NYPD Confidential: Power and Corruption in the Country's Greatest Police Force

by Leonard Levitt

For years, the police commissioner and the mayor of New York City have duked it out for publicity, credit, and power. Some have translated their stardom into success after leaving office, while others have been hung out to dry. In the battle for control of the country's most powerful police force, these high-status government officials have often chosen political expediency over public honesty. The result is a legacy of systemic corruption and cover-ups that is nothing less than shocking.Respected journalist Leonard Levitt has covered the NYPD for New York Newsday, and the New York Post among other papers. His columns have made him persona non grata in police headquarters. In NYPD Confidential, he reveals everything he's discovered throughout his decades-long career. With amazing details of backroom deals and larger-than-life powerbrokers, Levitt lays bare the backstabbing, power-grabs, and chaotic internal investigations that have run the NYPD's reputation into the ground in the past—and the forces conspiring to do so once again.

Genres: Nonfiction, Police, History

320 pages, Kindle Edition

First published January 1, 2009

About the author

Leonard Levitt was born in 1941 in New York. He attended Woodmere Academy and graduated from Dartmouth College in 1963. From there he went into the Peace Corps, serving in Tanganyika (now Tanzania). He later graduated from the Columbia School of Journalism and has since written for Newsday, the Associated Press, the Detroit News, Time Magazine, and the New York Post.

Reviews

[Henry Yan]

Leonard Levitt strongly argues that there is misconduct and corruption in the NYPD. He supports his arguments with factual evidence dating as early as the 20th century. Some instances that highlighted the misconduct and corruption within the NYPD was in 1984 and 2000. In 1984, 10 women and children were gunned down execution-style at a house located in Brooklyn's 75th precinct.This event became known as the Palm Sunday Massacre. During the press conference following the massacre, Police Commissioner Ben Ward, the highest ranking NYPD, was no where to be found. Instead, he was out drinking with his mistress. Nearly everyone in the city government tried to cover this up. On the other hand, in 2000, Patrick Dorismond, an African American, refused to by drugs from an undercover narcotics cop and was accidentally shot dead by the cop’s partner, Anthony Vasquez. In an effort to prove that there is misconduct and corruption within the NYPD, these facts clearly indicate that Levitt's claims are true.

[perry]

Levitt is obviously a true believer, which is easy to respect even if the vocation is essentially 'gossip columnist.' But he is also a bootlicking blowhard with a surprisingly myopic understanding of the phenomenon of crime.

Still, lots to take away from this. The most interesting part for me was the psychological profile of Giuliani developed throughout. Wonder what Levitt would have to say about the Borat entrapment video.

[Robert Gonko]

While doing research for my next novel I came across this book. I thought it would be pretty informative but I was not prepared to get caught up in it. Not only is it a gripping read, but it blows the lid off of things I'm sure the NYPD and others in NYC would prefer to keep quiet.

In addition to exposing the kinds of underhanded activity that's gone on for years in the NYPD, Levitt tells the reader the truth about people like Rudy Giuliani, Michael Bloomberg, and several NYPD police commissioners. A lot of it is not good but this book doesn't set out to bash people. Levitt credits people for the things they got right while at the same time exposing their less-than-savory activities and personality traits.

In addition to learning a lot, I found NYPD Confidential compelling and hard to put down. You will too.

[Florence Buchholz]

Expose by a veteran cop reporter, of the top levels of NYPD. Levitt concentrates on the Guiliani and Bloomberg administrations and shows a certain amount of sympathy for the PD. Not a nice guy, Mr. Guiliani. A rare glimplse into the dangerous and unknown world of a big city police force.

[E.J. Cullen]

All the names are here: Giuliani, Bloomberg, Kerik, Kelly, Anemone, Ward, Timoney,Safir, Pineiro, Miller, Bratton, Brown, Maple, Lategano, Guido, Cohen, Borselli, and on and on. Interesting but could have been a better book.

[Teddee]

A fun read. Great insider's view of the policing beat for a reporter as well as some great anecdotes of some of the machinations at the nypd. A valuable perspective that extends across multiple administrations and police commissioners.

[Sean Hopkins]

A behind the scenes lok at the inner workings of the NYC Police Department.

[Kathy]

Interesting read. Certain personalities will never be the same to me ie Guiliani.

[Marc]

An inside look into the upper levels of the NYPD. Very interesting read, especially for anyone from New York.