I Got a Monster: The Rise and Fall of America's Most Corrupt Police Squad
- Downloads：8896
- Type：Epub+TxT+PDF+Mobi
- Create Date：2021-09-14 19:21:19
- Update Date：2025-09-06
- Status：finish
- Author：Baynard Woods
- ISBN：125022182X
- Environment：PC/Android/iPhone/iPad/Kindle
Reviews
Karla
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Throwing in the towel on this audiobook after 45%。 It is story after story about how a corrupt task force abused the people it was meant to protect: unjustified arrests， bad traffic stops， fatal car chases， stolen money and planted evidence。 Truly horrifying， but the stories had a sameness to them that became boring。 I needed the narrative to zoom out occasionally to break up to the repetition。
Jessie
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Really just absolutely damning， I thought I knew a lot about this story already but experiencing the full narrative in a book is shocking。 I don’t know how anyone could support more police funding after reading this。
Jordan
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I’m literally about to read this again。 The book part of it is soso。 It reads kind of like a documentary。 I feel like I should be watching， like if there’s a documentary on tv and you’re listening while you’re washing dishes or something and kind of run in the living room on certain parts to actually see what they’re talking about。 Reading it feels like I’m missing something I should be watching。 That might sound ridiculous。 But I went and watched some of the news stories and a very short docume I’m literally about to read this again。 The book part of it is soso。 It reads kind of like a documentary。 I feel like I should be watching， like if there’s a documentary on tv and you’re listening while you’re washing dishes or something and kind of run in the living room on certain parts to actually see what they’re talking about。 Reading it feels like I’m missing something I should be watching。 That might sound ridiculous。 But I went and watched some of the news stories and a very short documentary。 So I’m gonna read it again。 The details are so interesting。 You know there’s corruption。 This whole country is corrupt。 But the specifics of what these cops were doing is jaw dropping…while at the same time not at all surprising。UPDATE: Literally read this book twice in a row。 The shit these offficers were doing is proof to me that art imitates life。 This needs to be a movie。 。。。more
Bill Simon
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Interesting material， not well written at all…felt like random anecdotes with no real story
Joshua
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Fascinating and enraging， but also a book desperately in need of a strong editor as many have already noted。
Christie
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Pick up on a whim as a flash book on overdrive。 Not a bad book。 I listened to it， so I did other stuff when listening which left to sometimes having to relisten and missing some information。 It was a lot of facts。 It was hard to hear that all of this was happening when I moved to the area and probably is still occurring now。
Wendy Lukert
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Very interesting
Jamie
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The story is incredible， but the storytelling isn't great。 Doesn't flow well。 The story is incredible， but the storytelling isn't great。 Doesn't flow well。 。。。more
Monyka
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A Terrifying True Nightmare Even when you think you know how bad it can be living a life devoid of safety and trust in those sworn to protect us from harm， only to be repeatedly assaulted by same; you have no idea， really， until you read books like this。 The citizens of Baltimore have suffered governmental failures on every level， but THIS - this insidious corruption among law enforcement and prosecutors is simply unforgivable。
Linda Munro
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Some parts a fast read， some parts slow; but this is the true story of an elite group of police officers who exploited some of America's greatest problems: guns， drugs， toxic masculinity。Brought down by the FBI in 2017， this book contains the stories of those in the groups way， who were caught up in both robbery and racketeering。 Some parts a fast read， some parts slow; but this is the true story of an elite group of police officers who exploited some of America's greatest problems: guns， drugs， toxic masculinity。Brought down by the FBI in 2017， this book contains the stories of those in the groups way， who were caught up in both robbery and racketeering。 。。。more
Jess
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DNF at 50%
Cathy
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I followed the trial of the gun trace task force as it unfolded and was still in disbelief as I read this book。 The story is incredible and sells itself， but I wonder if a person who is not familiar with the GTTF would be able to keep track of all of the players。 Each offense committed by these corrupt cops is well-documented in the book， and while it is odd to say because each story is true， at times it got monotonous reading about each scheme。 I would give the book a 4 because it is well-resea I followed the trial of the gun trace task force as it unfolded and was still in disbelief as I read this book。 The story is incredible and sells itself， but I wonder if a person who is not familiar with the GTTF would be able to keep track of all of the players。 Each offense committed by these corrupt cops is well-documented in the book， and while it is odd to say because each story is true， at times it got monotonous reading about each scheme。 I would give the book a 4 because it is well-researched， but a 3 because I lost interest in the book at times， which should not happen given the unbelievable conduct that is documented。 。。。more
John
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When I mentioned to my dad that I was reading about Baltimore's Gun Trace Task Force， he said， "oh， you mean WE RUN THIS CITY？" I said no; it was this one。Given the format of I GOT A MONSTER， I can't shake the sneaking suspicion that this was rushed into print to beat WE RUN THIS CITY to market。 It's long on anecdote but short on narrative。 We get a lot of play-by-play of Jenkins's GTTF chasing down one suspect or another but little sense of why each individual vignette should matter。 Dozens of When I mentioned to my dad that I was reading about Baltimore's Gun Trace Task Force， he said， "oh， you mean WE RUN THIS CITY？" I said no; it was this one。Given the format of I GOT A MONSTER， I can't shake the sneaking suspicion that this was rushed into print to beat WE RUN THIS CITY to market。 It's long on anecdote but short on narrative。 We get a lot of play-by-play of Jenkins's GTTF chasing down one suspect or another but little sense of why each individual vignette should matter。 Dozens of names are tossed at the reader， not all of whom are equally important。It's still very informative， but now I'm wondering if WE RUN THIS CITY is the better book。 。。。more
Lesley
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Read Justin Fenton's book instead。 This was disjointed and rushed。 Read Justin Fenton's book instead。 This was disjointed and rushed。 。。。more
Tanika Brown
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Great book。 Whether you want to believe that the police department， SOA， and the mayor office aren’t all in on it。 You have to read the book even though there is no reference that the mayors office has any idea what’s going on。
Broadsnark
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A little hard to follow at times and has way too much Ivan Bates， but a valuable look into the everyday abuse that cops get away with because so many look the other way or collaborate。 And for what？ Even the instigators didn't much want to be there。 A little hard to follow at times and has way too much Ivan Bates， but a valuable look into the everyday abuse that cops get away with because so many look the other way or collaborate。 And for what？ Even the instigators didn't much want to be there。 。。。more
Cath Holden
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I debated between 3-4 stars。 I really enjoyed this book and it was quite thorough。 I felt at times the author assumed you remembered certain people and their actions。 This is a book with no heroes。
Bri
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It was interesting， and a fast read， but I think I would have enjoyed it more as a documentary or docuseries。
Emily
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What a ride！ I read this in one day across two different flights。 Once I started reading， I just couldn't stop。 Living in Baltimore， I was familiar with the story of the Gun Trace Task Force， but this provided an in-depth look into the reign of terror that these officers caused， as well as placed it into the larger context of what was happening in the city pre- and post- murder of Freddie Gray。 This does not have a flattering portrayal of the State Attorney's Office （FYI）。 Justin Fenton also wro What a ride！ I read this in one day across two different flights。 Once I started reading， I just couldn't stop。 Living in Baltimore， I was familiar with the story of the Gun Trace Task Force， but this provided an in-depth look into the reign of terror that these officers caused， as well as placed it into the larger context of what was happening in the city pre- and post- murder of Freddie Gray。 This does not have a flattering portrayal of the State Attorney's Office （FYI）。 Justin Fenton also wrote a book about the Gun Trace Task Force so I'm curious about how the two books differ， though if I'm being honest， I'm not sure I'll get around to reading the other book。 。。。more
Randy Carlson
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Incredible story， and not just about the GTTF， but the entire really messed up legal morass that is the City of Baltimore。
Jim
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An interesting， yet aggravating， account of cops gone bad， and not just a few。 I hate that a handful stains so many good cops。 And those in charge in the upper ranks and DA offices often turn a blind eye。 Some will say it's all a price to fight drugs， but too many innocent are hurt。 Yeah， there is a long history of some police using the badge to feather their nests and justifying it， especially in the big cities， and I remember the craziness of the drug years in places like Miami， as well as the An interesting， yet aggravating， account of cops gone bad， and not just a few。 I hate that a handful stains so many good cops。 And those in charge in the upper ranks and DA offices often turn a blind eye。 Some will say it's all a price to fight drugs， but too many innocent are hurt。 Yeah， there is a long history of some police using the badge to feather their nests and justifying it， especially in the big cities， and I remember the craziness of the drug years in places like Miami， as well as the historical accounts of place like New York and Philly。 Still， it makes the stomach turn。 I'm glad these guys were caught and paid a price。 。。。more
Viviana
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Confusing
Diawheelerme。Com
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The authors document corruption in the Baltimore Police Department that was so bad that it was almost unbelievable。 Much of the story is told from the viewpoint of defense attorney Ivan Bates， who was key in helping to uncover the evidence leading to the arrest and conviction of the police officers involved。 The writing draws the reader into this world turned upside down， where the cops are the bad guys using their power to prey on the often innocent victims。 It almost reads like a novel but is The authors document corruption in the Baltimore Police Department that was so bad that it was almost unbelievable。 Much of the story is told from the viewpoint of defense attorney Ivan Bates， who was key in helping to uncover the evidence leading to the arrest and conviction of the police officers involved。 The writing draws the reader into this world turned upside down， where the cops are the bad guys using their power to prey on the often innocent victims。 It almost reads like a novel but is totally based on fact。 。。。more
Madalene
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This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers。 To view it， click here。 It sounds bleak to say， but this non-fiction book indicates The Wire didn't go bleak enough when it comes to corrupt policing。 This book would make a good pairing with "Charged: Overzealous Prosecutors， the Quest for Mercy and the Fight to Transform Criminal Justice in America" by Emily Bazelon。 Sadly， much of the justice in this book was only possible because of body cams that were misunderstood by those wearing them， which doesn't seem like a sustainable way to get change。 It sounds bleak to say， but this non-fiction book indicates The Wire didn't go bleak enough when it comes to corrupt policing。 This book would make a good pairing with "Charged: Overzealous Prosecutors， the Quest for Mercy and the Fight to Transform Criminal Justice in America" by Emily Bazelon。 Sadly， much of the justice in this book was only possible because of body cams that were misunderstood by those wearing them， which doesn't seem like a sustainable way to get change。 。。。more
Siran
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After re-binging The Wire （and missing it immediately after the viewing）， a colleague suggested this book to me。 I really enjoyed reading it！ It also made me nostalgic about Baltimore - granted I wasn’t living in the same ‘world’ as the main characters in this book。 One star off mainly due to my own ignorance about the law / policing system in Bmore。 I had to Google many terms that I’m not familiar with。 Overall a great read。 An appalling tale of a mind-blowing （mind-f***ing） true story。 Also ap After re-binging The Wire （and missing it immediately after the viewing）， a colleague suggested this book to me。 I really enjoyed reading it！ It also made me nostalgic about Baltimore - granted I wasn’t living in the same ‘world’ as the main characters in this book。 One star off mainly due to my own ignorance about the law / policing system in Bmore。 I had to Google many terms that I’m not familiar with。 Overall a great read。 An appalling tale of a mind-blowing （mind-f***ing） true story。 Also appreciated the authors’ keen observation of some tiny details， which served as stark contrast to the sobering story。 E。g。 “it was that time in the season where half the trees glowed gold while the other half was an almost anachronistic green in the low-slanting sunlight。。。”， and “they entered the Inner Harbor area， glowing glass and steel buildings slurred in the rainy sky” 。。。more
Norton
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Just okay true story of corrupt cops in Baltimore。 Some of the stories of different capers were interesting but definitely dragged on throughout much of the book。 Was hoping for more grittiness and better storytelling。
Craigtator
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What happens when the largest criminal enterprise in your city is the police？
Skye Harmony
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As a Baltimore resident， I was really excited for this book and its spotlight on BPD corruption。 Unfortunately， it was a slog and I really had to push through to finish it。 I read the audiobook through the library and had to check it out 3 times because I was not motivated to finish it before it expired。 The story is interesting but could be better told in far fewer words。Main issues for me: 1） The dry writing did not do justice to the story。 2） The different GTTF members were pretty interchange As a Baltimore resident， I was really excited for this book and its spotlight on BPD corruption。 Unfortunately， it was a slog and I really had to push through to finish it。 I read the audiobook through the library and had to check it out 3 times because I was not motivated to finish it before it expired。 The story is interesting but could be better told in far fewer words。Main issues for me: 1） The dry writing did not do justice to the story。 2） The different GTTF members were pretty interchangeable。 I could not keep their stories straight， except for Jenkins。 3） I like Ivan Bates， but the treatment of him bordered on hero worship and made me slightly uncomfortable。Do yourself a favor and read a long form article about the GTTF instead。 。。。more
Meredith
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The true crime writing style of this book sets it apart from its non-fiction peers。 It is entertaining to read but never crosses the line of romanticizing the heist-like crimes of the main characters。 I would recommend the book for anyone trying to better understand how the criminal justice system works to uphold racist and cruel policing。
Shelly
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