Why I Write True Crime.
Many things can lead us to write down our stories. My writing journey did not just begin; it was always there. As a child, I would remember an incident and retell it to anyone interested. A television show or a stickball game were topics that, years later, I retold to my friends and family. As a child, I watched the police-related television drama Barney Miller, and its dry cop humor interested me. Hill Street Blues had the precinct crime that I enjoyed. Movies like Serpico, Dog Day Afternoon, and Fort Apache the Bronx showed the gritty portrayal of street-level crime; I was hooked and wanted in on the action.
Growing up in New York, the nightly news inspired me to want a career in law enforcement. I watched the nightly news as the reporters talked about the 44 Caliber killer who murdered his victims; the newspapers referred to him as the Son of Sam. I looked at the morning newspaper headlines and the horrible photos of the women shot. My neighbors talked about him, and teenage girls had their hair color changed. I understood that the Police were looking for the guy. I was fascinated with the stories adults told about the crimes and the ongoing investigations described.
I read true crime, which interested me. I was a reader before my NYPD career and my writing endeavor began. I was in college when I read about the suspects, the investigations surrounding them, and the detectives who hunted them down.
I was in college, working at a sports bar, and waiting to get called to the police academy. I was standing near the waiter’s station, pondering my future law enforcement career. I had a few tables and only a few dollars in my pocket. It would be five more months until the police academy; what type of cop would I become? I will write down what I experienced in the NYPD.
My childhood dream of being in law enforcement propelled me to write. To become a writer, you must focus on what interests you. I no longer needed to listen to the stories of other cops: I was living the same short stories I once read about. I took note cards to work and scribbled pencils to paper my thoughts and engaging experiences. I kept these notecards secret from my co-workers; it was my writing journey.
On the morning of September 11, 2001, I was working in Lower Manhattan, half a ½ mile from the towers. The events of that day and all I witnessed would be imprinted on my mind like an ever-playing movie scene. The day’s horrible events would give me a story to tell others. A few days after the events, I began writing in my spiral notebook everything I witnessed. I condensed my thoughts and observations to 17 pages. I wanted to do more than tell my story; I wanted others to read about it. On the 20th anniversary of the attacks, my story was published online. Free for all to read about what I was an eyewitness to on that horrific day.
After retirement, it was time for me to tell my stories and get my work published. I began with one story about an intoxicated businessman who parked his vehicle on the roadway. I wrote it down as a short story and sent it to Psychology Today. What if the Police called all your contacts? What would they say about you? They published my story! I now knew I was more than just a storyteller; others were interested in what I experienced and what I was saying.
In 2023, it was time to take short stories and self-publish them. All in a day’s work: an officer’s accounts 20 Years NYPD. Soon after, I was a podcast guest in the USA, Australia, and England. I was now telling my stories to a broader audience, discussing my writing journey and the interesting cases I investigated.
ALL IN A DAY’S WORK
When you are a New York City police officer you become a social worker, chauffeur, human relations consultant, and tour guide. You are expected to do all those tasks while stopping crime as it occurs, preventing crime, and keeping the peace in a city that never takes a break. Let’s not forget you get to do all this within a workday or tour as we call it.
These separate tasks come to you at random times, so going to work is like a roll of the dice. One moment, you are driving with your partner, talking about nonsense, and five minutes later, you are coming face to face with dangerous people who just committed a criminal act. The weight of these tasks can become overwhelming and mentally drain you if you allow it to happen. Many times, you do not have time to reflect on the day’s events. You just move on to the next crisis. Within days or a month, NYPD cops will get involved with and witness more toxic events than an average person will see in a lifetime. Active cops must navigate and work with their coworkers, supervisors, the public, and criminals. What people believe cops do daily regarding police work is often far from the truth.
You will find within my short stories what is occurring inside those moving police vehicles. What the city was like in the days after September 11, 2001. Take a close, in-depth look at the investigation within the NYPD detective squad room. Within the squad room, the pen can influence like a hammer, and a phone call can arrive like a hurricane. If you want the gritty, alarming, and sometimes comical truth behind police work, you have arrived at your destination.
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I also began to network with authors regarding my law enforcement experience. I could advise other writers on how to place accurate and interesting police-related material into their stories. I could technically advise about the progression of the cases, how the reports are written, and even cop humor. Beyond storytelling and writing, giving back to the writing community is essential and will propel me in future endeavors.
I mainly write true crime because I lived it, which has always kept my interest.
John can be contacted at:
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