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After September 11, 2001, Las Vegas Police Sergeant Randy Sutton began soliciting writing from law enforcement officers-his goal being to bridge the gap between the police and those they serve, with a book that offers a broad and thoughtful look at the many facets of police life. Hundreds of active and former officers from all over the United States responded: men and women from big cities and small towns, some who had written professionally, but most of whom were doing so for the first time.

The result is True Blue, a collection of funny, charming, exciting, haunting stories about murder investigations, missing children, bungling burglars, car chases, lonely and desperate shut-ins, routine traffic stops, officers killed in the line of duty, and the life-changing events of September 11. Here, officers reveal their emotions as they recount the defining moments of their careers. Some of the stories include:

-Two cops' desperate search for a missing child feared kidnapped
-The revival of the one-month old baby who was shot in the face in a drive-by shooting
-A patrol officer's dramatic showdown with a hostage-holding gunman
-On-the-scene details of rescue and tragedy during the 9/11 terrorist attacks

"A simply great new book...funny, sad, and, at times, haunting, the essays capture mundane events, as well as tragic ones. Some of these 55 stories are lyrical, some are gritty, some so heartbreaking they make you cough up a tear, and others laugh-out-loud funny, and some more thrilling than top suspense fiction. But they all come right from the heart that beats beneath the badge." -New York Daily News

"If you want to enter the hearts and minds of the men and women sworn to protect us, read True Blue. These intimate episodes, written by the law officers who lived them, are funny, sad, moving, and powerful...everybody should own this memorable book." -Joseph Wambaugh, author of The Onion and Fire Lover

"If you want an adrenaline rush, forget about intricate mysteries and so-called thrillers. These pages bring to vivid reality the real stories of cops whose guts and glory are seldom seen and rarely heard."-John Langley, creator of COPS

"Wanna know what cops really think and when they're under stress, and what makes them act and react? These stories will tell you. Most telling their stories in these pages are first-time authors; some are polished, some are gritty, but all have a story worth reading." --Dan Mahoney, author of Justice: A Novel of the NYPD

"I've been a Las Vegas cop for twenty-five years and I got a rush reading True Blue. This book achieves what all the police shows strive for, hard-hitting action combines with genuine emotion. These stories are real, the cops are heroes."-Sheriff Bill Young, Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department

"Heartrending...some are hilarious...All [the stories] demonstrate that cops, who have reason to reflect on their experiences, are wonderful philosophers and storytellers."-Booklist
"An effective overview of police work. Recommended for specialized collections in criminology."--Library Journal

"Candid true-life tales of officers from places as diverse as downtown Los Angeles to small-town America...illustrate 'the heart behind the badge' and bridge the gap of misunderstanding and distrust that often tarnishes the public perception of the police."--Michael Ratcliff, The Times (Trenton, NJ)

Randy Sutton is a Senior Sergeant at the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department, Nevada. A member of the Screen Actors Guild, he has appeared in several big screen movies and HBO movies including Casino, Fools Rush In, and The Road Home. On television, he has appeared on COPS, Americas Most Wanted, and Las Vegas.