Veteran cop writes crime novel

By Ellen Wright ESCONDIDO

— After spending 25 years as a police officer, Escondido Detective Lt. Neal Griffin has got some stories to tell.

It’s his natural ability as a storyteller that drove him to write his first fictional crime novel, “Benefit of the Doubt” which hits stores May 12.

“Naturally, when you become a cop, you also at some point become a storyteller because people insist on hearing what you do,” Griffin said.

The plot takes place in a fictional Wisconsin town and follows both a convicted felon bent on revenge and a decommissioned Oakland police officer who is lampooned by the media after being caught on camera abusing his power.

The subject matter touches on a national hotspot of contention, with police malfeasance making headlines in cities throughout the nation.

Griffin said the timing is purely coincidental and he came up with the idea for his book four or five years ago before body cameras were being used or discussed.

He recognizes his protagonist police officer, Ben Sawyer, in many of the police brutality incidents making national headlines.

“In the last six months, I’ve seen the Ben Sawyer scenario play out half a dozen times where, you’re caught on camera and you’re doing something that’s inexcusable and you become the new poster boy for American police brutality,” Griffin said.

While he may see his characters in national headlines, he insists that they’re purely figments of his imagination.

“They say ‘write what you know, not who you know,’” said Griffin.

He said he thought about his fellow police officers’ reception of the book but he’s always been known for pushing the envelope.

“I’m a bit of a risk taker. My dad was a philosophy professor, and I’ve said many times, that’s a very odd combination, a kid that grows up to be a marine and a cop whose dad was a pacifist philosopher,” Griffin said.

As a Police Academy ethics instructor, Griffin emphasizes what makes police officers good at what they do.

He doesn’t think the media is accurately portraying the American police force and he hopes to