William Caunitz

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William J. Caunitz (1933–1996) was a New York City Police Department officer who used his own experiences to write best-selling thrillers.

After serving in the United States Marine Corps, and working for an insurance company, he joined the NYPD in his twenties. He first worked as a patrolman, and eventually rose through the ranks to become a Lieutenant, followed by an assignment as a detective squad commander. Caunitz was praised for his "raw authenticity" when describing precinct day-to-day life in his novels, especially for One Police Plaza, which was eventually made into a television movie. His novels usually center around one or two police officers that follow detailed police procedures to solve a crime, and he also used some sensational elements of thrillers. He was married to Arlene for 20 some years and had 2 children with her, Beth and Kathy. He had 5 grandchildren, Joshua, Matthew, Julia, Kaila and David. After divorcing arlene he later married his second wife partica. She died in 2005 of breast cancer.