9-11, Gangs and Investigations

February 18, 2007 (San Dimas, CA) Police-Writers.com, a website dedicated to listing state and local police officers who have authored books, added three police officers who have written books on subjects ranging from an account of the FDNY on 9-11 to the investigation of gangs. The police officers added are: Richard Picciotto, Al Valdez and Dennis Evers.

A former New York Police Department police officer, Richard Picciotto is a 28 year veteran of the New York City Fire Department (FDNY). As a fire fighter, he has served as a fire marshal, arson investigator, lieutenant, captain and chief.

According to Margaret Flanagan of Booklist, Chief Richard Picciotto’s book, Last Man Down: A Firefighter's Story of Survival and Escape from the World Trade Center, is a “ gripping, first-person account of a 9-11 survivor provides a firefighter's view of the World Trade Center catastrophe. An invaluable eyewitness to history as well as a professional just doing his job, Battalion Commander Richard Picciotto was inside the North Tower when it collapsed. Determined to be the last man down, Picciotto coordinated the rescue effort of several dozen incapacitated civilians. Stranded on the landing between the sixth and seventh floors when the building came tumbling down around and on top of him, Chief "Pitch," a small band of fellow firefighters, and one grandmotherly civilian improbably survived the collapse in a small vacuum created by the placement of the twisted debris.”

Dr. Al Valdez, Ph.D., retired as an Investigator for the Orange County (CA) District Attorney’s Office after 25 years of law enforcement experience. He is has appeared on national television including Geraldo and CNN as an expert on gangs.

His book, Gangs: A Guide to Understanding Street Gangs, is a “comprehensive guide for law enforcement and criminal justice-related professionals, mental health professionals, teachers and parents. It includes gang life style, sociology and characteristics of: Latino, Asian, African-American, White Supremacists, Prison, Outlaw Motorcycle, Occult and Hybrid gangs.

Dennis Evers is a 23-year veteran police officer. He has a degree in Criminology from Grossmont College and has completed dozens of additional specialty courses. He was a Field Training Officer for 8 years, an Academy Instructor for 8 years, an officer for the Navajo County Sheriffs Dept. for 9 years and Chief of Police, Taylor, Arizona for 3 years. He is currently an author and consultant.

His book, Pocket Partner, is “used by individuals, police officers, firemen, paramedics, doctors, the military, government and large and small businesses alike, the Pocket Partner has well indexed protocols, checklists and contacts for virtually every conceivable emergency. It features a comprehensive illustrated first aid chapter with poison control numbers. It contains self-protective measures for suspicious mail, bomb threats, suicide bombers, car bombs, radiological, biological and toxicological weapons, a full Haz Mat guide, over a thousand emergency phone numbers, hurricane, tornado and earthquake scales and much more. Every concerned first responder, citizen, professional, school and business should have one. In the event of an accident, major terrorist attack or weather related catastrophe, emergency services may not be available, forcing most to rely on their own resources.”

A previous addition to the list was corrected. Cop Team was listed as being the sole work of police officer John Sepe of the New York City Housing Police. However, his partner, Louis Telano, of the New York City Housing Police was also his co-author. Telano was added to the list of police officers who have authored books.

Police-Writers.com now hosts 324 police officers (representing 139 police departments) and their 743 books in six categories, there are also listings of United States federal law enforcement employees turned authors, international police officers who have written books and civilian police personnel who have written books.