Proud to Have Been a New York City Transit Cop

Proud To Have Been A New York City Transit Cop is a biographical work describing the journey of Captain John Martin through his thirty-three years of service as a police officer in the City of New York. From the time he joins the New York City Transit Police Department after World War II, through to his retirement years in the early 1980's, you will read lots of interesting stories and gain valuable insights into what it was like to be a cop serving the riding public of one of the largest Rapid Transit Systems in the world.

With all the books and TV shows out there, another cop story? Right, but this one's really different. It's not only a story about police work and policemen; it's a story about all kinds of people. It's a story about a native New Yorker who joined the New York City Transit Police Department after service in the United States Navy during World War II. It's a story about how he and his partner helped to make the Transit Police Force one of the finest, and one of the biggest, in the country. It's a story about how these two guys charmed the Mayor of the City of New York, upset at least two City Police Commissioners, and forced the City of New York to provide improved police protection for the riding and general public. And finally, it's a study in human relations and what it takes to provide effective leadership.

You will see what it was like to be a cop trying to protect the riding public as they travel New York City's extensive subway system. You will journey from the days the transit police were not at parity with the city police, through the time when parity was achieved and the stage was set for merging the three police forces of New York City - city, transit and housing. Merging the three forces into today's NYPD took place in 1995. You will re-live some of the very troubled times in the late 1970's when subway crime soared, gaining a better understanding of why that happened and what should have been done to better protect the Public.

You will find the stories interesting and through the eyes of Captain Martin, an innovative and intuitive leader, you will see how effective one man could be in gaining the true respect and admiration of his police officers while commanding some of the most challenging districts in the City of New York - and in spite of the personal sacrifices he made to his own career advancement.

John Martin served twelve consecutive terms as Transit Police Benevolent Association (PBA) President and two years as State PBA President before stepping down due to an unusual circumstance. He made a difficult, and unusual, career move - going from 1st Grade Detective to Sergeant, with an eye on eventually becoming a Police Captain, the highest uniformed rank achieved through competitive examinations. Superior ranks after that are made by appointment and as it turned out, John Martin paid a price for his previous role as PBA President serving the rank and file.