POLICE BOOKS - Gary P. Jones

About the Fort Lauderdale Police Department

The Fort Lauderdale Police Department serves the City of Fort Lauderdale, which is a diverse city, located in the heart of Broward County. Situated on the Atlantic Coast between Palm Beach and Miami, Fort Lauderdale encompasses an area of more than 33 square miles, has seven miles of beach, 165 miles of waterways and 3000 hours of sunshine. With a year round population of approximately 165,000, Fort Lauderdale is Florida’s seventh most populous city.

On March 27, 1911, Fort Lauderdale was incorporated as a town with a population of 250. One of the first actions taken by the newly formed town council was the appointment of Kossie A. Goodbread as the first City Marshall at a salary of $40.00 per month and $1.00 for each arrest.

The Fort Lauderdale Police Department has over 495 sworn and 240 civilian employees, the Department serves three police districts, which include residents and visitors of all socioeconomic and ethnic backgrounds. The Department is structured into three bureaus: Operations, Investigative Services, and Support Services. The department provides patrol, canine, mounted, bicycle, marine and many other forms of uniform services. In addition to other traditional services such as investigations and crime prevention, the Department provides a variety of special programs designed to encourage our partnership with our community.

The Department handles nearly 200,000 calls for service annually. In 2000, the Fort Lauderdale Police Department investigated over 14,000 Part I Crimes, issued more than 60,000 traffic citations and made nearly 14,000 arrests.

Source:

ci.ftlaud.fl.us/police/intro

Gary Jones was a Fort Lauderdale Police Department (Florida) police officer for over 26 years. In the mid-1970’s, as a member of his department’s new Tactical Impact Unit, he and his partner were twice named Police Officers of the Year. He rose through the ranks, eventually becoming a Captain, and he also earned a B.A. degree in Criminal Justice. Captain Jones retired from Fort Lauderdale Police Department in 1993.

Gary Jones’ book is Badge 149 - “Shots Fire!” According to the book description, “The 1970’s was the deadliest decade in modern law enforcement history and more police officers died than during any other decade of the 20th Century. In Fort Lauderdale, the “Venice of America,” violent crime was almost out of control and to stem this vicious tide the Fort Lauderdale Police Department created the Tactical Impact Unit. Written with all the drama and excitement of a novel, Badge 149 – “Shots Fired!” tells the true story of this small group of men and of the daring exploits that made them so well-known and respected.”

Editor's Note:

Gary P. Jones is donating a large portion from the sale of his books to the National Law Enforcement Officer's Memorial Fund (Washington, DC).