POLICE BOOKS - James Huggins

James Byron Huggins' life story reads more like fiction than fact. His career as a writer began normally enough. He received a bachelor's degree in journalism and English from Troy State University, and then worked as a reporter for the Hartselle Enquirer in Hartselle, Alabama. James Huggins won seven awards while with the newspaper before leaving journalism in 1985. With a desire to help persecuted Christians in eastern Europe, Huggins moved to Texas to work in conjunction with members of the Christian underground in that region. From the Texas base, James Huggins helped set up a system used to smuggle information in and out of Iron Curtain countries. In 1987, James Huggins was finally able to leave the United States to offer hands-on assistance in Romania. As a jack of all trades, James Huggins photographed a secret police installation, took photos of people active in the Christian underground, and also continued his work, orchestrating smuggling routes.

James Huggins was instrumental in smuggling out film and documentation that showed the plight of Christians in Romania. He even found time to create a code that allowed communication with the United States. As in Texas, James Huggins' life had few creature comforts. To survive, he would often remain hidden in the woods or in secure basements for days at a time. After his time in Romania, Huggins returned to the United States and took up journalism once more. He again worked for a small newspaper and won several awards as a reporter. Later on, he worked at a nonprofit Christian magazine before becoming a patrolman with the Huntsville Police Department in Huntsville, Alabama.

After distinguished service as a decorated field police officer, James Huggins left the police department to pursue writing novels. His first three novels--A Wolf Story, The Reckoning, and Leviathan--achieved best-seller status in the Christian marketplace. From there, James Huggins broke into mainstream science fiction with Cain and Hunter, both of which brought him more than $1 million for optioning the film rights. James Huggins then released Rora, a historical novel depicting the harrowing life of a European martyr. Huggins currently lives in Kentucky.

About the Huntsville Police Department
According to the Huntsville Police Department 2006 Annual Report, “2006 was a busy year for the Huntsville Police Department. We continued to interact with our citizen base daily. We held Community Watch meetings, Block Parties, and other events at our Precinct facilities. The openness of our facilities coupled with the enthusiasm of our personnel tended to strengthen the interrelations between our officers and the citizens that they serve.

The addition of mobile computers to our fleet has greatly enhanced the ability of our field officers to perform their day-to-day activities. This was a major step in the total plan for police technology upgrades within the department. As employees become proficient in the operation of the equipment, we will be able to gradually increase the field capability and continue on our path to full field reporting.

The ongoing war in the Middle East has taken some of our manpower as many of our personnel are serving in the military. Reductions in personnel by attrition, as well as some long-term incapacities due to injury, have severely strained our manpower strengths. The implementation of a very large police academy class should alleviate some of this problem in early 2007.

The Huntsville Police Department looks forward to the many tasks, activities, and challenges that the year 2007 will bring. The expansion of our jurisdiction is actively changing the patterns and needs of citizens and the city as a whole. The Huntsville Police Department continues to strive to maintain its preparedness to assist the citizens of Huntsville.”