Books for the Armchair Detective in Your Life

Built in 1811 in Mount Holly and intended to be a short-term holding facility, Burlington County Prison became one of the most notorious prisons of its time as criminals of all sorts spent days, years or lifetimes in its dungeon-like cells. Renowned architect Robert Mills designed the structure to be escape-proof, but more than a few prisoners overcame that challenge. Murderers, kidnappers, abusers, alcoholics, the mentally ill and other undesirables"? served time here. Many were executed on the grounds, while others never left. From conception to construction, from criminal deviants to prisoners guilty of simply being poor, authors Dennis Rizzo and Dave Kimball explore the prison's past and present, the whole story of one of New Jersey's most well-known landmarks."

The Village of Cincinnati appointed its first marshal, James Smith, in 1802. Today the Cincinnati Police Department boasts a dedicated staff of more than 1,000 sworn officers. Throughout its 200-plus years, the department has celebrated many firsts, such as being the first police agency to use telephones, and has also persevered through some difficult times, the most recent being the 2001 race riots. The Cincinnati police have won such awards as the Best Community Police Program by National League of Cities, the Governor's Community Policing Award of Excellence, and more than 35 local, state, national, and international awards. Programs like the Cadet/Intern Program, the Civilian Volunteer Program, the Juvenile Aid Bureau, the Youth Services Section, and the Citizens Police Academy are ways the police have reached out to the community to educate and protect over the years.

Auburn Police traces the history of the Auburn Police Department, which dates back to the mid1800s. It portrays many of the faces of those people who have devoted 20, 30, or more years of service to their community. Although a number of aspects of law enforcement have changed over the years, the very principle of the police officer interacting with the public remains the same.

The pleasant neighborhoods of the Crescenta Valley offer no hint of the many violent and heinous crimes that have occurred between the San Gabriel and Verdugo Mountains. But ties to such macabre episodes as the Onion Field murder and the search for the Hillside Strangler left lasting scars here. Infamous criminals such as mafia boss Joe "Iron Man" Ardizzone, red-light bandit Caryl Chessman and accused yacht bomber Beulah Overell have left a black eye on La Cresecenta's history--not to mention the "Rattlesnake Murder," "Female Bluebeard" and "Santa Claus Killer." Join historians Gary Keyes and Mike Lawler as they expose the crimes and criminals that have inflicted murder and mayhem in Glendale, La Crescenta, Montrose and La Canada Flintridge.