GUARDIANS IN BLUE
by
Ken Bangs
Genre: Historical Fiction / Mystery
Publisher: Black Rose Writing
Date of Publication: March 31, 2016
# of pages: 382
A fatherless boy growing up in a small Texas town is taken under wing by the local lawmen. They work with the town leaders to provide his basic needs and help him escape the shame and poverty of his circumstances. One in particular becomes his guardian.
He teaches the boy about life, how to face his fears, that honor is more important than comfort and that defending those who cannot defend themselves is the highest duty of a man.
The boy learns the lessons well. He hears the call and his heart opens to it. He too becomes a Guardian.
This is the novelized story of the authors’ thirty-seven years service in law enforcement and public safety. It is unique in that the reader is given an inside look at what motivates one to the calling and the process of becoming a police officer.
It is told from the first person perspective of one who walked a beat in downtown Dallas at the age of 19, answered the calls as a radio patrol officer and worked the cases as a detective.
It gives an inside look at the understanding of not only the criminal act but the issues that lead to criminality and the processes by which criminal justice professionals identify and apprehend those responsible for given crimes.
Drawing on interviews/interrogations of criminals the author provides an exposé of the experiences, the anger, and the fantasy that captures the mind and controls the will of those who rape, rob, and kill.
PRAISE FOR GUARDIANS IN BLUE:
“As a man who was privileged to work the streets with Ken Bangs, I can tell you that he was the Guardian. If you want to understand police work at the base level, then The Guardians is a must read. It goes beyond the violence and the sensationalism and gives you a window into the hearts and souls of those men and women who ride toward danger when everyone else runs away.”
— Doug Sword, Captain of Police (Retired), Dallas Police Department
“Guardians In Blue is an action packed book about actual crimes from the Dallas Police
files. These cases as retold by Ken bangs come alive in a format that makes you feel
like you are at the location and involved in the investigations.”
— Gary Holly, Retired Police Officer
“The story is so realistic; it so reveals the rawness of life experienced by a police officer that any who have ever worn the badge will be drawn in as they see themselves in the Guardians.” — G. David Payne, Lieutenant of Police (Retired), Dallas Police Department
PURCHASE LINKS:
AMAZON | BARNES & NOBLE | BLACK ROSE WRITING
GLOSSARY OF TERMS USED IN GUARDIANS IN BLUE
10-4 Received and will comply
40-Roger Agreed
.410 guage Small bore shotgun
.12 guage Large bore shotgun
#4 shot Largest pellets available for .410
#7 shot Smallest pellets available for .410
00 Buckshot Largest pellets available for .12 guage
CAPERS Crimes Against Person; crimes committed
against an individual as in an assault
Clear / In-service Ready for calls
Clear one man A one officer unit ready for calls
Clear two man A two officer unit ready for calls
Code 3 Proceed to call using red lights and siren
Code 4 Cancel further response
Copy That Message Understood
CSS Crime Scene Search (for evidence)
DRT Dead Right There
ETS Estimated time of separation
FTO Field Training Officer, one who trains rookies
Guardian One who is dedicated to the safeguarding of
another
Hi-Jacker/Jacker Armed robber
Indict Grand Jury action finding probable cause to
Proceed to trial
Minor 7 Motor vehicle accident with no injuries
No-Bill Grand Jury action finding no probable cause
Proceed to trial
Parole Release from prison before full sentence
is served
Posse Street language for criminal gang
Probation The suspension of jail sentence following
conviction
Rabbit Electronic tracking device
Red Ball Express Transportation unit in WWII staffed by
African American troops
Red Birds/Yellow Jackets Slang term for Barbiturate depressants
Signal Classification of call, i.e. minor 7
Signal 30 Code used to inform dispatch that an officer
has a prisoner in custody
Signal 41 41 proceeds felony in progress calls
Smack Slang term for the drug heroin
Snitch Informer
Speed Slang term for Powdered Methamphetamine
Traffic Stopping a vehicle for a traffic law violation
Tush Hogs Particularly brutal criminals
Ken spent 35 years in public safety. A veteran of the United States Army, he was with the military police in the Alaskan Command. He holds a B.S. in Criminal Justice from Sam Houston State University, M.S. in Human Relations / Business Management from Amberton University, and a Doctorate of Ministry in Christian Counseling from Jacksonville (Florida) Theological Seminary. Ken and his wife, Trudy, have been married 46 years. They live in McKinney, Texas.
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The Page Unbound 
Sooo enjoyed Guardians In Blue……hoping another one is on the way….loved all the pictures too…so very proud of my brother…keep up the good work, love u, sis
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