Strange people and incidents often pepper the beats of police officers on patrol, and a new book by a former Beverly Hills, Calif., cop captures some of the strangest occurrences in officers' own words. “Echoes from the Beats: Beverly Hills Cops Tell Their Stories” features humorous as well as distressing stories that occurred on the city's famous palm-lined streets. Author Dick Clason collected the stories from retired and working officers who faced everything from a soliciting robot to being shot point-blank during a traffic stop. The book is available in paperback ($14.10) or in an electronic format ($4.95) from www.authorhouse.com.