The issues with Officer Serpico and the Knapp Commission began while I was attending NYU Law School (1969–72). I was an Assistant District Attorney in Philadelphia for almost a decade after that. It was certainly true then-and is probably just as true now-that most of law enforcement saw itself as beleaguered defenders of a society coming apart, under attack by criminals and what was seen as their ideological allies in the intelligencia. When you read about Officer Serpico, you will see that what happened to the officer you featured could have been infinitely worse.