VARNISHED BRASS: The Decade After Serpico

by Barbara Gelb ‧ RELEASE DATE: Nov. 10, 1983

That's varnished, not tarnished: in these journalistic close-ups of the NYPD's top echelons, Gelb offers a mostly upbeat view of the efficient, non-corrupt, ""civilized"" Police Dept. of the past seven years or so--while also chronicling the pressures of police politics and that squeaky-clean image. The book's first half is roughly organized around just-elected Mayor Koch's selection of a new Police Commissioner in 1977--someone to replace traditionalist Michael J. Codd, who himself replaced Patrick V. Murphy, mastermind of the post-Serpico cleanup/purge. Among the darkhorse candidates: Chief of Operations James Hannon, ""resolute and impassive,"" religious, dedicated, traditionalist; and slightly younger traditionalist Dan Courtenay, college-educated and more humorous, the Assistant Chief who was in charge of police coverage for the 1976 Democratic National Convention--with his super-efficient performance there reported in (not-always-compelling) detail. While the search for the new Commissioner goes on, then, Gelb fills in these two men's backgrounds--along with that of Deputy Chief Joseph C. Hoffman, representing the ""innovative"" faction in the NYPD administration. She also sketches in the major developments of the Murphy era--re corruption, police brutality, minorities, hostage negotiations--and the ugly police demonstrations after the '76 layoffs. Then the new Commissioner is named: innovative outsider Robert J. McGuire, which leads to a sudden promotion for Hoffman (who had left the NYPD, and will soon quit again), but also the inevitable firing of too-traditional Hannon. To document McGuire's weeding out of NYPD misfits, there's a summary of the Thomas Ryan case--the first N.Y. cop convicted of committing homicide while on duty (""a classical example of the consequence of unleashed cop-rage""). And finally Gelb concentrates on the career problems of two top cops: Courtenay, frustrated by slow promotions and apparently suffering from burn-out, quits; and Assistant Chief Mickey Schwartz, on the verge of promotion, is ""Held Accountable"" for some corruption within his ranks--an overscrupulous NYPD move which leads the pressured Schwartz into an aberrant, dooming indiscretion. ""Had the Brass become so heavily varnished that cracks were beginning to surface. Was the stress of living up to the new Draconian image becoming self-destructive?"" Gelb doesn't really focus in clearly on those questions. Nor does she give the central characters here the sort of vivid, insightful portraiture that her format demands. And savvy readers will wonder about Gelb's objectivity and her unusual role of inside-reporter/confidant--especially since she disingenuously fails to mention her ties to the immense power of the New York Times. Still, despite those limitations, and those of Gelb's rudimentary prose: a welcome, richly informative, occasionally fascinating look at the post-Murphy NYPD--its hierarchy, its achievements, its tense priorities.

Pub Date: Nov. 10, 1983

ISBN: N/A

Page Count: -

Publisher: Putnam

Review Posted Online: N/A

Kirkus Reviews Issue: Nov. 1, 1983

Categories: NONFICTION