Joseph Wambaugh

Joseph Wambaugh "is what he has always been," writes Jim Newton ("The Beat Goes On," May 28). Wrong. Wambaugh may still be "irascible, opinionated and perceptive" but he no longer has "his ear tuned to the cadence and language of the beat," simply because he has distanced himself too far from that very beat. One cannot live in a "spacious home behind a security gate" with all the other amenities of a wealthy man and have the feel for the streets. Wambaugh's books now reflect his current lifestyle, far from the nitty-gritty, with settings in Palm Springs, Newport Beach and now Point Loma and the San Diego Yacht Club.

Gregory Powell, the so-called "Onion Field" killer, was denied parole on grounds he has refused to cooperate with psychologists and has learned no job skills during more than two decades in prison. Powell and Jimmy Lee Smith, who has since been paroled, were convicted of the March, 1963, shooting death of Los Angeles Police Officer Ian Campbell, who was abducted with his partner, Karl Hettinger, from a Hollywood street and taken to an onion field near Bakersfield. Campbell was shot five times in the chest at point-blank range.

Joseph Wambaugh, the former Los Angeles police officer turned best-selling author, has a sheepish grin on his face. "I have a feeling I have delivered the silliest performance since Kevin Costner did 'Robin Hood,' " he says, laughing. "After this performance, they may not ask me back."

Joseph Wambaugh's article (Commentary, Aug. 24) saying Simpson defense attorney Johnnie Cochran and blacks in general practice "reverse racism" shows the true nature of the racist attitude that certain policemen have towards African Americans. If blacks protest or show proof of a racist cop, they are considered as being a racist by Wambaugh. How is that so? Not one black person has said that all white policemen are racist. We've said and have known for years that rogue cops of all colors have brutalized civilians in general and blacks in particular.

"Uh-ohhhhh," Joseph Wambaugh said after savoring a bite of the cheese Napoleon nestled in his salad greens at Le Meridien on Sunday night. "Dee is not going to like this one." Wambaugh watched as his wife sunk her unsuspecting teeth into something that looked like a dreamy, creamy, pastry-covered slice of Key Lime pie. Her husband was right. Dee screwed up her face after one bite. It contained something she avoids: blue cheese.

"Washington slept here." --common untruth "The rich are different." --common truth Is there such a thing in Orange County today as a recession-proof house? Someplace you can sell with no sweat without budging an inch on the asking price? The sort of casa very grande that people will come sprinting out of the blocks to post offers on? "Sure," you might say. "What about those behemoth custom joints with amenities such as indoor polo fields and freight elevators?

Ex-cop Joseph Wambaugh can now add a new twist to his resume: TV show host. The best-selling author will provide the on-air introductions for "From the Files of Joseph Wambaugh," a potential two-hour anthology series debuting this fall on NBC. The first drama, "Jury of One," stars John Spencer (who plays lawyer Tommy Mullaney on "L.A. Law").

If you'll indulge a confession, I'm a happy guy sitting across from a cop -- or even a retired cop -- with my notebook on the table and a beer in my hand. They've all got stories, some funny, some dark, some of them even true. That's what led me to call Joseph Wambaugh at his home in San Diego last week and see if he wanted to meet for dinner and a margarita or two at Villa Sombrero, a Highland Park institution and longtime hangout for him and other cops. The Sombrero was preparing to shut down, at least for now, because of a dispute between the restaurant owner and property owner.