Tired, Hungry, and Standing in One Place for Twelve Hours: Essential Cop Essays

“Cortez’ writing will resonate with law enforcement professionals—from the adrenaline-inspiring memories of the police academy to the everyday chaotic scenes of crime-fighting. The best features of her writing are her authentic voice, her passion about the ‘calling’ of police work, and the concise language she utilizes—as only a gifted writer can. This book is a good reminder to all of us of why we wanted to be police officers in the first place.”
—Lt. Betsy Randolph
Oklahoma Highway Patrol

“Cortez has caught the essence of what it means to be a police officer with its ‘endless boredoms and dirt . . . its tiny, stark terrors’ and the ‘hidden rewards of intense camaraderie, sense of mission, and the fulfillments of justice and duty.’ She has explained the unexplainable in a fascinating read without flinching and with the eye of a poet.”
—T.K. Thorne
retired police captain and award-winning author of Angels at the Gate