The Crime Fighter: Putting the Bad Guys out of Business

Beginning in 1993, the number-one strategist in the war against crime was an overweight dandy with a big mouth, a fixture on the celebrity scene at Elaine's restaurant, and worst of all in the eyes of his critics, a former lieutenant in the despised New York City Transit Force -- a subway cop who wore spats and a homburg and drank champagne on ice. But newly appointed Deputy Commissioner Jack Maple was also an extraordinarily tough and brilliant cop, who had risen through the ranks by being relentless, fearless, and clever. As a young officer, he constantly got in trouble for making too many arrests (too much paperwork, said the bosses), and as a transit detective, he pioneered the fabled decoy squad that made the subways safe again in the late 1980s. Most important, Maple had ideas -- ideas that would transform New York City and change the way people think about crime.Maple knew from his twenty years on the force that stopping crime was not the priority of the police -- unbelievable, but true. He was determined to revolutionize how crime is fought -- how cops go after crooks, and how they prevent crime from happening in the first place. And he did. Within two years, the seemingly explosive crime rate was going down -- fast: murders down 50 percent, crime overall by 39 percent. And by 1998, the number of murders in New York City was lower than in 1964! "The Crime Fighter" tells the reader how crime can and should be attacked. Laced with fascinating, incredible, and often humorous tales of Maple's adventures as a cop, the book is as entertaining as it is informative. Anyone interested in how criminals think and act, and how the police should do their jobs, will devour "The CrimeFighter".

Review :
Advance Praise for The Crime Fighter: "Jack Maple's The Crime Fighter is one of the most important books I have ever read! It proves that skill, guts, determination, imagination and hands-on leadership can substantially reduce crime. Of special interest to me, he shows how many of the leadership principles and tactics which have proven essential to Marine Corps victories on the battlefield are equally effective in combating crime. This is must reading for those who care about the future safety and security of their fellow Americans." --P.X. Kelley, 28th Commandant of the Marine Corps "Cops and crooks--nobody knows them better than Jack Maple; and nobody has ever told their story quite like the 'Jackster.' He's been where the truth is stranger than fiction, and Crime Fighter puts you right beside him." --William J. Bratton, former New York City Police Commissioner "Jack Maple is this country's outstanding thinker about fighting crime in our cities. His ideas account for much of the success of the NYPD and he has shown that they can work in other cities, too. Anyone concerned with making our cities safer should read this very important, very practical and very witty book." --John F. Timoney, Police Commissioner, Philadelphia Police Department "First, read this book to understand how Jack Maple saved a city that nobody believed could be saved. Then, read this book again for its wit, charm and fun. After that, send it to your local police department and tell them to read it at least three times." --Michael Daly, Columnist, "New York Daily News "Jack Maple is a combination of real-life Kojak and management wizard like Lee Iacocca. He fought crime with a gun inone hand and a computer in the other." --Thomas A. Reppetto, President, Citizens Crime Commission "The Crime Fighter is the first book I've read that combines smart criminology with great cop yarns." --Jerry Nachman, former editor in chief, "New York Post "Jack Maple is the people's cop. He has spent his life making all our lives safer. It's all in this book. A great read and a manual for policing in the new millennium." --Terry George and Jim Sheridan, writer/director, "In the Name of the Father, Some Mother's Son, The Boxer "Maple will leave you cheering as he scores victories over hack police brass, cheap politicians, and most importantly for the rest of us, himself. Book him." --Dennis Hamill, "New York Daily News columnist, author of Three Quarters and Throwing 7's