What do you think?
Rate this book
Broken Blue Line: How Life as Britain's Supercop Broke Me
'Broken Blue Line is a rollercoaster of a ride depicting the realities of twenty-first-century policing on the front-line. Its well written, honest and informative. Alistair Livingstone put his life on the line, and now he's put his heart on the line. Courageous and human. Highly recommended.'Mike Pannett, author of Now Then Lad . . . and Crime SquadAs a police officer, Alistair Livingstone was dubbed Supercop by the media for making more arrests than any other officer in the UK. But then Ali broke down. Broken Blue Line is the vividly told story of what brought him to that point, and the beginning of his slow, painful recovery.Ali was dubbed Supercop for making more than 1,000 arrests over one eighteen-month period, when the average arrest rate for officers in England and Wales is just nine a year. In his work as a police officer, he dealt with life-and-death situations on an almost daily saving lives as a hostage negotiator; rescuing the occupant of a house fire; providing tactical advice during some of the most violent incidents; clinging onto a suicidal man hanging from the roof of a multi-storey car park; and entering a flat that had been blown up in an explosion just moments before. Ali was also engulfed in the aftermath and devastation of losing a colleague and friend who died doing the job she loved, and he witnessed the unprecedented response to the serial killings in Ipswich and the profound effect it had on the community and the police. But then an agonising and debilitating mental breakdown left the seemingly indestructible sergeant desperately seeking help. After almost two decades helping some of society's most vulnerable people he became so troubled by what he had seen and done in the line of duty that he hit rock bottom. Ali had no option but to walk away from the job that had defined him to embark on his biggest challenge regaining his mental health. Ali's book offers an insight into the real world of modern the demands and challenges faced by frontline officers throughout the UK. Ali's hope is that by opening up about his experiences and his struggle to regain his mental health in this no-holds-barred account, he will help to remove some of the lingering stigma that attaches to mental illness within the police and other professions and prevent others from making the same mistakes that he did. Ali says that he thoroughly enjoyed being a police officer and got to experience the sharp end of policing in so many different ways. When he finally made the decision to leave he was devastated and the months that followed his breakdown were the toughest he'd ever faced. Now that he is on the road to recovery, he hopes that by sharing his story it'll shine a light on the challenges of modern policing and the toll it can take, and, in doing so, to help others.
- GenresAutobiography
250 pages, Kindle Edition
Published September 24, 2020
8 people are currently reading
54 people want to read
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 11 of 11 reviews
January 28, 2021
A great snapshot into the life of policing. Was also an amazing insight into how mental health can affect you but equally as to how you can bounce back from hitting lows.
I thoroughly enjoyed this book and feel inspired
I thoroughly enjoyed this book and feel inspired
October 30, 2020
A book full of interesting incidents that give a snapshot of 21st century policing. This alongside an honest account of how this can take it’s toll on mental health make it an important read.
October 19, 2020
I picked this up as I spent a bit of time assisting Suffolk Constabulary with Op Sumac (nothing glamorous, just scene guarding). It's part police memoir, part reflections on dealing with mental health issues; a personable and deserving read if either subject is of interest to you.
September 13, 2025
Before reading this book my only view on the police was what I have seen as a passer by and a fan of police dramas such as “Happy Valley” and “Blue Lights.” However, I feel I have a much wider perspective now as well as additional respect for the police. A very entertaining and insightful book. 7/10 ⭐️
October 29, 2022
This book by Suffolk Police's Alistair Livingstone also known as Super Cop, also known as the UK's top arresting police officer is one you won't want to miss! It's a great book! It's written in every day language by a normal bloke with a huge desire to do good and to help others. It charters his life as a response officer, with many thoughts and stories, his awful breakdown, his journey with mental health issues and his life after, proof you can come out the other side!
Unfortunately the kindle version is spoilt by some bad editing that really got to me every time, e.g. offenders all the way through was split into two separate words so it went like this "off enders". That's just one error. I tried to work past it though and thankfully it didn't put me off the book.
Alistair is a good cop who adored his job and took it very seriously. He prided himself on being super fit so he'd always win a foot chase, something a number of officers up and down the country unfortunately ought to heed. He would spend hours researching different parts of town so he knew the quickest ways to get to wherever he needed to go! That's dedication. He knew his beat and he knew his crims. He's also a super-recogniser or someone with an eidetic memory so once he's seen a picture of a face he'd spot them anywhere! He's someone who loved to be on the front line, chasing down the baddies arresting people not sat writing reports at the nick!
I love Ali's belief system and what he stands for. I enjoyed reading his thoughts and opinions on matters and I think that's what made this book unique and in my eyes truly engrossing.
He tells a story about a lad walking down the street with a 10" kitchen knife stuck out his shoulder blade!! Like you do! He relates the great idea he came up with for Operation Sumac when tasked with the tactical plan to remove prostitution from the streets of Ipswich which shows the respect for and the role Ali had that he was tasked with this in the first place. It did make me literally laugh out loud when they were tracking the car regs for cars that frequented the red light district and I read "we also became aware of just how many cars are registered in the wife's name and not the husbands" and learnt of the subsequent letter that Ali composed and sent to the registered keepers!!!! Particularly stating how many times that the cars had been seen there. Absolutely brilliant! But oh how I wish this was done in other areas in the Suffolk Force where prostitutes ply their trade! However, back to Ipswich and what a fantastic result to have engaged approximately 50 girls from the streets into a multi-agency approach providing them with housing, health care and support to beat their addictions.
I was also really pleased to read of a Sergeant who's interested in performance indicators! Well that's a first, and a very welcome first!
He tells a story and finishes with the quote that "Saving lives should have no boundaries - race, religion or nationality have no bearing at all" . No, saving lives shouldn't have boundaries but sometimes people make it about them. He then goes on to tell of a story of delivering an agony message to an elderly lady to advise her that her husband had died, and the old lady just hugged him and wouldn't let go. It's one thing for an officer to just hug back that's expected, yes, but Ali then says, "If any police officer says this doesn't affect them, they are lying or they're in the wrong job", that's a step further and shows just how compassionate he is and how he's realised that each of these seemingly small jobs have had their own impact on his life and his own emotions.
Following on from that he talks about the public perception and people having little concern for someone in crisis e.g. threatening to jump off a bridge or in front of a train. On the whole people are more concerned about the holdup or getting where they want to be than the poor person who's about to do something or has just done something really, really drastic. What does that say about us as a people right now?! To illustrate his point, he describes one day when he's on a train himself that gets held up, a text comes in to someone else on the train who advises that someone is threatening to jump and a passenger opposite Ali says upon hearing this news, "selfish bastard"!! This whole situation gives Ali the determination and impetus to train and become a negotiator, which he does.
Ali then talks a bit about the work of a negotiator and hopes he played a "small part in helping them" which is lovely, but what is really lovely is what he goes on to say next, "If any of them ever read this, I just want them to know that I meant every word I said to them; I do care, I do hope that they get the help that they need, and I do believe that things can and will get better, take care". I think I sobbed a bit at this point.
If I sobbed a bit at the previous story I sobbed a lot at this one: the story of the man in the high-rise flat who was at his lowest ebb because of the bedroom tax. In the way Ali recounts the story it shows his professionalism and skill at being a negotiator yes, but leaping off the page are the fact he genuinely cares and has the utmost empathy and compassion for this guy.
In the chapter titled "hitting rock bottom" Ali makes some really good points about the way he was treated in the police force but how in general we treat people differently with mental health illnesses compared to physical health issues. I've always said the same, if you were to break your leg and it's in plaster you get all the support in the world but if you look the same as you ever did with something wrong in your mind, you're either faking it for attention or it can't be talked about! There's lessons here for all of us, and like a piece of kintsugi we should wear our scars with pride.
Thank you Alistair Livingstone for opening your world and your heart by sharing both with us the reader. Thank you for giving me hope.
Unfortunately the kindle version is spoilt by some bad editing that really got to me every time, e.g. offenders all the way through was split into two separate words so it went like this "off enders". That's just one error. I tried to work past it though and thankfully it didn't put me off the book.
Alistair is a good cop who adored his job and took it very seriously. He prided himself on being super fit so he'd always win a foot chase, something a number of officers up and down the country unfortunately ought to heed. He would spend hours researching different parts of town so he knew the quickest ways to get to wherever he needed to go! That's dedication. He knew his beat and he knew his crims. He's also a super-recogniser or someone with an eidetic memory so once he's seen a picture of a face he'd spot them anywhere! He's someone who loved to be on the front line, chasing down the baddies arresting people not sat writing reports at the nick!
I love Ali's belief system and what he stands for. I enjoyed reading his thoughts and opinions on matters and I think that's what made this book unique and in my eyes truly engrossing.
He tells a story about a lad walking down the street with a 10" kitchen knife stuck out his shoulder blade!! Like you do! He relates the great idea he came up with for Operation Sumac when tasked with the tactical plan to remove prostitution from the streets of Ipswich which shows the respect for and the role Ali had that he was tasked with this in the first place. It did make me literally laugh out loud when they were tracking the car regs for cars that frequented the red light district and I read "we also became aware of just how many cars are registered in the wife's name and not the husbands" and learnt of the subsequent letter that Ali composed and sent to the registered keepers!!!! Particularly stating how many times that the cars had been seen there. Absolutely brilliant! But oh how I wish this was done in other areas in the Suffolk Force where prostitutes ply their trade! However, back to Ipswich and what a fantastic result to have engaged approximately 50 girls from the streets into a multi-agency approach providing them with housing, health care and support to beat their addictions.
I was also really pleased to read of a Sergeant who's interested in performance indicators! Well that's a first, and a very welcome first!
He tells a story and finishes with the quote that "Saving lives should have no boundaries - race, religion or nationality have no bearing at all" . No, saving lives shouldn't have boundaries but sometimes people make it about them. He then goes on to tell of a story of delivering an agony message to an elderly lady to advise her that her husband had died, and the old lady just hugged him and wouldn't let go. It's one thing for an officer to just hug back that's expected, yes, but Ali then says, "If any police officer says this doesn't affect them, they are lying or they're in the wrong job", that's a step further and shows just how compassionate he is and how he's realised that each of these seemingly small jobs have had their own impact on his life and his own emotions.
Following on from that he talks about the public perception and people having little concern for someone in crisis e.g. threatening to jump off a bridge or in front of a train. On the whole people are more concerned about the holdup or getting where they want to be than the poor person who's about to do something or has just done something really, really drastic. What does that say about us as a people right now?! To illustrate his point, he describes one day when he's on a train himself that gets held up, a text comes in to someone else on the train who advises that someone is threatening to jump and a passenger opposite Ali says upon hearing this news, "selfish bastard"!! This whole situation gives Ali the determination and impetus to train and become a negotiator, which he does.
Ali then talks a bit about the work of a negotiator and hopes he played a "small part in helping them" which is lovely, but what is really lovely is what he goes on to say next, "If any of them ever read this, I just want them to know that I meant every word I said to them; I do care, I do hope that they get the help that they need, and I do believe that things can and will get better, take care". I think I sobbed a bit at this point.
If I sobbed a bit at the previous story I sobbed a lot at this one: the story of the man in the high-rise flat who was at his lowest ebb because of the bedroom tax. In the way Ali recounts the story it shows his professionalism and skill at being a negotiator yes, but leaping off the page are the fact he genuinely cares and has the utmost empathy and compassion for this guy.
In the chapter titled "hitting rock bottom" Ali makes some really good points about the way he was treated in the police force but how in general we treat people differently with mental health illnesses compared to physical health issues. I've always said the same, if you were to break your leg and it's in plaster you get all the support in the world but if you look the same as you ever did with something wrong in your mind, you're either faking it for attention or it can't be talked about! There's lessons here for all of us, and like a piece of kintsugi we should wear our scars with pride.
Thank you Alistair Livingstone for opening your world and your heart by sharing both with us the reader. Thank you for giving me hope.
February 15, 2021
An amazing insight to what the police deal with every day and the risks they make. Also the parts about mental health go to show it can affect anyone and although mental health is being more addressed it needs to be less stigmatised so more people can get the help they need. A really good book. Another book I’ve read which is similar Blue by John Sutherland is also very good again addressing police work and mental health and a book by Benjamin Pearson called handcuffed emotions.
April 19, 2021
Excellent, and honest description of life on the front line of the police. And the crippling effects of PTSD!
Recommended.
Recommended.
March 29, 2024
It was weird to read a book centred in Ipswich, I could picture all the roads he mentioned and working for Probation I could see all the crime he was talking about and remembered some of the big cases he mentioned. But when the chapters started about his break down, it was eye opening, the way he explained it and spoke as if he was talking directly to the reader. Some of the things he says I think will stick with me forever, and the advise he leaves I think everyone could adhere to.
February 2, 2025
An honest, easy-to-read and relatable autobiography by a high achieving former Ipswich policeman who was eventually "broken" by work related stress. Alistair has a humorous style of writing which belies the seriousness of the subject matter and his compassion shines through, even for the criminals he has arrested. Highly recommended, especially for people with mental health issues.
August 24, 2024
Really interesting & nice to read. I loved both the insight into policing and the different sides of the job as well as the insight into his mental health, how this was affected by the job and his journey through all the hurdles. Greatly written!
July 2, 2024
Bit morbid
Displaying 1 - 11 of 11 reviews