Beyond The Briefing Room: Life on The Beat

Beyond The Briefing Room is a thrilling and goose bump chilling ride-along on a cop’s life in the fast lane, a raw and gripping inside look at a man with a badge.

Sheriff Rick Bridgeman is a grizzled 25 year veteran in the Ridley County Sheriff’s Department. He has gained a name for himself as ”the department’s Beretta,” hell-bent on protecting the sheep from the wolves, always ready to answer the call. A force to be reckoned with, this former U.S. Marine Corps platoon leader follows a code of silence, honor, fidelity, and commitment. Even when off duty, his mind is still on the job. But Sheriff Bridgeman patrols the crime-ridden streets and alleyways with a death wish. His only allegiance lies with his wife, his son, and the sheriff's department. His story is insightful, riveting, and action-packed with harrowing events that bring Sheriff Rick Bridgeman to his destiny.

Patrick Shrum first got the bug for police work when he frequently rode with his father, Hawthorne Police Sergeant Donald Shrum, a former field training officer, deep undercover cop, and homicide detective who worked in a high-crime city in California. Patrick followed his father's footsteps, but he had big shoes to fill. He began his law enforcement career in his hometown as an El Segundo police explorer and took off like a rocket. He graduated as the number-one cadet in his academy class. He was then promoted to explorer sergeant and became an explorer drill instructor at the South Bay Police Explorer Academy. He received a college baseball scholarship that sent him to the beautiful state of Colorado for a year. Though he loved baseball, he had the bug for police work. In 2008 he joined the U.S. Marine Corps and subsequently graduated as a military police officer. He graduated number one in the Military Police Academy, was meritoriously promoted to lance corporal, to field training officer, and then to corporal. He held several billets such as squad leader, watch commander, and platoon commander, ultimately leading roughly seventy U.S. Marine military police officers. Patrick was handpicked for presidential duty for Marine One, providing security and law enforcement directly for Presidents George W. Bush and Barack Obama. He was selected for and graduated from the tough U.S. Military's Special Reaction Team School, also known as SWAT School. He was selected for and graduated from the U.S. Military's Physical Security Crime Prevention School, and he went on to graduate from Police Field Training Officer/Coordinator School and Bicycle Patrol School. He received many accolades, including the elite Presidential Service Award for Honorable Service in The White House by President Obama. Patrick successfully completed over 40 Presidential missions worldwide. Upon honorably departing the Marines after five years, he was hired by the notorious Los Angeles Police Department as a police officer. Upon his graduation from the academy, he graduated to the gun in the streets and made his first debut with LA's finest. He spent some time working the streets of LA and gained a ton of experience and training in a short time before moving to another Southern California police department, where he was ultimately promoted to police detective. He also received law enforcement's highest and most prestigious accolade, the Medal of Valor Award, receiving senatorial and congressional recognition for bravery for the shooting of an armed felony suspect who pulled a loaded gun on him on a dark night during a domestic violence radio call. Patrick loves spending time with family and friends, working out, sports, and enjoys the outdoors. He believes his success is due in large part to the strong leadership and support from his mother, Debbi Shrum, and his father, Donald Shrum. He was inspired to write this book by his exciting life experiences. Being in the military and civilian law enforcement for over 12 years lends credibility to his writing. He hopes to inspire people to cheer for law enforcement and understand the dark and dirty reality of police work on the streets.