Wednesday, November 23, 2005

HAPPY THANKSGIVING!

Wishing all a very healthy and Happy Thanksgiving!



THE GOOD OLD DAYS?

Reviewing the department�s 1960-1961 quota and salary schedule was enlightening, especially in today�s climate with all of the unions currently undergoing, or ratifying, new contracts.

Some of the items that were found for the 1960 NYPD include the following.

The highest ranking uniform MOS (actually, in 1960, it would have been referred to as MOF. The abbreviation for Member of the Force would have been used, at the time when the department would have been referred to as the police Force. Sometime in the late 60�s, early 70�s � possibly under Commissioner Patrick Murphy � it became a less than desirable term � Force � and everything changed to properly reflect what we do, that is, Police Service, hence Member of the Service � but I�ve digressed) was the Chief Inspector.

The Chief Inspector, equivalent to today�s Chief of Department, earned $20,124. per year. Incidentally, the progression from Chief Inspector to Chief of Department was not sudden; in between these titles there was the title Chief of Operations, which was the rank the highest uniform member was known as, in the early 70�s under the Patrick Murphy re-organization of the department. (Much more could be written about this time, and I will try to add more along the way. Perhaps some of our loyal historians can contribute some �Patrick Murphy � change the department� stories?)

I thought it was interesting to find that there was 1 Chief of Detectives, who was paid $13,664, and there was also a title for 1 Commanding Officer, Detective Bureau who was paid $10,806.

The Chief of Detectives salary was equivalent to those of the 1 Assistant Chief Inspector, Chief of Staff and the 1 Supervising Chief Inspector. The CO of the Detective Bureau salary was equivalent to the 35 Inspector�s, yet was listed in the department�s rank order as being between the title Deputy Inspector and Captain.

The 238 Captains earned between $9030 and $9611 per year.

Lieutenant CDS, of which there were 47, were paid $8106 to $8395. There was obviously a pay step system for CDS, SDS, and Detective Grades at this time.

SDS Sergeants (107 of them) earned between $7505 and $7794; Detective First Grade (269) earned the same as Lieutenants and SDS Sergeants, which was $7505 and $7794.

The 450 Second Grade Detectives earned between $6692 and $6981, while Third Grade Detectives (1762) earned $6324. A top pay Patrolman earned $6076, after 3 years.

This was at a time when the department had a separate Bureau of Policewomen. The Director of the Bureau of Policewoman was paid $10177 per year, the pay of a Deputy Inspector.

There were 4 Policewomen detailed as First Grade Detectives, 10 who were detailed as Second Grade Detectives, and 35 Third Grade Detectives. There were an additional 203 Policewomen, paid the same salary as Patrolmen.

There were 24,590 Members of the Force in 1960.


SOME GOOD OLD WAR STORIES

I�d like to relate a story that was passed on from a retired veteran who spent his days with the Transit Police, working Brooklyn North posts back in the 70�s.

Anyone from Brooklyn North will surely be able to relate to the corner of Franklin and Fulton � the Franklin Avenue shuttle overhead, the A train below, and all that goes on in between.

Franklin and Fulton always was, and still is, a renowned location. When Poppa C was patrolling the 79 Precinct in the early 60�s, it was just as renowned.

Anyway, the story goes like this.

Working an 8px4a tour on a Saturday night in the summer time, late 70's out of District 30, our story-telling cop just gets on post. The club across the street was rockin�, something had happened in the club, and the NYPD with about 10 radio cars had just left with some collars. After all the precinct cops had gone, and it's just 1 lone Transit cop upstairs on the shuttle platform and one downstairs on the A line, some shots are heard coming from the street.

Looking down from the shuttle line, our cop sees a guy with a gun shooting at another guy 6 feet away from him.

The catch is, the other person is armed with� a six pack of beer, and as he�s being shot at he�s throwing the bottles at the guy with the gun.

It's going like this: shot, bottle, shot, bottle...

No one is hit, glass all over the street. The guy with the gun runs away!

The guy with the bottles looks up, sees the uniform cop on the platform looking down at him, and yells up "SORRY OFFICER�.

To which the cop replies with a thumb's up...no big deal, just another night on the shuttle. Seven more hours to go.


NYPD ANGELS: A GREAT WEB SITE

Between 1849 and today there have been 704 members of the NYPD killed in the line of duty. This website is dedicated them - the 577 Patrolmen/Police Officers, 79 Detectives, 38 Sergeants, 8 Lieutenants, 2 Captain and 1 Inspector that gave their lives for us.

They gave unselfishly and now walk through Heaven's streets where they continue to serve and protect us.

May their memories live on forever.

This site is dedicated not only to our Angels but to all members of the New York City Police Department. The men and women that put their lives on the line every day. They truly are New York's Finest.

www.NYPDAngels.com


SOME TESTIMONY TO LIFE ON THE STREETS OF BROOKLYN NORTH

A recent newspaper story detailed a homicide in Brooklyn North that is worth reciting here.

The headline read: �Dealer slain in B'klyn.�

�A 22-year-old convicted drug dealer who friends say often bought ice cream for neighborhood kids was gunned down in a drive-by shooting in Brooklyn yesterday. The victim died at Brookdale University Hospital after the noon shooting in Brownsville.�

The story then continued: �He was one of the good drug dealers�, said a nearby resident. �he was quiet, funny and loyal. When I got shot, he was there for me.�


INTERESTING WEB SITES

Need a Presidential Pardon?
All requests for presidential pardons are to be submitted to:
Pardon Attorney, Department of Justice
www.usdoj.gov/pardon/

Federal Inmate History

Sentry is the Federal Bureau of Prison�s database that keeps track of the location and status of current and former (going back to 1982) federal inmates.

Much of the information was formerly available to the public via phone. Now an internet lookup will be needed to learn the location/status of a current or former inmate. Exceptions include defense attorneys, victims and prisoner family members (and, I assume, law enforcement) who may call for information.

On the website click �Inmate Information link�.

www.bop.gov

202-307-3126 or, for pre-1982 information: 202-307-2934


GOOD AND WELFARE

Friends, family members and colleagues are gathering on December 4 for the first benefit of the Mike Shortell Memorial Fund.

Mike was an NYPD Inspector who died in a tragic accident last July. A veteran of over 26 years in the NYPD, he was an Inspector in command of Bronx Narcotics at the time.

Mike was electrocuted while trying to pump water from his Rockland County home after a rainstorm. He was posthumously promoted to Deputy Chief.

He left behind a widow and three children, and the benefit is seeking to help them along.

The benefit will take place from 3pm to 7pm at the Pearl River Elks Club, 2041 Elks Drive in Nanuet, NY. Tickets are $20 for adults and $50 for family. The NYPD Emerald Society Pipes and Drums and the Verlin School of Irish Dancing, the Linnane School of Irish Music and Dead Mile Dance will provide entertainment.

For information call (845) 735-4647; donations can also be mailed to:

Mike Shortell Memorial Fund
PO Box 173
Pearl River, NY 10965


�LEST WE FORGET�� THE NYPD MEMORIAL
�It is not how they died that makes them a hero, but how they lived their lives�.

November 27, 1963 Det Ronald Rolker, 18 Sq, Shot-robbery, off duty
November 29, 1941 Ptl. James Collins, 62 Pct, Line of duty heart attack
November 30, 1900 Ptl William Baumeister, 29 Pct, Shot- assault arrest
November 30, 1957 Ptl Joseph Rauchut, Mcy2, Motorcycle accident on patrol
December 2, 1873 Ptl Edward Burns, 8Pct, Arrest � assaulted
December 2, 1994 PO Raymond Cannon, 69 Pct, Shot-robbery in progress
December 3, 1922 Ptl John Kennedy, 123 Pct, LOD injury
December 3, 1934 Ptl John Monahan, 14 Div, Shot-arrest
December 3, 1954 Ptl Joseph Norden, 105 Pct, Shot by EDP
December 3, 1973 PO Vincent Connolly, Bomb Sqd, Auto accident on duty

Wednesday, November 16, 2005

BULLITT 1968

An all guts, no glory San Francisco cop becomes determined to find the underworld kingpin that killed the witness in his protection.


Steve McQueen stars as Frank Bullitt, a tough San Francisco police lieutenant assigned to protect a mob witness. When the witness is gunned down, it is up to Bullitt to exact his own brand of justice, much to the dismay of Robert Vaughn, a smarmy congressman who wishes to further his political career by prosecuting organized crime. He holds Bullitt responsible for the death of his star witness, and it is up to the super cop to bring the killer down, while showing Vaughn that he is nothing but a gussied-up sissy-boy.

McQueen's performance in this all-time classic is the archetype for not only anyone who aspires to become an actor, but also for the proper way to live like a real man. Think about it. He disregards such nonsense as police procedure, he gets to drive a really cool car (1968 Mustang GT390), and if that's not enough, Jacqueline Bisset worships the ground he walks on. Not too bad!

San Francisco has been the setting of a lot of exciting movie car chases over the years, but this 1968 police thriller is still the one to beat when it comes to high-octane action on the steep hills of the city by the Bay. The outstanding car chase earned an Oscar for best editing, but the rest of the movie is pretty good, too.

Bullitt is a perfect star vehicle for cool guy Steve McQueen, who stars as a tenacious detective (is there any other kind?) determined to track down the killers of the star witness in an important trial. Director Peter Yates (Breaking Away) approached the story with an emphasis on absolute authenticity, using a variety of San Francisco locations.

Jacqueline Bisset and Robert Duvall (plays a taxi driver at the airport!) appear in early roles, and Robert Vaughn plays the criminal kingpin who pulls the deadly strings of the tightly wound plot.

Based on the gritty novel "Mute Witness" by Robert L. Pike, this was the first, and only, time McQueen portrayed a police officer (albeit a maverick one) in his movie career. In 1968 Steve was then riding high on the success of his previous crime film, "The Thomas Crown Affair", and "Bullitt" just propelled his star to even higher stardom!

Moody Detective Frank Bullitt (McQueen) is charged with the protection of a key witness vital to an upcoming trial involving Mafia connections.

Whilst hidden away in a supposed secure location, the witness and his police guard are brutally gunned down by unknown assailants. The heat is turned up on Bullitt by his tough Captain (Simon Oakland) and the manipulative, opportunistic politician Walter Chalmers (Robert Vaughn) to come up with the right answers fast! Between the draining investigation, Bullitt struggles to maintain his relationship with his cultured, sensitive girlfriend, Cathy (Jacqueline Bisset).

Director Yates would later to go onto direct Robert Mitchum in the excellent "sleeper" crime film "The Friends of Eddie Coyle"!

And of course "Bullitt" is renowned for it's now legendary car chase between Frank Bullitt's 390 GT Mustang and the two hit men in their black, Dodge Charger 440 Magnum barreling through the city streets and highways of San Francisco....just don't pay too much attention to how many times they pass that slow-moving, green VW Beetle !!

DRESS THE PART

If you liked Steve McQueen in BULLITT, you may want to check out the September issue of ESQUIRE magazine.

Fashion tips for the detective: How to Dress Like Steve McQueen in BULLITT.

Although this wouldn�t pass muster with the Chief of Detective�s dress code, it would certainly be head and shoulders above many of our outer-borough detectives (unfortunately!; doesn�t anyone dress like a DETECTIVE anymore???).

Start with the shoulder holster; that�s always a fashionable item for the Hollywood detective. (Chicks dig it!)

For that same 60�s cool that McQueen had, you�ll need a turtleneck short. Simple cotton turtleneck will do; not too bulky. A slim dark three-button wool jacket to wear over your shoulder holster, with some dark flat-front trousers that aren�t too baggy. Combine this with some comfortable suede shoes, of the �hush-puppy� type, and you�re looking ready for the part!


DNA ISSUES

The following information was passed on from Ret. Det Al Meller, who rightly felt that this information could be of value.

An important priority for law enforcement is the safe return of missing persons. But few of the approximately 18,000 law enforcement agencies in the United States have uniform procedures for taking a missing persons report or obtaining critical information for the identification of human remains.

At the same time many coroners and medical examiners have not been able to obtain the benefits of a national database that can help identify missing persons.

Under the President�s DNA Initiative, the U.S. Department of Justice has developed model State legislation that suggests how States can improve the way missing persons and human remains information is collected, analyzed, and shared. The model legislation is the product of collaboration with Federal, State, and local law enforcement, experts, victim advocates, forensic scientists, and key policymakers. It takes into account many proposals and comments received at a national strategy meeting held in Philadelphia in April 2005.

The Justice Department encourages all States to use and adapt the model State legislation to meet their needs. The legislation, support materials, case studies, field assessments, and other additional resources can be found on
www.DNA.gov.

Note also that this is an excellent site for investigative information on all DNA issues. There is a training course available for investigators which can be ordered here as well (free of charge).

Now available on:
www.DNA.gov

is the NIJ training course �What Every Law Enforcement Officer Should Know About DNA�.


PROBLEM WITH HORSE RUSTLERS?

Just in case you�ve been having a problem with horse rustlers, I thought I�d pass along the following.

DNA testing of horses is now possible, and can be determined to a 99.999% accuracy.

A test has been developed that can now provide accurate, permanent and unalterable results in determining the DNA of a horse. This is known as EDNA � with the E standing for equine.

Need more info? Check for more details at:
www.ednatest.org


INTERESTING WEB SITES

Here�s a site that lists most departments throughout the country, providing contact information as well. An excellent source if you are seeking out-of-city assistance in hunting a perp, etc.

www.usacops.com

This site can help provide prisoner inmate searches and sex offender registry searches throughout the country.

www.ancestorhunt.com


NORTH, SOUTH, EVERY WHICH WAY

The 1956 Manual of Procedure indicates that the location of the Brooklyn South Homicide Squad is at 72 Poplar Street, the location of the 84 Precinct Station House.

At that time, the 84 was within the confines of Brooklyn South.

By the way, the Brooklyn North Homicide Squad was at 148 Vernon Ave, that very police-looking building at Vernon & Tompkins. That building also housed other Division and Borough offices, like the Plainclothes Unit.


HOW�S YOUR LAUNDRY?

One of the items that was kept on file in a detective squad used to be copies of the �Laundry Mark�, which was an identifiable item every laundry used. Dry Cleaners also used marks, which were also kept on file.

These marks could be helpful in identifying a dead body, or a lost person. Laundromats and dry cleaners kept records with people�s names, and often the detective�s would match up a laundry tag to the person.

The DD27A was the Laundry Mark Card, and the DD27B was the Dry Cleaning Mark Card.

Does anyone know what a DD49, known as a �Stop Card�, was?

We�ve all heard of, and continue to use, the UF49, but I thought it was interesting to find out that there was a DD49 as well; what a �Stop Card� is remains a mystery.

How about it, some Detective veterans � John Reilly, or Frank Bolz � anyone know about a �Stop Card�?


IN THE LINE OF DUTY: SGT JOHN MCGARTY, 68 SQD � 1930

The William McLain Freeman Medal was awarded in 1930 to Sgt. John B. McGarty, shield 927, of the 68th Squad (he was attached to 76th Pct., at time of occurrence).

At about 12.30 A.M., March 19, 1929, off-duty and in the vicinity of Bay RidgeAvenue and Third Avenue, Brooklyn, Sgt. McGarty encountered several men in aengaged in a shooting fray. Sgt. McGarty interrupted the incident, exchanged shots with the perps, and killed one of them. He was able to arrested two others. Later that same year Sgt. McGarty would again be called to high duty.

It was at one minute before midnight, Oct. 19, when Ptl. Sauer of the 76 Pct. was waiting to be relieved at the end of his tour. Ptl. Sauer was notified of a hold-up in a barber shop at 59 Summitt Ave., Brooklyn. Hailing Sgt. John B. McGarty, he ran with him to the shop. They broke in a rear door and were confronted by three hold-up men.

Sauer was shot through the head, and died on a hospital cot.

Sgt. McGarty made two arrests and was later cited for Honorable Mention. Ptl. Sauer was given a posthumous award of the NYPD Medal of Honor.Note that while John McGarty received two awards of Honorable Mention, one for the incident on March 19, 1929 and another for the incident on Oct. 19, 1929, he only received one medal award, probably because there were more awards of Honorable Mention than there were medals that could be awarded.

In 1929 there were 28 awards of Honorable Mention made but only 11 medal awards other than the Medal of Honor that could be given.
Thanks again to Ret. Det1 John Reilly for providing the historical background that is so important for us to commemorate today.


CORPORATE LESSON WORTH SHARING

A crow was sitting on a tree, doing nothing all day. A small rabbit saw the crow and asked him, "Can I also sit like you and do nothing all day long?"
The crow answered: "Sure, why not."
So, the rabbit sat on the ground below the crow, and rested.
All of a sudden a fox appeared, jumped on the rabbit and ate it.

Moral of the story: To be sitting and doing nothing, you must be sitting very high up.


�LEST WE FORGET�� NYPD Memorial
�It is not how they died that makes them a hero, but how they lived their lives�.

November 19, 1926 Ptl Edward Byrns, 45 Pct, Shot-pursuit
November 20, 1980 PO James Dunston, PSA5, Shot-Burglary arrest
November 22, 1857 Ptl Horatio Sanger, 9 Pct, Head injury
November 22, 1930 Ptl William Senk, Mcy2, Motorcycle accident
November 23, 1938 Ptl Clarence Clark, 105 Pct, Auto Accident
Ptl. Victor Cooper, 105 Pct, Auto Accident
November 23, 1989 Det Keith Williams, QDAOS, Shot by prisoner
November 24, 1939 Ptl Michael Lonto, 75 Pct, Auto accident on patrol
November 24, 1971 Ptl Patrick O�Connor, ESU, Auto accident
November 24, 2004 PO William Rivera, 78 Pct, LOD injury
November 25, 1933 Ptl Peter Costa, 3Div, Shot-robbery in progress
November 25, 1946 Lt Charles Michie, ESU, Explosion-Rescue
Ptl Peter Kundsen, ESU, Explosion-Rescue
Ptl Francis O�Hara, 102 Pct, Explosion-Rescue
November 25, 1904 Ptl James Devens, 66 Pct, Trampled by horse