:For other people named Bill Clark, see William Clark.
Walter "Bill" Clark (born May 20, 1944) is a former New York Police Department first grade detective and an award-winning television writer and producer.
Born in St. John's, Newfoundland, Canada, Clark grew up in Brooklyn, New York, in an area now known as Park Slope. He is a veteran NYPD Detective First Grade and television Writer and Executive Producer. Clark joined David Milch and Steven Bochco's NYPD Blue in the first season as technical consultant and continued to draw on his twenty-five years experience with New York undercover and homicide units to ensure that the series accurately and realistically portrayed the work of New York City detectives. He went on to win two Emmy Awards, and was also honored with a Writers Guild of America Award, a Peabody Award and two Humanitas Prize. HBO: John From Cincinnati: Cast and Crew: Crew Bio: Bill Clark
Family
He is the father of two daughters, Natalie and Jennifer, and a stepdaughter Kristine. Clark and his wife Karen Clark, a former Lieutenant whom he met while working as a detective, live in both Saratoga Springs, New York and Los Angeles, California.
Education
While on the NYPD, Clark attended the New York Institute of Technology on the G.I. Bill, graduating with a B.A. in Criminal Justice.
Military
At age 17, Clark joined the United States Army, with tours of duty in Europe and Vietnam as a member of the Infantry Division where he served as a scout dog handler, walking point with his German Shepherd Dog Mox, with the Forty-Sixth Infantry Platoon Scout Dog, Second Battalion, Fourteenth Infantry Regiment.
While in the NYPD he joined the Army Reserve, entering at the rank of Staff Sergeant and retiring in 1989 as a major.
Clark joined the New York City Police Department in 1969. He worked a special undercover assignment for two years before entering the Police Academy. In 1972 he earned his gold detective shield. On December 31, 1994, Clark retired from the Queens Homicide Detective Squad as a First Grade Detective.
One of Clark's specialties on the force was interrogation. This is a critical aspect of police work, getting suspects to tell you the truth. He developed an expertise in this area over time and was able to become a very effective interrogator, which allowed him to extract the truth from many suspects.
Clark worked on a number of headline cases ranging from the Son of Sam James Logan Courier - News Every Day, Year-round » 30 years ago, `Son of Sam' terrorized New York to crackdowns against the Gambino crime family. Out of N.Y.P.D., Into 'N.Y.P.D. Blue' - New York Times
Undercover
His first assignment...even before he attended the Police Academy...was to infiltrate the Young Patriots Organization, an organization of white radicals who, he soon discovered, were planning to bomb several New York City landmarks. Out of N.Y.P.D., Into 'N.Y.P.D. Blue' - New York Times
Son of Sam
"Diligent police work can lead to tremendous results. We were following up on a lead about a parking ticket in the neighborhood where one of the murders had just taken place. It turns out, when calling through the switchboard, the operator knew David Berkowitz and mentioned that he had exhibited some strange behaviors. All this information and this random parking ticket lead helped to assist us in finally taking this killer off the streets." Behind the Crime: Bill Clark Interview & New Pics
He co-authored, along with NYPD Blue co-creator and Executive Producer David Milch, The Real Stories Behind NYPD Blue (1995.) Police Officer Writers - Bill Clark
