Features Off the Shelf Opinion
Just a Cop by Hal Cunningham

Just A Cop is a great read that puts you right in the driver’s seat of a police car. Having worked with Hal for several years, our relationship has blossomed into a life-long friendship, both on and off “the job.” When I read about our encounter with a suicidal young lady in “The Shower,” Hal’s account teleported me back to that day. I can still hear the bang of her 303 rifle as it discharged a mere three feet from our heads!

Just a Cop sheds rare light on policing in a major North American city — Toronto. It reveals the transformation from seat-of-your-pants policing to the high-tech methods of today, with stops in uniform, undercover surveillance, supervisory and middle-management duties.

I fully enjoyed the book Just A Cop. I read it in three days. The stories in the book are true life experiences. I feel this would be a good book for any student that is contemplating a career in law enforcement.

So often this type of bio-book only deals with positive stories. Hal has some funny stories, sad stories and very emotional stories. I highly recommend Just A Cop to any serving or retired officer as well as all students of law enforcement.  

This is a well-written book about an era of policing now gone. It describes a time of policing in Toronto that will never be again. It is a great read for people who want to know one way policing was done in the past.
It is a very accurate account of our lives.  

– George “Dogface” Gadson, retired Staff Sgt. (2959), Toronto Police Service

*Editor’s note: Just A Cop is available on Amazon and previously reached No. 1 on the site in “hot new crime releases.”