Monday, February 11, 2008

Q. Where did you do your research for Bon Cop/ Bad Cop? Did you read books, go online, or did you hang out with real cops? I need to better understand police procedure and investigation (specifically in relation to how they go about identifying dead bodies...) and I do not have access to anyone who is a cop.

You think I did research???

In a big popcorn movie like BON COP BAD COP, police procedure is not really the point. I mean, we had the guys locking the Hockey Commissioner in the trunk. To the degree there was police procedure, it was straight out of LAW & ORDER. And it wasn't a very high degree.

If you're looking for accuracy, there are many, many books. I own a nice book on forensic entomology, for example, that tells you all about the different bugs that feed off corpses, and when they arrive.

A quick look at Amazon, googling for "police procedure," brings the fine book featured in this post: POLICE PROCEDURE AND INVESTIGATION, A GUIDE FOR WRITERS. Why, I think I might buy it myself.

Books! Yes, remember books? Useful things. Obtainable at libraries and online. Oh, and at stores.

You don't need a cop to organize a ride-along, by the way. Most police departments have public relations officers or information officers who will be happy to put you in a squad car. They want you to get it right, and they want you to understand what cops go through. Just call the (non-emergency) number for your local police officer and tell them you're a screenwriter working on a cop story, and who can you talk to about a ride-along.

Labels: books, craft, reading

10:54 AM

1 Comments:

Thanks for mentioning my book in your post.
Please feel free to contact me anytime. I'm always happy to help writers with their police/CSI/forensics questions.

Also, if you get a chance, stop by my new blog The Graveyard Shift. It's a Q&A site just for writers.

Thanks again.

Lee Lofland
Police Procedure and Investigation, A Guide For Writers
www.leelofland.com

The Graveyard Shift- a blog for writers
www.leelofland.com/wordpress/

By  Anonymous, at 12:08 PM  

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