Author and former NYPD officer George Koch unveils latest book

PINE PLAINS — With a working pen in hand and a mind kept wide open, there’s no telling where inspiration for a story might strike. 

For Pine Plains author George Koch, his 20-year career as a police officer for the New York Police Department (NYPD) has served as a geyser for his creative side, spouting countless chapters based on his own life experiences. After making his literary debut with “Brass Buttons, Blue Coat” in July 2017 and publishing his second book “Visits and Observations” last June, Koch presented his third book, “On the Job,” to the Pine Plains community this past April.

Despite having retired from the NYPD almost 46 years ago, writing stories based on his experiences comes easily to Koch, who completed his latest work within three weeks. Dedicated to his wife, Geraldine, who passed away last February, the stories contained in “On the Job” are chock full of authentic police language as they describe fictional characters based on his memories of friends.

“You think of things that come back into your mind and you put it on paper,” Koch said. “I’m amazed how easy it is — it just seems to flow. I could just write 10 pages.”

“There’s no writer’s block in his house, that’s for sure,” joked his daughter, Amy Gunderson. “He bought a typewriter and he just started banging out memories.”

The book signing for Koch’s latest work drew a crowd of local readers to the Community Room above the Pine Plains Free Library on Saturday, April 13. As one of the lucky readers to listen to Koch’s stories evolve at the library’s weekly Writer’s Group, Pine Plains town Supervisor Darrah Cloud read a chapter of “On the Job” aloud to attendees, much to Koch’s delight. After the reading, Koch lent his signature to several copies of his book chatting with local readers.