The first article presents the image of the LAPD as portrayed by various television shows such as Dragnet, Police Story, and Adam-12 and the problems that such programs may have produced for the department. Another major articles focuses on the low conviction rates and law followup investigations after arrests reported in a survey of prosecutors and judges and in statistics prepared by the Institute for Law and Social Research comparing conviction rates between the LAPD and the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department. The comparison of conviction rates between these two departments is itself the subject of another article. A biography of the Chief of Police, Ed Davis, is presented in a separate article, but his impact on the department is mentioned or explored in many contexts throughout the book. Other topics covered include citizen rating of the LAPD a comparison of police work in Los Angeles and New York, the gay community as perceived by the department, the prosecution of police officers for brutal or corrupt actions, and issues involved in police shootings.