They Wished They Were Honest: The Knapp Commission and NYC Police Corruption

In fifty years of prosecuting and defending criminal cases in New York City and elsewhere, Michael Armstrong has often dealt with cops. For a single two-year span, as chief counsel to the Knapp Commission, he was charged with investigating them. Based on Armstrong’s vivid recollections of this watershed moment in law enforcement accountability — prompted by the New York Times’ report on whistleblower cop Frank Serpico — They Wished They Were Honest: The Knapp Commission and NYC Police Corruption (Columbia University Press) recreates the dramatic struggles and significance of the commission, exploring the factors that led to its success and the restoration of the NYPD’s public image. Book signing to follow.