Here's PoliceSpecials.com's list of Recommended Reading - a collection of books which will be of use to most police officers and specials, or potential recruits. You can get more information, and purchase these books online from Amazon.co.uk, by clicking on the title.

This list has now been revised and updated (as of November, 2007) and all of the links should be for current, and available, books. If you find any links that no longer work, or want to suggest additional books for our list, please get in touch.

The classic, easy to read (and carry!) reference work. All the common offences set out in an easy-to-understand format. A must for both new and experienced police officers.

Here's the sister book to the original "Beat Officer's Companion" for Scottish Officers. Same easy to read and carry format.

An excellent guide, recently published, for student officers - both regulars and specials who are new to the job. It is written in a practical workbook style, with each of the 6 chapters dealing with an everyday scenario (missing persons, shoplifting, youth disorder, domestics, etc) and taking you through the information you need to gather and the tasks you need to carry out. It also includes a brief overview of some of the relevant legislation.

The Student Police Officer Handbook is a key text for new student police officers undergoing their initial police training designed to be a complementary text for the Initial Police Learning and Development Programme (IPLDP). The book ensures that the student police officer can effectively demonstrate that they are meeting the 22 National Occupational Standards which must be attained for intial policing.

Based on the PNLD (Police National Legal Database), this excellent book is aimed at front-line, operational police officers needing to understand the key elements of offences that they deal with on a regular, as well as not-so-regular basis. It can be carried with you and covers points to prove, defences and practical considerations.

The Traffic Officer's Companion is a quick reference guide for police officers dealing with traffic regulations and offences. A broad range of subjects are covered including: speed limits, motorways, drink/driving and reporting an accident. This user-friendly publication also includes legislation for officers in Scotland.

Handy guide for custody sergeants, review officers and detention officers, explaining all the PACE requirements and guidelines in a simple, easy to understand format.

An illustrated guide to Narcotic Drugs - what they're called, look like, and what they do.

A comprehensive guide detailing all traffic and criminal offences. Includes "points to prove" for each offence, and a guide to investigating. A useful guide book for anyone in the legal profession as well as patrol officers.
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Simple and straightforward advice on the 'art' of taking a good statement. Ideal for new officers or those just wishing to brush up on this vital area of policework.
Or click here for information on how you can buy this and similar titles direct from the author at a discounted price!

Handy size reference includes addresses, phone numbers and web sites plus statistical and divisional information for all UK forces and more!

The police service is undergoing rapid change as it adapts to face the challenges of modern life. "Careers and Jobs in the Police Service" details these changes and provides practical advice on how to gain entry, the personal qualities required and describes the numerous career possibilities on offer - from local beat to CID, from fast-track promotion to civilian support roles.

A readable, practical overview of the structure and workings of police forces in England & Wales, offering a comprehensive foundation to new recruits - allowing them to start assuming some responsibility for his/her own professional development from an early stage.

Mock question papers - with answers - so you can practice before the actual test.

If you're applying to join the regulars you can benefit from this book which explains how the National Recruitment Model works, and how to prepare.

Packed with practical advice, this new manual explains police recruitment, giving the reader guidance on how to succeed at every stage from completing the application form to passing and enjoying the role play exercises. Written by serving police officers with extensive recruitment experience, this no-nonsense guide will greatly improve the reader's chances of being accepted into the police force.

This guide, while not specific to the police assessment process, is nevertheless a useful insight into how these centres work, and how you can best tackle and prepare for them.

A useful guide to how to approach and pass verbal reasoning tests. Explains how they are set and marked, and how to improve linguistic skills as an aid to career progression.

This book will help you to build the confidence and gain the skills needed to perform to the best of your ability under test conditions. A self-assessment section to analyse your scores, measure your progress and suggest further improvement. The material in this book will help you to succeed in your applications to all police forces in England and Wales.

Explains what these tests are, and why employers use them. Includes information on the different types of tests, what typical questions look like and how to answer typical questions.

The crime manual covers a huge amount of legislation used on a regular basis by operational police officers. The 2008 edition has been extensively revised to incorporate all recent legislative developments including the Fraud Act 2007, Emergency Workers (Obstruction) Act 2006, and the Safeguarding Vulnerable Groups Act 2006.

Get the Blackstones Q&A book too - click here

Covering all aspects of evidence law and procedure from a police officer's perspective, the 2008 edition has been updated to incorporate all recent legislative developments including the introduction of the Police and Justice Act 2006 and the Violent Crime Reduction Act 2006.

Get the Blackstones Q&A book too - click here

Covering all aspects of general police duties from a police officer's perspective, the 2008 edition has been updated to incorporate all recent legislative developments, inluding the 2007 Fraud Act. Other developments covered include the functions NPIA will take on, updates to the Police and Justice Act 2006, amendments to the Racial and Religious Hatred Act 2006 and the Violent Crime Reduction Act 2006.

Get the Blackstones Q&A book too - click here

This volume covers all aspects of road traffic law and procedure from a police officer's perspective. The 2008 edition incorporates all recent legislative developments and topical subjects including causing death by careless driving, use of mobile telephones and control of a vehicle, and alcohol ignition interlocks.

Get the Blackstones Q&A book too - click here

Formerly known as Butterworth's Police Law, this revised tenth edition covers all areas of law and legal procedure which are of interest to police officers. This well-respected and highly regarded book is comprehensive and easy to understand, and is suitable for any reader, even those without formal legal training. In addition, it will be of particular assistance to all those who are studying Criminal Law for the first time.

The 1998 Human Rights Act incorporated the European Convention on Human Rights into British law. The third edition of this best-selling text has been extensively rewritten for even greater ease of use and puts the Act and many recent developments in context, providing the rearder with an up-to-date introduction to the Act and Convention.

This textbook is for police drivers undertaking police driver training. It should also be useful to any driver wanting to improve their driving skills or take the advanced driving test. Extensive consultation between police and professional organizations has taken place to produce this new and up-to-date verison.

With input from police riders, trainees and civilian experts, this work is designed for police trainees and other riders concerned with getting the best from their machines. It gives information on safe and effective methods of riding a bike.

This well written book will help any driver to drive in such a way as to aim to avoid making the mistakes that cause accidents, by making them more aware of the hazards that drivers face every time they drive.

Revised and updated to reflect the changes brought by the Serious Organised Crime and Police Act 2005, this book is a bit like the highway code in that it explains the law in terms that you (as an operational police officer) can understand and implement. This is the book that people in custody may consult if they choose.

The Police and Criminal Evidence Act 1984 remains the single most important piece of foundation legislation for policing in England and Wales. This new guide uses check-lists, flow-charts and illustrative examples to provide excellent guidance on how the procedures and requirements of the Act apply to common every day scenarios facing police officers and other persons charged with the investigation of offences.

The book deals with all essential aspects of the criminal law, road traffic legislation, general police duties, crime and evidence, and procedures. Now in its tenth edition, the book has been fully updated to reflect changes that have taken place in probationer training over the last 4 years. The contents of the book have been arranged to follow the various stages of the probationer constable training syllabus.

All you need to know about the laws of England and Wales as they are likely to affect you - driving law, animal law, the law relating to children, firearms, sexual offences, trespass, wildlife and much, much more. This book details over 500 offences and includes legal defences, police powers and the powers of the courts to punish.

Wasting Police Time

Started as a Blog (and still going strong here), this account of 'true life' policing has been written by David Copperfield, the nom de plume of an initially anonymous serving police officer. He's since come clean (he worked for Staffordshire Police) and has emigrated to Canada to be a police officer there, however the stories of policing in the grip of red tape, statistics and targets will have you in stitches while probably nodding along in agreement.

Diary of an On Call Girl

Another blog which transferred to paper! If crime is the sickness, WPC Ellie Bloggs is the cure... Well, she is when she's not inside the nick, flirting with male officers, buying doughnuts for the sergeant and hacking her way through a jungle of emails, forms and government targets. Of course, in amongst the tea-making, gossip and boyfriend trouble, real work sometimes intrudes. Luckily, as a woman, she can multi-task...switching effortlessly between gobby drunks, angry chavs and the merely bonkers. WPC Bloggs is a real-life policewoman, who occasionally arrests some very naughty people. Diary of an On-Call Girl is her hilarious, despairing dispatch from the front line of modern British lunacy.

This is a collection of hilarious and true policing stories collected by a couple of Surrey Police Officers, Matthew Ventham and Stephen Brennan. Matt writes: "I wrote this book with Steve while we both served as police officers in Surrey to entertain people with the many hilarious and often bizarre experiences encountered by British police officers. This book is not only extremely funny but also contains the most extensive A - Z of British Police jargon ever assembled. A great gift, a great read."

Sir John Stevens retired recently as commissioner of the Metropolitan Police. In his memoirs he reveals the trials and challenges of being Britain's 'top cop'. He has has branded former Home Secretary David Blunkett a "lying, backstabbing bully", saying "Many felt he took office ready-armed with an anti-police agenda." In further extracts, Lord Stevens describes how al Qaeda terrorists plotted to assassinate Tony Blair during the Queen's Golden Jubilee parade.

Keith Hellawell is a name known to anyone who has taken an interest in policing over the last couple of decades. He joined the police force in the early 1960's after an early life as a miner, and battled corruption on his rapid promotion to Chief Constable of the West Yorkshire and then Cleveland forces. After leaving the police service Hellawell's career continued to be varied and interesting, seeing him in the role of government "drugs czar" until his controversial resignation in 2002. An interesting life!

Over twenty years, author Andy Hailwood took part in major operations to arrest international terrorists, ruthless drugs gangs, kidnappers and armed robbers and was on the frontline at some of the most violent crime busts of recent years. He has been part of the Police VA3 Firearms Department, then of the Tactical Aid Group (known as the T.A.G.) before transferring to the VO8 Firearms Department. Gun Law tells the action-packed inside story of hard target, armed policing on the streets of Britain and the men who daily risk their lives in pursuit of criminals.

A senior detective and undercover agent in the Drug Squad and Regional Crime Squad has broken ranks to reveal the stark truth behind the headlines. Duncan MacLaughlin, a police officer all his life, is an expert in surveillance and undercover work that could have got him killed at any moment. The dangerous tightrope he walked included cases involving master criminal Kenneth Noye, kidnap victim Julie Dart and the slaying of PC Keith Blakelock. He also penetrated international drug cartels and nailed the ruthless barons who control them.

Dick Kirby was a detective in the Met during the 1970's when detectives detected and criminals actually lived in fear of getting caught. The good old days. Here we have tales of how it was by someone who wore the uniform (or plain clothes!) with pride and who worked with elite teams to catch the bad guys.

Dick Kirby's utterly convincing account of full-on policing, as seen from the inside by one of its most effective practitioners, reads like a thriller; and is fully worth the cover price for the hilarious tale of "Old Bluey" alone ("the most horrible person I'd ever had dealings with"). The attitudes, techniques and procedures described might not stand up in today's courts of law, but they were effective, and administered with humanity.

Paul Britton is one of the world's controversial offender profilers. At the crime scene he looks for the "mind trace" left behind by the criminal. Britton has assisted the police in over 100 serious crimes, and is perhaps best known for his work leading to the arrest of Colin Stagg for the murder of Rachel Nickell on Wimbledon Common - a crime for which he was later acquitted.

Cop Talk: A Dictionary of Police Slang

Although US-centric this book offers a dictionary of Police slang which will be useful to new patrol officers who are trying to get to grips with the new language of police work, or those who are simply interested to see how realistic those US cop shows are!

The Good Guys Wear Black: Real-life Heroes of the Police's Rapid-response Firearms Unit

S019 is the Metropolitan Police Special Firearms Wing - Steve Collins, an ex-SO19 officer gives the inside story of their operations. This is the inside track on the stuff we might otherwise only get to hear about on the news.

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