Birmingham's Front Line by Michael Layton
Birmingham's Front Line offers a fascinating and unique insight into police culture and the problems faced by those on the thin blue line during a tumultuous time in Britain's second city.Containing accounts from the author and his former colleagues of robberies, rapes and murders, these true stories will shock and stun as the author reveals the tools and tactics used to combat the violence, bribery and general disregard of law and order encountered every day as the police fought to bring these criminals to justice.Covering the period from 1976 to 1988, Birmingham city centre represented a microcosm of criminal activity throughout the United Kingdom in this period - at one end of the spectrum, hardened armed robbers out to make a fast and brutal buck; at the other, the punks, bikers and skinheads just looking for the cheap thrill of mindless violence. Hooliganism was rife, and the notorious Zulu Warriors were always sure to make their presence felt.Relationships with informants are described, and the author gives an inside view of the world of criminal intelligence, as well as explaining how, after much strife, police and criminals learnt to co-exist in the Midlands.
'All of our police forces have a colourful and chequered past - in some respects the West Midlands force enjoys a certain notoriety.. an absolutely fascinating slice of social history.' -- Books Monthly August 2016
'This is a revealing account of the realities of CID work, juggling with a number of enquiries simultaneously, unlike TV detectives who only ever deal with one case at a time.' -- Police History Society Newsletter 88 of September 2016
'This is a revealing account of the realities of CID work, juggling with a number of enquiries simultaneously, unlike TV detectives who only ever deal with one case at a time.' -- Police History Society Newsletter 88 of September 2016
Michael Layton reached the rank of Chief Superintendent before serving with the Sovereign Bases Police in Cyprus, eventually returning to the British Transport Police. He was awarded the Queens Police Medal for distinguished police service. He has written several books on the subject of policing the rail network and football violence.
| SKU | Unavailable |
| ISBN 13 | 9781445657875 |
| ISBN 10 | 1445657872 |
| Title | Birmingham's Front Line |
| Author | Michael Layton |
| Condition | Unavailable |
| Binding Type | Paperback |
| Publisher | Amberley Publishing |
| Year published | 2016-07-15 |
| Number of pages | 256 |
| Cover note | Book picture is for illustrative purposes only, actual binding, cover or edition may vary. |
| Note | Unavailable |