In The NYPD’s First Fifty Years Bernard Whalen, himself a long-serving NYPD lieutenant, and his father, Jon, consider the men and women who have contributed to the department’s past, both positively and less so. Starting with the official formation of the NYPD in 1898, they examine the commissioners, politicians, and patrolmen who during the next fifty years left a lasting mark on history and on one another. In the process, they also explore the backroom dealings, the hidden history, and the relationships that set the scene for the modern NYPD that so proudly serves the city today.
BERNARD WHALEN has been a member of the New York Police Department since July 1981. He has received sixteen departmental recognitions, including two commendations. He is a member of the NYPD Honor Legion.
JON WHALEN is a former New York state corrections officer and retired English teacher.
WILLIAM J. BRATTON is the police commissioner of the NYPD.