April 2013

Wealth, the Fall of Rome, and the Making of Christianity in the West, 350-550 AD

By Peter Brown

Reviewed by Dennis Bianchi

This is a very short review of a rather long book.  I'm including it because several retired members have said that they primarily read history, not police procedurals or thrillers.  I try to read widely across the genres and I believe that if you want to read ancient history, this is a book for you.

By Jonas Jonasson

Reviewed by Dennis Bianchi

Millions of people read the Scandinavian trilogy revolving around The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo, unable to get enough of the dark underworld of Sweden.  The weather in Sweden may bring about a sense of darkness and cold to several Scandinavian writers but Jonas Jonasson is decidedly different.  This novel is hilarious.  I seldom read three paragraphs without breaking into a smile or laughing out loud. 

By Russ Gordon

Hope everybody is well.  Lots of capers to report…so here we go for April.

Bayview Station – Swing Watch

Cops, Cons and Grace

by Brian Cahill

In my retirement I spend most of my time writing. I have written a few pieces about the failed leadership of our Church, but most of my writing is about my oldest son, a police officer who took his life four years ago. I have learned about cops and suicide, and I have learned about pain and grace. I try to write four days a week, but on Tuesdays I don’t write. I volunteer.

The Chamber of Commerce’s Annual City Beat Survey has been released for 2013. You might remember me praising the men and women of the SFPD last year for posting record approval ratings: 72% Favorable/18% Unfavorable in the 2012 survey. Just when you think that the men and women of this Department couldn’t be seen in a more favorable light, they post another well-deserved record year in the 2013 survey. In this year’s survey, the citizens of San Francisco see the SFPD as 76% Favorable/16% Unfavorable.

When Kevin Martin retired in November, I immediately asked Marty Halloran to assume the role of vice president.  He agreed to do so, and has again risen to the occasion, showing unquestioned loyalty to this organization and providing me tremendous counsel on a variety of issues. He is stubborn, cantankerous, and at times argumentative, but my admiration and respect for Marty has never wavered, and it makes it much easier to leave this office knowing that he will be stepping in to lead this organization forward.