So You Want to Be a Cop

Alley Evola is a retired, nine-year veteran of a mid-size police department in Middle Tennessee. She worked her way up the ranks as a patrol officer, crime scene technician, field training officer, flex unit (street level gang/narcotics unit) officer, and detective assigned to the major crimes unit. She graduated from the Tennessee Law Enforcement Training Academy and maintains her P.O.S.T. (Peace Officer’s Standards and Training Commission) Certification in the State of Tennessee. Aside from her law enforcement career she is also the author of A Simple Warrant Service, that appears with a collection of short stories in American Blue. You can visit her website at http://www.alleyevola.com/.

• Introduction1. Myth versus Fact: From dreaming to Testing and Entering the Force2. Your Hired! Now What?3. The Police Academy, or Hell on Earth4. Field Training5. Congratulations! You've Earned a Spot on the Bottom6. Liability in Policing7. Finances, Health, and the Police Officer8. Communications and Inter-Agency Cooperation9. Welcome to Your New Office10. Going to Court11. Vandalism, Littering and Other Criminal Mischief12. Unwanted Subjects13. Traffic Stops, Vehicle Pursuits, and Road Rage14. Calls for Service: When You Are Called to Serve and Protect15. Domestic Disturbances: Dangerous and Unpredictable16. Alarm Calls, 911 Hang Ups, and 911 Open Lines17. White-Collar Crime, Fraud, Forgery, and Deceit18. Violent Felonies19. Death Scenes: Walking into a Nightmare20. Burglaries. Theft, and Crimes of Opportunity21. Motor Vehicle Accidents and DUIs22. Drugs, Narcotics, and a Cesspool of Misery23. Shoplifting, or Five-Finger Discounts24. Critical Incidents and the Use of Deadly Force25. Specialties in Law Enforcement26. Hate Groups and Hate Crimes27. Using Force: My First Wrestling Match28. Why Did You Do Your Job? Now I'll Have to Write You Up!29. Race, Gender, and theEconomics of Policing30. Riding the Storm of Post Traumatic Stress Disorder31. Show No WeaknessPolicing in the Twenty-First-Century-AmericaNotesIndexAbout the Author

Evola gives readers a thrilling insider’s look at the often-glorified job of an American cop. Opening on an action-packed scene that could be taken straight out of a Michael Bay movie, her first book is an immersing read for anyone curious about the world of law enforcement, and should be required reading for those considering a career in the field. Evola’s no-nonsense voice is powerful, witty, and engaging. She doesn’t sugarcoat the challenges of the profession, or the effects it has on an officer’s personal life, health, and sanity. She tells plenty of the funny, tragic, and poignant 'war stories' one could expect from a veteran police officer, but makes it clear the job is not for the faint of heart, or a commitment to be taken lightly. The services of a police officer are often rendered at great personal cost, in a dangerous environment, to a thankless community. Though at times she writes with due anger toward the profession that compromised her life, it’s clear Evola’s still passionate about her time behind the 'blue curtain.'