Commissioner Roosevelt: The Story of Theodore Roosevelt and the New York City Police, 1895-1897

by H. Paul Jeffers

Book Overview

"A lively, entertaining and well-researched portrait of a zealous reformer during the historic crusade that successfully launched his career in government."--Booklist COMMISSIONER ROOSEVELT: The Story of Theodore Roosevelt and the New York City Police, 1895 - 1897 When Theodore Roosevelt took office as New York's police commissioner in 1895, the Metropolitan Police force was barely more than a confederation of thugs and petty criminals whose chief activity was to extort protection money from local merchants. The thirty-seven-year-old Roosevelt rode roughshod over the corrupt bosses and power brokers and transformed the police into one of the first modern law enforcement agencies in the world. Combining the best elements of biography and social history, Commissioner Roosevelt reveals a fascinating episode from the life of one of America's most colorful cities, and one of her most charismatic leaders.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 047114570X
• ISBN13: 9780471145707
• Release Date: March 1996
• Publisher: Wiley
• Length: 293 Pages
• Weight: 1.05 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.8" x 5.8" x 8.9"

Customer Reviews

Glory Days

COMMISSIONER ROOSEVELT exhibits Theodore Roosevelt's true modus opporandae. There were indeed many obstacles in Roosevelt's path to making a better city police force, however, the American public was, in my opinion, persuaded by eloquent speaking and the media more so then they are today. In all likelihood there is no way Roosevelt could achieve such drastic reform results over a relatively short period of time in the modern world. However, Jeffers' book is not about that issue, this book is about displaying Roosevelt's true core beliefs and the willpower that was within a person who was weak and sickly as a child. Personally I would have liked to have seen more critical material in this book, however, it is a beautiful narrative of how one man was able to make a difference (with the help of the fledgling media). This book should be mandatory reading for all people in the law enforcement field today, it shows all the principals that American's hold dear condensed into one mortal being, Roosevelt.

Teddy Roosevelt Cleans Up Crime in Old New York

Commissioner Roosevelt is a great account of Theodore Roosevelt's tenure as New York City Police Commission President. As the head of the three-person board that oversaw the city's police, Roosevelt changed our notion of a modern police department. Even as he attempted to institute reforms he faced down police corruption, ethnic-group protests, government foot-dragging, and machine politics in the land of Tamany Hall. This firebrand commissioner would even prowl the gaslighted streets of Old New York looking for policemen asleep at their posts. Join Theodore Roosevelt in this crusade to stop crime and corruption in New York. If you enjoyed Caleb Carr's fictional T.R. in The Alienist, you'll probably enjoy the real life crime-buster in Commissioner Roosevelt. (I liked Mr. Jeffers' real one better.) Anyone interested in politics, especially New York or ethnic politics, might like it too.

Magnificent Police Era History

The book covered the period of history just at the turn of the 20th Century. I found it to be very informative and made me feel like I was right there strolling the streets with Ted Roosevelt. Although the book is strong in its era coverage more attention should have been given to the various laws and acts that were in place at the time preventing "police" to perform their respective functions.

A dee-lightful history!

"Commissioner Roosevelt" is a dee-lightful narration of the two years during which Theodore Roosevelt served as President of the Board of Police Commissioners of New York. The author skillfully relates the struggles and events of Roosevelt's service with the development of the public man he was becoming. He captures the spirit of the man which would later be manifested on a grander scale. In viewing historical figures we often tend to focus on their most prominent roles, in this case the Rough Rider and President, and neglect other significant portions of their lives which reveal their character. Commissioner Roosevelt helps fill that gap