting that the vast majority of cops do their hazardous work professionally and honestly. New York City newspaper readers will find many of the accounts familiar, but Campisi’s insider perspective provides a different lens. He ends with brief commentary on the current state of policing in New York City. He’s no fan of Mayor de Blasio, and expresses concerns about the reduction in the number of integrity tests since his retirement in 2014. Most eye-opening is his fear that “the NYPD will be infiltrated by sympathizers or even sleeper agents of ISIS or al-Qaeda or some other terrorist organization.” The breadth and depth of his experience makes this a must-read for those interested in how police misconduct has been handled. (Feb.)