American Badge Betrayed

The conduct of police in America has come under more scrutiny today than at any other time. There are so many unanswered questions about incidents depicted on the news of police misconduct and police shootings. So often the public is left wondering why there seems to be so much injustice in our justice system. This book will attempt to shed light into the dark truth of wearing a badge in America. It is a first-hand account of Robert Alvarez’s experience as a police officer in Lowell, Massachusetts.

Robert E. Alvarez is a decorated Hispanic officer who retired from the Lowell, Massachusetts police after 24 years of service. Throughout his career he held positions as a SWAT team leader and was an instructor of several disciplines. His story is one of a 16 year fight to clear his name that entails detailed battles against police corruption at the highest levels. It tells the truth about the extensive corruption in the Lowell Police Department and the truth about the conduct of several of the police chiefs and command staff there.

One cannot truly understand the police culture unless they are fully immersed in it as an officer themselves. An observer looking in from the outside will not be able to comprehend the convoluted matrix that is the police method of operation. This book provides the reader with an insider’s view of the police culture in an attempt to help people understand what is behind some of the police behavior in our country today.