Frank Serpico is a retired New York City police detective, author, lecturer and policing expert.

Frank joined the New York City Police Department on September 11, 1959 at the age of 23. He was a police officer for 12 years, during his last several years on the force, his attempts to report police corruption to his superiors in the department fell on deaf ears. After a harrowing interrogation by U.S. Customs officials upon returning from a European vacation, Frank finally decided to go to the New York Times. A New York Times expose was subsequently written on police corruption in the New York City Police Department which prompted then Mayor John Lindsay to appoint Judge Whittman Knapp to head the Knapp Commission to investigate the pervasive problem of corruption in the New York City Police Department.

Blog Entries by Frank Serpico

Obama Got Involved In Gates's Personal Dispute

19 Comments | Posted July 31, 2009 | 04:01 PM (EST)


At the beginning of the Obama-McCain campaign, I sent an e-mail to Tavis Smiley. He was to host the presidential debate between the candidates. I asked Mr. Smiley if he would ask the candidates a question from me as a retired police detective and expert on the subject of police...

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Fear And Friendly Fire

16 Comments | Posted June 30, 2009 | 09:15 AM (EST)


I am sure the police officer who shot Omar Edwards on the streets of Harlem did not intend to kill an innocent man, black or white - let alone a fellow officer.

He shot his victim out of fear.

Fear has been the accepted justification for such shootings. The officers...

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NYPD in Black and White

158 Comments | Posted June 22, 2009 | 12:00 AM (EST)


"What did you think of the shooting in the city the other day?" my friend on the other end of the line asked. He's a retired NYPD lieutenant with 20 years of service.

"What shooting?" I asked - me a retired NYPD detective shot in the line of duty in...

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