Robert B. Heinen was a police officer for the Kansas City Police Department (Missouri)
from 1946 to 1974. He retired at the rank of Captain. At the beginning of World War
II a then 17 year old Robert Heinen enlisted the United States Navy. He served four years in both the Atlantic
and Pacific. Six months after the war he joined the Kansas City Police Department. He
is published his autobiography The Battle Behind the Badge in 1997.
According to one reader, “The Battle Behind the Badge takes you on the
streets of Kansas City with Captain Heinen as your partner. BEWARE! On your shift you'll not only encounter dangerous
street thugs, but high-powered organized crime figures. When you return to the station house to file your reports, be prepared
to battle corrupt police officials and egocentric city hall politicians. "The Battle Behind the Badge" is an excellent
hardball account of Kansas City during a time when it was difficult to tell who the bad guy was. Captain Heinen is an honest
cop who pays for his integrity by being yo-yoed up and down the ranks. He is Kansas City's "Serpico." This is
a very good read that took a lot of guts to write.”