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A Badge, a Gun, an Attitude: 25 Years as a Los Angeles County Deputy Sheriff
During his 25 years with the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department, Dean Scoville advanced from nervous recruit to silver-tongued spokesperson to seasoned patrol sergeant. His candid memoir chronicles the personal experiences of police work--the tedium of guarding jail inmates, the consternation of shoot/don't-shoot scenarios, the trauma of being wounded in the line of duty--and offers an insider's view of iconic moments in law enforcement, including the capture of "Night Stalker" Richard Ramirez and the 1992 L.A. Riots. Along the way he examines a profession increasingly beleaguered by inimical agendas, administrative cowardice and fiscal restraints.
257 pages, Paperback
Published December 16, 2017
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Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews
January 1, 2018
Loved it! One of the best written, honest, and heartfelt memoirs I’ve ever read. I totally felt the words come to life and paint a vivid portrait of the life portrayed. Once I started reading I couldn’t put the book down and completely read it in one sitting. I feel like I’ve been on an super exciting ride along with LA County Deputy Sheriff, Dean Scoville.
February 8, 2018
Veracity. Excitement. Touching. Simply Amazing.
I was hooked on by this outstanding book. I’m often attracted by action and adventure, yet the author’s honesty deserves my respect.
I loved reading each and every page of the book, but two points touched me most:
— breaking bad news (as in “notifications of death” included in the author’s duties as an LASD official), for I also have to disclose unpalatable diagnoses to patients of mine sometimes (for instance, cancer).
—the narration of the author’s being shot and wounded.
A strongly recommended read.
I was hooked on by this outstanding book. I’m often attracted by action and adventure, yet the author’s honesty deserves my respect.
I loved reading each and every page of the book, but two points touched me most:
— breaking bad news (as in “notifications of death” included in the author’s duties as an LASD official), for I also have to disclose unpalatable diagnoses to patients of mine sometimes (for instance, cancer).
—the narration of the author’s being shot and wounded.
A strongly recommended read.
September 24, 2025
Former policeman Dean Scoville is a man who, like any other, has his flaws. Unlike a lot of them, he readily admits to them. And yet he does not really try to change them, having apparently accepted them as a part of his nature.
This makes his memoir, “A Badge, A Gun, an Attitude,” a sometimes frustrating read. It’s the story of a generally conscientious cop who harbors few prejudices and a lot of grudges. Mostly against other cops, especially those who hold positions of authority over him.
When not venting spleen about some desk jockey who doesn’t understand the streets, he does a good job of explaining daily cop life to the layman. I’ve read a decent amount of police procedurals—some Joseph Wambaugh, some Kent Anderson—but would hardly call my interest an obsession. Still, I’m generally familiar with the ins and outs of the game, but found myself surprised with the new tidbits Scoville revealed, here and there, about the life of a police officer.
Ultimately anyone who performs any job for twenty-five years plus is going to have some interesting stories to impart. The author’s descriptions of police academy’s rigamarole makes basic training’s nine-week agony seem sensible. Likewise his description of the incident during which he was shot makes for gripping reading. Of course, though—with his temperament being what it is—he finds fault with many things surrounding the event, even including a ceremony in which he was given an award.
It's not just his attitude that may turn off some readers, but his literary style, which is verbose, purple, and kind of like how I imagine H.P. Lovecraft would write if he were a cop. I didn’t mind—especially since I’m also given to literary logorrhea (see this sentence for an example) and have no desire to change.
Maybe I would have made a decent—if not stellar—cop, as well, much like the author? Maybe indeed, as long as I didn’t end up paired up with this guy, as two loquacious antiauthority asshats in the same cruiser wouldn’t have made for a fun shift.
This makes his memoir, “A Badge, A Gun, an Attitude,” a sometimes frustrating read. It’s the story of a generally conscientious cop who harbors few prejudices and a lot of grudges. Mostly against other cops, especially those who hold positions of authority over him.
When not venting spleen about some desk jockey who doesn’t understand the streets, he does a good job of explaining daily cop life to the layman. I’ve read a decent amount of police procedurals—some Joseph Wambaugh, some Kent Anderson—but would hardly call my interest an obsession. Still, I’m generally familiar with the ins and outs of the game, but found myself surprised with the new tidbits Scoville revealed, here and there, about the life of a police officer.
Ultimately anyone who performs any job for twenty-five years plus is going to have some interesting stories to impart. The author’s descriptions of police academy’s rigamarole makes basic training’s nine-week agony seem sensible. Likewise his description of the incident during which he was shot makes for gripping reading. Of course, though—with his temperament being what it is—he finds fault with many things surrounding the event, even including a ceremony in which he was given an award.
It's not just his attitude that may turn off some readers, but his literary style, which is verbose, purple, and kind of like how I imagine H.P. Lovecraft would write if he were a cop. I didn’t mind—especially since I’m also given to literary logorrhea (see this sentence for an example) and have no desire to change.
Maybe I would have made a decent—if not stellar—cop, as well, much like the author? Maybe indeed, as long as I didn’t end up paired up with this guy, as two loquacious antiauthority asshats in the same cruiser wouldn’t have made for a fun shift.
February 4, 2020
Like a ride-along with no risk factor. This autobiography can also serve as a career manual, including what to expect, what to do, and what not to say. He deals with the initial excitement of his job, his climb through the ranks to a supervisory position, and the kudos and disappointments along the way. Although he had freedom, latitude and police discretion, he was still part of a giant machine and experienced the constraint that goes with that. His motivation? To make a contribution to society in the best way he could. And I believe he did. Many people approaching retirement may feel that let-down that tells us things were so much better “back in the day.” Scoville writes about the toll political correctness took on his department’s ability to do their best work. His comments on the direction our society is currently headed toward are well-founded. This book makes some valid points while unveiling the true on-the-street job of a deputy sheriff without gore, gratuitous violence, or fawning over famous cases.
April 30, 2018
This is a terrific memoir from a talented author. The author is amazingly self-deprecating and forthright with not only all of experiences, but his mistakes, his insecurities, his struggles with friendships, partnerships, and relations with supervisors and executives. In some ways, it would be a tell-all, but he has the good taste not to name the corrupt, incompetent, and scandalous who became part of his personal story. There is a lot of 'how the sausage was made' to this book, as well as a fair amount of department history. I don't know what else I could say other than I am really looking forward to reading more by Mr. Scoville, and I truly look forward to seeing what he does next.
Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews