Posted by South Jersey News Online March 19, 2009 7:43AM
By Bob Shryock
bshryock@sjnewsco.com

Lt. Glenn L. Rambo admits he was never thrilled with writing police reports as a young officer.

"I was reprimanded one time for failure to complete a report," the Woolwich Township officer says, "so I decided to embrace the art of police reporting. And I made myself a decent writer."

The 20-year veteran exhibits his refined talent in his first fictionalized book, action thriller "Crossing the Line," in which he addresses the worsening threat of illegal aliens crossing the Mexican-U.S. border en masse. Completed in 2006, its self-published sequel in the planned trilogy, "Holding the Line," is scheduled for release this spring. A second series is under consideration.

A 1988 Washington Township High School graduate who was in the Marine Reserves before becoming a Glassboro police officer in 1989, Rambo's books are timely considering the volatile escalation of the drugs-fueled border wars.

Although fiction, the first book was based largely on Rambo's personal experiences and interviews with Arizona friends who work and/or live near the border.

"With my law enforcement background, I've come across many illegal aliens," Rambo says. "I was always intrigued over how they ended up in my part of the world. They say it wasn't that difficult. With a reported 18 million illegals in this country, I've wondered what would happen if they decided as a group they didn't want to live by our laws anymore."

A devout man who teaches Sunday School and sings in the church choir, Rambo applauds growing media attention. The threat, with a crime wave that is impacting U.S. border cities, was addressed by CBS's "60 Minutes" the other Sunday night.

"I thought the threat was very real when I finished the first book in 2006. Three years later, it's a very real threat that needs to be addressed now."

Rambo knows about threats to his homeland. After 9/11, Rambo took part in the security contingent guarding of the Twin Towers. He also was active in Hurricane Katrina security operations.

Rambo acknowledges that his first book had "a frustrating, abrupt ending" because of deadlines but says "Holding the Line" will pick up precisely where the first stopped:

"Rachael screamed as the phone went dead again, and the church rumbled from the impact of the explosion just under two miles away. Sarah grabbed and hugged her, as she, too, knew what had just happened."

Rambo believes his first book ($17.99, softback) was "ahead of its time."

"It's intertwined with the economy and the political system," he says. "And our monetary system is so tied to this."

He said he "surprised myself" with his ability to improve his writing skills and produce the book. He writes primarily on weekends or "early in the morning when things are quiet."

The officer who once had trouble writing reports admits he sometimes gets writer's block, but also finds himself capable of cranking out 4,000 words on his computer on a weekend.

"I love writing dialogue and developing characters in a free-flowing style," he says.

So will there be additional Glenn Rambo books?

"It'll depend on how many I sell. But I love to write."