Breaking Rank

Norm Stamper
June 2005     ISBN: 1560256931

Norm Stamper, former chief of the Seattle Police force, has written a story like no other. Part memoir, part polemic, Stamper exposes the unvarnished truth--both disturbing and inspiring--about policing in America today.

Opening with a powerful letter to former Tacoma police chief David Brame, who shot his estranged wife before turning the gun on himself, Stamper introduces us to the violent, secret world of domestic abuse that cops must not only navigate, but which some also perpetrate. Stamper goes on to expose a troubling culture of racism, sexism, and homophobia that is still pervasive within the twenty-first-century force, exploring how such prejudices can be addressed. He reveals the dangers and temptations that cops on the street face, describing in gripping detail their split second life-and-death decisions. Breaking Rank reveals Norm Stamper as a brave man, a pioneering public servant whose extraordinary life has been dedicated to the service of his community.

"Breaking Rank will become required reading for all Americans who yearn for more responsive and accountable policing."

--Norm Rice, Former Mayor of Seattle

"Stamper's keen intelligence and integrity blaze from the pages of this exceptionally well-written book...a true hero of our time."

--Sara Buel, Clinical Professor, University of Texas School of Law, and Co-Director of the UT School of Law Domestic Violence Clinic

Norm Stamper began his law enforcement career in San Diego in 1966 as a beat cop. In 1994, he was named chief of the Seattle Police Department, where he set about implementing many of the initiatives he writes about in Breaking Rank. Retiring in 2000, he now lives in a cabin on a mountain in the San Juan Islands in Washington State. He is currently writing a novel--between trips to San Diego to visit his son Matt, daughter-in-law Lisa and twin granddaughters Danielle and Lauren.