Steve Takesian has been a policeman since 1986 and is presently a lieutenant in charge of the night shift in the blue collar community of Lawrence, Massachusetts. Willie Horton: True Crime and Its Influence on a Presidential Election, which describes the case of Willie Horton and Governor Michael Dukakis’s downfall, is his first book. If you’re going to write my essay about this book, there are a few interesting things you should know about it. The author of this book tries to show the real life of police from the other side. It’s filled with unusual police anecdotes you can find there — incidents of real life that perhaps only a veteran city cop would ever be aware of — such as:

“Asking indigent people ridiculous questions in an effort to derive amusement might be considered mean-spirited. One officer I knew brought this distorted brand of levity to new heights however. He would draw stick figures, as would a 5-year-old child, and then show the crude illustration to the various prostitutes, drug addicts, and homeless people who walked the streets. He would then ask them with a straight face and in a professional manner if they had seen the ‘robbery suspect’ depicted in the drawing. His inquiries were usually met with extended silence before the street person said no and walked away. On a few occasions, the officer was told that he would be informed of any future encounter. Needless to say, not one person of the night could ever identify the suspect.” (page 77)

Steve has a strong interest in history, particularly the battle of Stalingrad, which took place in Russia during World War II. He’s also a political junkie and, of course, a Boston Red fan.