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Joseph Wambaugh

Hollywood Station

Copyright © 2006 by Joseph Wambaugh

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

Special thanks for the terrific anecdotes and wonderful cop talk goes to officers of the Los Angeles Police Department:

Chate Asvanonda, Matt Bennyworth, Michael Berchem, Wendi Berndt, Vicki Bynum, Elizabeth Estupinian, Laura Evens, Heather Gahry, Brett Goodkin, Chuck Henry, Craig Herron, Jack Herron (ret. ), Brian Hospodar, Andy Hudlett, Jeff Injalls, Rick Jackson, Dennis Kilcoyne, Al Lopez, Tim Marcia, Kathy McAnany, Roger Murphy, Bill Pack, Mike Porter, Rosie Redshaw, Tom Redshaw, Dave Sigler, Bill Sollie, Olivia Spindola, Joe Witty

And to officers of the San Diego Police Department:

Mark Amancio, Pete Amancio, Andra Brown, Brett Burkett, Laurie Cairncross, Blaine Ferguson, Pete Griffin (ret. ), Mike Gutierrez, Vanessa Holland, Gerry Kramer, Charles Lara, Vic Morel, Tony Puente (ret. ), Andy Rios, Steve Robinson, Steve Sloan, Elliott Stiasny, Alex Sviridov, Don Watkins, Joe Winney

And to officers of the Palm Springs Police Department:

Dave Costello, Don Dougherty, Steve Douglas, Mitch Spike

And to special agents of the Federal Bureau of Investigation:

Matt Desarno, Jack Kelly (ret. )

And to author James Ellroy for urging this return to LAPD roots

ONE

WANNA PLAY PIT bull polo, dude?”

“What’s that?”

“It’s something I learned when I worked Metro Mounted Platoon. ”

“It’s weird thinking of you as a cowboy cop. ”

“All I know about horses is they’re assholes, man. But we got the overtime there. You know my little Beemer? I wouldn’t have that if I hadn’t worked Metro. My last year in Metro I made a hundred grand plus. I don’t miss those crazy horses but I miss that OT money. And I miss wearing a Stetson. When we worked the mini-riot at the Democrats convention, a hot little lobbyist with nipples big enough to pack up and leave home said I looked like a young Clint Eastwood in that Stetson. And I didn’t carry a Beretta nine then. I carried a six-inch Colt revolver. It looked more appropriate when I was sitting on a horse. ”

“A wheel gun? In this day and age?”

“The Oracle still carries a wheel gun. ”

“The Oracle’s been on the job nearly fifty years.

He can wear a codpiece if he wants to. And you don’t look like Clint Eastwood, bro. You look like the guy in King Kong, except you got even more of a beak and your hair is bleached. ”

“My hair is sun-streaked from surfing, dude. And I’m even two inches taller in the saddle than Clint was. ”

“Whatever, bro. I’m a whole foot taller on the ground than Tom Cruise. He’s about four foot ten. ”

“Anyways, those pacifist demonstrators at the convention center were throwing golf balls and ball bearings at our horses, when twenty of us charged. And dude, when you get stepped on by a fifteen-hundred-pound animal, it sucks bad. Only one horse went down. He was twenty-eight years old, name of Rufus. That fried him. Had to retire him after that. One of those Jamba Juicers threw a lit trash bag at the one I was riding, name of Big Sam. I beat that bitch with my koa. ”

“Your what?”