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Kendall J. Matthews is a former United States Marine who served in Operation
Restore Hope in Somalia, the horn of Africa. He’s a graduate of Virginia State University and Hunter College’s
Graduate School of Urban Affairs and Planning. Kendall is a member of the New York City Police Department, currently assigned
to the Housing Bureau in the South Bronx. He also volunteers as a tutor at the East Harlem Tutorial Program. His first book,
Mommy I want to be a Cop, is a children’s
book.
According to Kendall Matthews’ book description, “this book is
about a neighborhood boy who had dreams of becoming a cop. Considering how dangerous
of a job a Police Officer can be his mommy took him out for a day to see if she could change his mind of becoming a cop to
a less dangerous profession. At the end of the day, and after experiencing what
it would be like to wear the hats of different professions, the boy sticks to his dream of someday wearing the hat of a Police
Officer.”
According to one reader of
Mommy, I want to be a Cop, “I bought the book home to read it to my 6 and 8 year old before bedtime, as
I often do, but they were very interested in how LiL Kendall managed to make his dreams a reality. This is something that
my wife and I try to instill in them as much as we can. Watching LiL Kendall become a Police Officer, his life long dream,
as well as graduating from college and serving his country made it this story that much more interesting and it is written
in a way that the kids loved it. My boy told me after he read it that he too now wants to be a cop.”
According to another reader of Mommy,
I want to be a Cop, it “is an inspirational true story for children that is fun to read over and over
again. My kids really enjoyed it and I liked the idea of them wanting to be part of such a noble career. My kids also enjoyed
that Kendall was a kid just like them and grew up to really become a police officer. A great buy and great influence for young
kids.”
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From the
History of the New York City Police Department In 1802 six new "Captains or Commanders of the City Watch" were appointed.
Their duties were to direct the Watchmen, and visit the different stations, each in his district, once a night. The number
of Watchmen was now one hundred and twenty, and the system just at this time cost an average of about $25,000 a year. No person
could be employed upon the Watch who was not a citizen of the Untied States. The Captains had to report daily to the Police
Justice the names of all the men who had been on duty the night before, and they had, besides, to keep registers containing
similar information. It was defined as the duty of every Watchman to continue sober, orderly, and vigilant, and in every respect
to obey the commands of the Captain of his district--rules of conduct not unworthy the respect of the Watchmen of the present
time. The old law goes on thus:
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"If any Watchmen shall sleep while
on his station, or commit any Act of violence except such as may be strictly necessary in the execution of his duty, or disobey
such orders as shall from time to time be given him, it shall be the duty of the several Captains or Commanders without delay
to report the name of such offenders together with his offense to the Mayor, in his absence, to the Recorder, who are hereby
authorized and directed immediately to supersede such offender, and to appoint some proper person in his stead."
Source: Our Police Protectors Holice and Debbie
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