I caught him at the Festival of Books alongside T. Jefferson Parker, Denise Hamilton and Tod Goldberg in a panel discussing the challenges about writing fiction set in Southern California. Looking at his book jacket photo and reading his prose, I figured Beall would be a gruff, growly guy, in love with his authenticity as a cop and a novelist.

I was very, very wrong.

He was engaging, self-deprecating, even goofy. He could have rolled in there and put on the "I'm a badass cop with a book deal" routine, but instead, he told the audience that he'd once fibbed about reading Madame Bovary to score points on a date. He spoke freely and engagingly about his experiences as a police officer, rather than the watered down, guarded stuff we often hear from law enforcement.

After I tracked him down at 77th Street Station, we began a series of running conversations that turned into today's story and movie. While it took awhile to get him warmed up, I found him to be a thoughtful, interesting character.

He's kind of a Star Wars dork (which is OK, since I'll admit that I am, too), listens to public radio in his shop and keeps a copy of Gene Autry's cowboy code on his desk. While he seems proud of his accomplishments, he also relentlessly promotes other cops and authors, saying he's just finding his way in both worlds.

With a foot in each, he's also capable of producing some entertaining quotes, such as this one that didn't make it into a story on an ex-gangster gone straight:
"There's bound to be a Mel Gibson wing of the gang, the real strict ones who won't go along with what the other ones say."

But hey, there are plenty of funny commentators out there, even plenty of funny cops. What made him so unique was that he seems genuinely committed to the job. In his position, he could ride his current wave of fame into some easy financial success and then turn his back on his 10 years with the department. Instead, he told me that he sees the books as entertainment and the police work as the real, important challenge.

And that's what makes him noteworthy -- it's easy to be an opportunist, but it takes someone who actually cares to keep showing up for what sounds like a godawful unpleasant job every day. While he could be a challenging interview at times, it was definitely worth the time investment. I hope to bring you more on him in the future.

Previously on It's a Crime
The neon lights aren't so bright on the Broadway -- Another trip to 77th
Solving Murders in 77th - Why They Put on the Badge
And, elsewhere:

In his own words:

Two pieces from the Times, where Beall writes about the challenges of writing in LA (in which he totally scooped me on my own story about him.... ahh, the postmodern joys of the Internet) and another Op/Ed where he discusses racial issues in South Central
and, finally, his ruminations on what he calls The Grand Guignol 'Hood" at Powells.com, the online presence of a very cool bookstore. The last one's my favorite -- a very non-traditional look at policework.

And then, a few others:

Beall's Amazon list of best crime novels, movies and TV shows
Beall raps on Catholic school, racism and who gets it right in Hollywood at CHUD.com
Ten questions for the author at Entertainment World
And an Entertainment World review
The official book Web site
The book's official MySpace page (kids, with their internets today!)

Finally, mark your calendars, as he'll be reading and signing Thursday, Sept. 6, at the Barnes & Noble at the Grove at 7:30 p.m. Given the high profanity and stomach-churning content, he provides this warning: "You can hear it from the children's section. I feel like we should put up a sign: 'They'll be working blue tonight at Barnes & Noble.'" (for grins, notice the contrast in the events on the calendar at B&N this week, where Beall's appearing amid kids' storytime and a book about The Price is Right)