Retired Detective Briefs Mystery Writers ~ Meeting Photos
Saturday, Jan. 21

Which delivers a more accurate view of police work: The comic movie, ''My Cousin Vinny,'' or the popular ''CSI'' series on TV? You might be surprised at the answer, says retired police detective R.C. White. He'll tackle the ''Vinny'' versus ''CSI'' conundrum, and also demonstrate some basic evidence-gathering techniques as guest speaker Jan. 21 at the monthly luncheon of the Mystery Writers of America (MWA)/Florida Chapter.

The public is welcome to attend. Reservations are required for all.

White began his career in law enforcement in south Florida as a teen cadet, finally spending some 32 years with the Fort Lauderdale Police Department. Among other assignments, he worked crime scene investigations and fraud -- everything from white collar felons to con artists preying on the elderly. Over the years, he photographed, collected evidence, and testified in court about the scenes of myriad crimes, from homicides and sexual batteries, to robberies and drug cases.

As a self-described ''wanna-be writer'' himself, White says he'll be happy to give authors some insight into how the police go about solving real-life mysteries.