Cops and Characters in The Big Easy

Book excerpt: Gene Fields spent 35 years of his adult life in law enforcement in the Metro New Orleans area. For 19 years, he served on the New Orleans Police Department beginning in 1961. In 1980, he retired, accepting a Deputy Chief with the Jefferson Parish Sheriff's Office. He retired again in 1995.This book chronicles Gene's memoirs, providing a compilation of criminal investigations, unusual incidents, terrorism, and humorous stories involving Gene, his friends and co-workers, and the occassional celebrity. Gene relives dramatic changes within the NOPD. He served the city during a transition period, as veteran officers who joined after WWII and the Korean War, retired, and a new, more ambitious breed, replaced them. Some of these recruits were better educated and more diverse.What you will read in this book is factual and supported by police reports, news clippings, and most importantly, the recollections of those involved in the stories. Some names have been changed to protect the identities and prevent unnecessary embarrassment. Some people may be aggravated or insulted by how they are described in certain cases, but Gene stands by his accounts, and the read is a fascinating one.