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John Botte

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John Botte retired in 2003 from the NYPD, reaching a rank of detective second grade. He is considered a world-class photographer and is a sought-after adviser in the film and television industry.  On the fifth anniversary of the attacks of September 11, 2001, John Botte unveiled his powerful, penetrating portraits of America’s unforgettable tragedy. Asked by the police commissioner to document the aftermath, Botte spent countless hours at Ground Zero in the moments, days, and weeks following the attacks, and was given privileged access to the behind-the-scenes rescue and recovery efforts of 9/11.

 

 Aftermath is a work of deep personal resonance and great historical import. Botte writes, "Along with thousands of others who lost loved ones to 9/11, I relive the events of that day every day. It took the lives of many of my colleagues and friends, caused an early retirement from a career I loved, and gave me a chronic lung condition that nearly ended my life." But, he goes on to remind us, "Many of the true heroes of 9/11 are still among us." Through the searing immediacy of these images, Botte takes us on a journey down the ash-covered streets, atop smoking mountains of twisted metal, and across heartbreaking cityscapes of human endeavor. His vision is at once stark and horrifying, respectful and compassionate, suffused with unexpected poetry and a quiet heroism.

 

Aftermath is a work of unparalleled vision and integrity, and serves as a haunting reminder of the events of 9/11 in New York City. With more than one hundred and thirty hand-developed, black-and-white photos and selected captions by the photographer himself, the book memorializes the unforgettable images we all recall from those days—and captures countless scenes previously known only to those who worked the devastated area so tirelessly. The result is an extraordinary historical record that stands to become the definitive photographic retrospective of September 11.

 

According to the book description of Aftermath: Unseen 9/11 Photos by a New York City Cop, “Renowned photographer/police officer John Botte was given privileged access to ground zero in the hours and days following the tragedy of 9/11. Here for the first time–and for posterity–are his breathtaking photos, securing Botte's status as the Mathew Brady of 9/11.

NYPD police officer and photographer John Botte was assigned by the police department to document the aftermath of the 9/11 tragedy. He spent countless hours at Ground Zero in the days and weeks after the attacks, and was given privileged access to the behind the scenes rescue and recovery efforts of 9/11. On a personal level, Botte calls Aftermath "a permanent tribute to the people who shaped me as a person and professional–to the friends I lost and the ones I never got a chance to make." On a universal level, his collection of photographs is a haunting reminder of the events of 9/11 in New York City and an important document for the ages.

On the fifth anniversary of the attacks, the author will finally share his intimate portraits of the aftermath of America's unforgettable tragedy. With more than 150 haunting black & white photos and captions by the photographer himself, the book memorializes the unforgettable images we all recall from those first days–and captures countless scenes previously known only to the few who worked the scene so tirelessly. The result is an extraordinary historical record that stands to become the definitive photographic retrospective of September 11.”


Aftermath: Unseen 9/11 Photos by a New York City Cop
John Botte  More Info

One reader of Aftermath: Unseen 9/11 Photos by a New York City Cop said, “After viewing all of this books photos and reading the captions and liner notes I find it difficult to understand why this author is being chastised in the press. It seems that the author was not just chronicling the tragic events of 9/11 but was an active participant in the recovery effort who sacrificed his own health in an unselfish manor. Future generations will be able to understand the scope of this tragedy and the emotions and sacrifices of the rescue workers because of Mr. Botte's photos. If Mr. Botte is wrongfully accused of publishing this book for personal gain then Hollywood and the news media should be judged in the same light when they profit from theater sales or increased Nielsen ratings. How many producers or directors can claim that they paid a personal price on 9/11.

From the History of the New York Police Department

During these years additional Watchmen, who merely performed Sunday duty, were appointed whenever the Board of Aldermen deemed such appointment necessary. Their pay in the beginning was but seventy-five cents a day, but it was gradually increased until, in the year 1835, it was fixed at one dollar and fifty cents for each day's service.

The date of payment for such service, however, was uncertain, as the Watchmen so employed, after making out their bills and having them certified to by their superior officers, had to petition the Boards to pass a resolution directing the comptroller to draw his warrant in their favor. The Boards of Aldermen then were not different to the present Boards in the matter of expediting business,. The bills were generally of a small amount. It was customary in those days to allow the High constable from twenty to fifty dollars for the employment of Special Police to do duty on public holidays. Applications for these positions were numerous, as the records of both Boards show.

During the years 1835-36, the growth of the city demanded an increase of Watchmen. A number were appointed, two new watch- houses were erected, and some of the old ones were altered and repaired. Several new posts were created many of the Watch districts being extended further up town.

The doings of the Magistrates seem to have been watched with unusual interest by the Aldermen, for they decreed that the police Courts should be kept open from the discharge of the Watch in the morning until the Watch was set in the evenings, so that prisoners might be speedily granted justice. Occasionally, during these years, the Watchmen, for extra services performed, were allowed extra pay, and, on the death of a Watchmen, the Board often passed a resolution directing the comptroller to draw his warrant for a sum sufficient to defray the funeral expenses.

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