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After serving in the Navy, Dick Clason joined the Beverly Hills Police Department. He was on the job for 34 years (1956 – 1990).
During his career, he worked a number of assignments including records technician, patrol officer, officer-in-charge
of the Identification Bureau, fingerprint expert and as a consultant in the examination of questioned documents. He is the author of three historical westerns; two of which are series called the “Clason Westerns.”
According to the book description of his first western, The Kid from Custer, “A band of rustlers kill a rancher. One
rustler marries the rancher's wife; another is named deputy sheriff. The rancher's grief-stricken son eludes stepfather and
deputy by escaping into the wilds of the Black Hills. Set in the Dakota Territory in 1880, this tense and gripping adventure
is well-grounded in history and generously seeded with humor, violence, romance, and sex.
Dick Clason also authored a police related book, Echoes from the Beats: Beverly Hills Cops Tell Their Stories, which
is a compilation of stories by and about Beverly Hills Police Department police officers.
According to David Snowden, Chief of Police of the Beverly Hills Police Department, “Police Officers, both current
and retired, will enjoy this book very much. I am sure it will encourage many
more stories and perhaps another book. The Beverly Hills Police Department has
a long and proud history. Some of it can be relived through these stories.”
According to the book description of
The Deputy and the Devil's Eye: Sequel to The Ranger and the Green Derby, “Being accused of the double
murder did not settle well with cowboy Clay Strong. Although he and his Indian partner rode into Dakota Territory to find
gold, he soon found himself replacing the murdered deputy to help track down a ruthless serial killer. His efforts, however,
were constantly being disrupted with suspicion, vigilantes, and prejudice as the Devil's Eye looked on
About the Beverly Hills
Police Department According to the Beverly Hills Police Department, “In 1914, shortly after the City of Beverly Hills was incorporated,
Augustus Niestrum was appointed City Marshal and Jack Munson as his Deputy. In the early days, Munson's home served as
the headquarters for the City's Fire and Police Departments. In early 1915, another officer, George M. Russell, who later
became Postmaster, was secured.” Today, the Beverly Hills Police Department is a full-service police
department; which includes patrol, investigative and other services.
The Crime Prevention Bureau of the
Beverley Hills Police Department “provides a variety of educational programs designed to assist crime victims, prevent
criminal activity in the community and aid in disaster preparation. The Crime Prevention officer conducts an annual Neighborhood
Watch Program in which residents are invited to the Police Department concerning programs of interest. School Resource Officers,
assigned in the elementary and high schools, are liaisons between the Department and the Beverly Hills Public Schools, serving
as instructors and as a police presence on campus.”
The Beverly Hills Police Department
said of its patch, it “is a shield design with gold trim on a royal blue background. The center of the shoulder patch
features components of the Beverly Hills City Seal: Behind a depiction of the Beverly Hills City Hall is a five-pointed Star
representing the five member City Council, governing body of the City of Beverly Hills; from left to right, the Eagle holding
a Serpent represents the period of Mexican sovereignty (1822-1846); the Shield of Stars and Stripes depicts Beverly Hills'
status as a City of the United States of America; the Bear Flag represents the California Republic (1846) and the State of
California as one of the United States of America; the Lion of Leon and the Castle of Castile represent the period of Spanish
rule over what is now the State of California (1542-1821).”
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