Review: When You're the Only Cop in Town

I write a couple of series that feature a small town cop as hero. The first of these was Last Christmas, Book 1 of Small Town Texas Romance.

The most recent is Stuck on the Naughty List, Book 1 of Capitola Palace Dance Hall.


My nephew was a cop in a small town so I have a special fondness for these intrepid heroes behind the badge.

After conversations with my newphew and copious online research online about the difficulties and advantages of being a small town law enforcement officer, I read a couple of books on the subject too.

My favorite book on the subject was When You're the Only Cop in Town by Jack Berry and Debra Dixon.

Many of you may be familiar with the name Debra Dixon. She's a popular romance/women's fiction author, the publisher of Bell BridgeBooks, and the author of several nonfiction books too.

From the Product Description

An indispensable guide to facts, procedures, and the how-to’s of small town law enforcement by Jack Berry whose law enforcement spanned 30 years from a Deputy in a big city county to the last 17 years as the chief of police in a small town. He also happens to be the father of Debra Dixon, author of GMC: Goal, Motivation, and Conflict.

Enjoy a writer’s feast of the funny, the odd, and he mundane. Find out what you need to know and what it’s really like on the mean streets of Small Town, U.S.A.

My Opinion

The book is factual and great entertainment. I've hung out with sheriff's deputies and big city cops, and the war stories they tell run the gamut from day to day boredom to the weird to the hysterically funny. Every day is a different day.

This book is like sitting down with a cop and listening to him tell what it's like with umpteen bosses from the mayor to the city council to the citizens. Chief Berry reveals his secrets of holding a firm line and still being likable by most of the people in town. In fact, I'd say his calling was to be a policeman and serve a community. His life is a perfect example of what a cop should be.

Police academies would do well to make this book required reading for recruits so they'd know being human and using common sense and good judgment are just as important--maybe more important-- as strapping on a gun and making everyone conform to the letter of the law.

The book was so enjoyable I found myself reading passages aloud to my husband who eventually took the book from me and read it all before handing it back to me.

Excellent book from the standpoint of information and the readability. Get it!

Takeaway Truth

If you want a feel for what it's like to police a small town, even with constantly changing technology, read When You're the Only Cop in Town by Jack Berry and Debra Dixon. You'll enjoy the heck out of it, and learn a lot too.