Behind the Badge

Nick Kaldas is a cop's cop. From Egypt to Marrickville, from investigating war criminals to taking down global drug operations, Kaldas has seen the worst humanity can offer. But he's also seen what human qualities can lead to greatness. This the compelling true story of an immigrant boy from Egypt who rose from beat cop to be one of the most senior police in Australia. During his time in the NSW police force, he was one of Australia's first Arab undercover cops, headed up both the Homicide and Gang Squad units, reformed the Counter Terrorism team and then became the Deputy Police Commissioner. But he has also faced down some of the toughest, most brutal criminal organisations in the world. In the Middle East, he was hand-picked by the United Nations to investigate the assassination of Lebanese prime minister Rafik Hariri; investigate the illegal use of chemical weapons in Syria; and was a director of UNRWA, the UN agency tasked with assisting Palestinian refugees. Whether he is negotiating a hostage situation or gaining the trust of the Syrian secret police, Kaldas has learned a thing or two about resilience, courage and fortitude. In this memoir, Kaldas describes the most challenging cases that have shaped him; shares his key principles of what makes a great leader; and reveals what it takes to stand up for what's right in the face of insurmountable opposition.