[.ca] Cop Speak: The Lingo of Law Enforcement and Crime (ISBN 0471043044)

Useful:
I thought this was a timely gift for my girl-friends brother Derek as he descends further down his chosen life path. The book not only throw some light on the confusing code that is police 'jive' but also provides an interesting look at the psyche of the law enforcement officer. The book is entertaining whilst still putting across vital information for those in frequent contact with cops. I'm sure Derek will find it helpful knowing such phrases as 'giving a Rodney', which means its time for you to adopt the foetal position and pray.

A decent compendium:
I picked this up at the library (it's non-circulating for some reason) to see whether I'd like to own it. After five minutes of scanning, I decided that I already knew most of the material. Some of the text seems as if it has been lifted directly from Mark Baker's "Cops" and Connie Fletcher's "What Cops Know." In fact, there are references to these books, both of which I highly recommend. There was, to be fair, a very detailed list of street names for crack, in case that's useful to you. "Cop Speak" is a decent compilation of information from diverse sources, but there is very little in the book that you wouldn't learn from reading a few Elmore Leonard novels. Check it out before you buy it.