MAGNUM PI
How can you forget the television series that ran for 8 years, highlighting the glamorous life of Private Investigator Thomas Sullivan Magnum III?
Magnum was a private investigator with an enviable arrangement.
Starring Tom Selleck as the star, Magnum was provided with free living quarters at the rambling beachfront property on Oahu's north shore, in return for helping with the security arrangements for guarding the estate of wealthy writer Robin Masters (never seen on the show). Masters was never seen on the show, as he was always away, leaving his stuffy British manservant, Higgins, to run the estate. The laid-back life-style of Magnum was in direct opposition to the strict military discipline that ruled Higgins' life, and there was constant bickering between them.
One of the reasons for this series being set in Hawaii is that CBS did not want to close its Hawaii production offices when the TV series "Hawaii Five-O" ceased production in 1980.
The Magnum show started production that same year and contains occasional references to Steve McGarrett and "Hawaii Five-O", although McGarrett was never shown.
Magnum lived in the guest house and got to drive the red Ferrari 308 GTS that the estate�s owner left behind for him to get around. He was a Private Investigator, not a P.I., as he liked to remind people.
Magnum, an Annapolis graduate, was a Viet Nam vet who left the Navy Seals to live out this fantastic arrangement as a private investigator in Hawaii.
Two of his old Navy buddies lived in Hawaii as well. Orville "Rick" Wright (Larry Manetti) was the manager of the exclusive King Kamehameha Club, where Higgins was a board member. Rick had some connections with the mob as he was close to a big hood named "Ice Pick."The other war buddy was Theodore "TC" Calvin (Roger E. Mosely). TC owned the Island Hoppers helicopter service. Magnum was always putting the touch on TC for free use of his chopper. TC always referred to Higgins as "Higgy Baby".
Part of the success of Magnum, P.I. stemmed from the combination of familiar hard-boiled crime action with an exotic locale.
Just as important perhaps, the series was one of the first to regularly explore the impact of the Vietnam War on the American cultural psyche.
Tom Selleck, a Detroit Tigers fan, took to wearing a Tigers baseball cap on the show, which did a lot for Tigers cap sales � not so much for the Tigers baseball record, though. He also was fond of wearing the basic Hawaiian colorful print shirt, which also added nicely to the sales of the Paradise Found line of clothing. (The Minister prefers Tommy Bahama, just in case you were wondering).
A special guest star appeared on the show in its seventh season. When Frank Sinatra agreed to do a guest part on the show, producers sent Sinatra a list of story ideas they were considering and Sinatra chose the idea he wanted to do. The episode was well received by Sinatra fans.
I�m still waiting for the offer to guard a millionaire�s estate, afforded the use of his luxury sports car while I jaunt around in beach ware. So far, no offers.
YOU�VE GOT TO UNDERSTAND THE VERNACULAR
Phrase meanings from the Squad Room in Brooklyn North.
PHRASE MEANING
Acting in concrete... Acting in concert
Athletic flips with conversions... Epileptic fit with convulsions
Colossal bag... Colostomy
Diabolic... Diabetic
Electrocution school... Electrician school
Get indicated... Get indicted
Getting paid... Doing robberies
Fireballs in eucharist... Fibrosis of the uterus
Leg Iron Street... Legion Street
Lincoln Townhouse... Lincoln Town Car
Mongo Merry Street... Montgomery Street
Monogrammed headache... Migraine headache
Onions on the feet... Bunions
Persecuted... Prosecuted
Provoked... Revoked
Roaches of the liver... Cirrhosis of the liver
Singing merry Jesus... Spinal meningitis
Smoke insulation... Smoke inhalation
Statue of liberties... Statute of limitations
Streeticide... Outdoors homicide
Subway farez... Savoir faire
Throwing asparagus... Casting aspersions
Veranda rights... Miranda rights
Very closed veins... Varicose Veins
Virginia... Vagina
DID YOU KNOW?
That on May 26, 1855, the N.Y.C. Municipal Police Department had its first ever police parade and review, along with a medal day ceremony on the steps of City Hall?
Almost the entire department, somewhere between 900 to a 1,000 police officers, attended the ceremonies, where seven silver medals were awarded by Mayor Fernando Wood and NYC�s first 'Chief of Police' George W. Matsell.
Later that night their was a formal dinner to honor these seven medal winners and induct them into the newly minted NYC Police �Legion of Honor�
SPARKY THE TRANSIT COP
If you�ve ever worked in Transit, you�ll appreciate � and fully understand � the following story, and probably have a handful of your own.
I was working as a newly graduated rookie Transit cop myself when the story unfolds, working with the people involved, and recall it very clearly.
The story, related by another Transit cop, describes how another of us got his nickname, that would stay with him through his 20 year career � �Sparky�.
Back in 1982 or early 1983, we were all working in District 33 on patrol. There was another PO named Mike O'Halloran working there.
Well one day Mike goes out on patrol and with him he has his lunch wrapped intin foil in his back pocket.
I think he was at Nostrand Ave on the A Line, �playing� for farebeats from a TA electric room. A common occurrence for an active cop looking for some activity.
Well I think you can see where this story is going.
Mike backs into one of the electric panels and zaps himself with the tin foil, getting electrocuted, not to the point of serious damage, but at least to the point where he had to go to the hospital.
Needless to say, when he got back to work � and for the next 20 years - his new nickname was "Sparky".
Besides these electrical rooms, the heavy-duty electric heaters that were found inside the Porter�s Room, and even on the mezzanine, were also known to provide some problems.
I recall a cold winters night on a late tour, taking off my duty jacket (you remember that duty jacket, that seemed to be made of vinyl and provided absolutely no warmth in the winter?) and placing it on a chair near the heater. Taking a personal, trying to get warm, stretching your feet, and re-arranging the gun belt that always seemed to carry too many items but not anything you could do without.
What�s that smell?
The duty jacket starting to melt in the back where it was positioned too close to the heater!
How many gray duty gloves were lost to those heaters? Trying to warm them up just enough to the point where they would actually feel like gloves, placing them on the heater while you used the toilet or just � once again, re-arranged that gun belt � only to have them start to melt from the heat.
I remember being warned by a Training Officer on one of my first tours that placing that cumbersome gun belt over a heater would NOT be a good idea. There was some legendary cop who did so and had his extra rounds go off from the heat, or so the legend went � whether or not it was true, or merely a Transit urban legend I�m not sure.
I can, though, testify to the truth of the following story, which exhibits quite well the ingenuity of a detective, and what man will do for a good meal.
I remember bringing a collar into District 32 while working in the Citywide Task Force.
At the time, District 32 was housed in the �77 Annex� on Washington Avenue, where Brooklyn Robbery and Special Victims is today. This was before that building was refurbished, and while District 32 at the Franklin Avenue IRT station was being rebuilt.
The Transit District was on the 2nd floor � I�m not quite sure what was on the first floor besides an always half-asleep Restricted Duty cop.
Anyway, as I walked up the stairs with my partner and a prisoner, the distinct smell of fish was overpowering. Overpowering in a strange way � not quite foul, almost in a good way as when you walk into a fried fish store � but certainly out of place for the surrounding.
I was soon to learn the creativeness of two Detectives working in the District.
It seems that the radiators on the 2nd floor were unbelievably hot. There apparently was no problem getting heat into this otherwise broken down, should-have-been-condemned building, and the detectives found a way to take advantage.
On top of the radiator just inside their office they had placed a flat metal pan � looked to be stainless steel � and were cooking fish on top of this plate, on the radiator!
Now this was no small time operation � they had onions and butter over the fish, and a tea pot next to it keeping the water hot.
I kid you not. They may not have been making a lot of collars, or doing much in the way of getting statements on robbery enhancements � but they made some great fish!
BROOKLYN POLICE DEPARTMENT
Here�s some more information on the location of old Brooklyn Police precincts, continued from a previous posting to this site.
In 1887, the Brooklyn Population was estimated as 765,000, and the police force of the Brooklyn Police Department consisted of 930.
Location of Brooklyn Police Station Houses 1887.
Pct: Location:
1st Adams St. near Myrtle Ave. (1st floor of Police Court House.)
2nd York & Jay Sts.
3rd Butler St. just off Court St.
4th Corner of Myrtle & Vanderbilt Aves. It was 44th Pct. in the Metropolitan P.D.
5th Corner of North 1st St. & Bedford Ave. This was a 3 story brick building, built 1859/1860 by Cornelius Woglon- a carpenter, who later joined the Brooklyn P.D. and was Captain of this Precinct.
6th S/E corner of Stagg St. & Bushwick Ave. This building was erected about 1860 for a court house.
6th-Sub. Graham Ave., between Frost & Richardson Sts.
7th Corner Greenpoint & Manhattan Aves.
8th Corner 5th Ave. & 16th St.
8th-Sub. 3rd Ave. near corner of 35th St.
9th Near corner of Gates & Marcy Aves.
10th N/W corner of Bergen St. & 6th Ave.
11th Corner of Van Brunt & Seabring Sts. This was built as a 4 story brick dwelling house, made into a S.H. on April 19, 1876.
12th South side of Fulton St., just above Schenectady Ave.
13th Bartlett St. & Flushing Ave.
14th No location given. This was an old 2 story wooden building: In July 1887, a new S.H. at 16 Ralph Ave. was opened.
15th Congress St. near Columbia St.
16th Clymer St. near Kent Ave. This was built as a tenement house, later became the 5th-Sub. Pct. S.H; then became 16th Pct. S.H. July 15, 1885.
17th Bradford St. near Atlantic Ave., New Lots. This was a 2 story brick building, and was originally occupied by the New Lots Police Department on Dec. 11, 1873. On Aug. 1, 1886, the New Lots Police Department was annexed (merged in today�s term) to the Brooklyn Police Department, and became the 26th Ward; the S.H. became 17th Pct.
NOTORIOUS NEW YORK
Little Italy, SoHo, the Lower East Side, Chinatown � tourist attractions for sure.
But this is also where crime � New York style � originated more than 200 years ago.
Here is where the immigrants came to settle, and where the city�s first street gangs formed.
In the middle of it all, at the intersection of what is now Bayard and Mulberry, was The Collect, a swamp the town fathers paved over to make way for a slum.
So began crime�s Eden, a place for young thugs to rape, rob and pillage � that is, until some of them earned enough to pay other poor slobs to do the dirty work.
The good old days, when SoHo was known as Hell�s Hundred Acres, and Mott Street was a shooting gallery for the Chinese tongs.
It was here, at the intersection of Bayard, Park, Worth, Mulberry, and Baxter Streets that the infamous known as Five Points was located.
This area, a world-famous slum where the earliest street gangs roamed, was home to the Roach Guards, Plug Uglies and Dead Rabbit gangs. It was here that it was estimated there was one murder committed every night for fifteen years! (That was way before Compstat)!
A PRESIDENTIAL PARDON?
If you, or a loved one, are in need of a Presidential Pardon, the proper way to obtain one is as follows.
Submit all such requests to:
Pardon Attorney, Department of Justice
You can call for more info, or check the web site:
www.usdoj.gov/pardon
If you�ve recently made the �Top 400� list, you may want to explore this.
SOME LESSER KNOW ORGANIZATIONS
Did you know that there is an International Association of Financial Crimes Investigators? If you�re looking into the private sector, or seeking assistance or background on such crimes, they may be of some help.
You can check them out at:
www.iafci.org
There is also an International Association of Undercover Officers.
They can be found at:
www.undercovercops.org
I was just wondering, though, about this organization. Do they publish a membership guide? What do they call their Annual meeting? I can�t imagine walking into a hotel lobby with the welcoming sign �Welcome to All Undercover Officers�. What would you do, attend with a mask on? Does the hotel have 250 people registered as John Johnson?
This just doesn�t seem to be a job role that would lend itself to public programs.
WHAT�S THAT PHONE NUMBER?
If you ever have reason to try and decipher a telephone number from a recording of touch-tones, there is help available.
You can find free software called WinTone 2.0 which can be installed onto your computer. By conducting a �Google� search for the software you should be able to find a site for this.
Most spy shops sell these decoders, which are known as DTMF recorders.
Another inexpensive, poor man�s DTMF decoder can be found with an old fashioned pager.
Call the pager number and play the recorded tones over the phone. The decoded tones should then appear on your pager�s display.
You are probably asking yourself � �What the heck is DTMF�?
Well, what is commonly referred to as �touch-tone� is actually DTMF � Dual tone multi frequency.
See, you learn something new everyday!
INTERESTING WEB SITES
http://a836-acris.nyc.gov/Scripts/Coverpage.dll/index_
ACRIS: A very valuable tool that can be used to locate individuals; actual microfiche copies of land transactions.
http://www.arrangeonline.com
National Obituary Archives
BEST WISHES, LESTER!
Today was Lester Kakol's last day as a Second Grade Dedtective for NYPD.
Lester entered retired life, leaving Brooklyn North Homicide, after working the past twenty years for the City and its people.
You will surely be missed, Lester. Here's wishing you all the best, from all your friends in Brooklyn North. Maybe you'll have time to take the Larry Eggers Reality Tour!
I'm hopin your new found freedom will leave you the time to watch this years World Series from a front row seat at Shea Stadium!
Best wishes, Lester.
(By the way, there really IS a Larry Eggers Reality Tour - more on this later!)
Friday, July 21, 2006
Friday, July 14, 2006
IDENTITY THEFT UPDATE
The No. 1 state for identity theft is Arizona, where one in six adults has had his or her identity stolen in the past five years.
Why? Blame it on two things, according to Javelin Strategy and Research, a private research firm that conducted the study:
(1)A large number of methamphetamine users in the state.
(2)A decision by local governments to post public records on the Internet.
This is how bad it is in Arizona: Identity theft there is double the national average. And it's being fueled by meth addicts.
James Van Dyke, president of Javelin, calls it a "supply-chain effect." Van Dyke told ABC News reporter Leslie Yeransian, "Meth users will take your bills in the mail and sell your bank statements as a form of payment. Then the [meth-]maker will use those bank statements to go into an existing account or make a new account off that information or sell your statements to an identity theft specialist."
The police admit that methamphetamine use and identity theft are a tightly linked problem. "Every time we find a meth lab, we also find identity theft," Detective Tony Morales of the Phoenix Police Department told ABC News. "These meth freaks like to hang together, and they learn about identity theft tricks together."
How are the meth addicts getting such sensitive data? They aren't just stealing it out of dumpsters or your mailbox. Often, they are getting it from the government--with a click of a mouse on the Internet.
That's especially true in Arizona where counties put very private information on very public Web sites for the convenience of county employees. Two treasure troves for ID criminals are divorce decrees and tax liens.
Still, Van Dyke says the greatest risk to innocent people is the old-fashioned paper trail. "They should be more worried about documents going through the mail. We found in our research that only 9 percent of identity theft can be traced to Internet use and billing," he told ABC News. "If you follow normal precautions on the Internet you are actually better off than using mail."
Top five states for identity theft:1. Arizona2. Nevada3. California4. Texas 5. Colorado
DEPARTMENT HONORS: 1855
Thanks to the research conducted by Michale Bosak, Retired Sergeant and department historian extraordinaire, the following is excerpted regarding the departments first ceremony to honor heroic acts by its members. (Note that this is copyrighted material).
It was on Saturday, May 26, 1855.
�The day turned out to be bright, sunny and warm, without being unpleasantly so. Long before the scheduled 2 pm ceremony, a vast multitude, well over fifteen thousand of New York�s most prominent citizens gathered in City Hall Park to watch the first time ever assembly of almost the entire Municipal Police Department in uniform for a grand review and parade.
For the mayor and New York�s first Chief of Police George W. Matsell, this day would be the culmination of long planning and many months of hard work. After ten long years, the Municipal Police had finally come into its own. The department, for the first time ever, was now fully uniformed, spiffily dressed in gray pants with 1� black strips, dark blue coats and blue caps.
Moreover, many of its men had performed heroically, some making newsworthy arrests at great personal risk; others under imminent danger to themselves had performed valiant rescues. The �Star Police� were now setting the standards for exemplary and meritorious service to the city.
So acting upon the recommendations of George Matsell, Mayor Fernando Wood decided that it was now time to honor the department and its heroes.
To do this, Wood and Matsell decided that there should be a grand parade and review with a ceremony to honor the finest of the �Stars� for �Heroic� or �Meritorious conduct.�
Seven deserving patrolmen would be awarded silver �medals of merit� at this ceremony and would be the first members of the department to be inducted into a �Legion of Honor� to be made up of the very finest that the Municipal Police Department had to offer. Six of the patrolmen would be honored for �Heroic Conduct�, and one would be honored for �Meritorious Conduct.�
To accomplish this honor, Mayor Wood, using his own personal money graciously purchased these first solid silver medals for the department.
So at the Board of Aldermen�s meeting on Wednesday, May 23, 1855, the mayor, acting on the recommendations of Chief George Matsell, introduced a resolution for the above mentioned parade, ceremony and honors. He also formally nominated the names of those first patrolmen to be awarded these medals and inducted into the �Legion of Honor�.
The resolution ratifying the same passed unanimously.
So at 3:00 pm on Saturday, May 26, 1855, to the accompaniment of a 37-piece band and an hour behind schedule because of the huge throngs of joyous spectators cramming the park and its outlying areas, the department�s 22 ward corps, plus its reserve corps - almost the entire Municipal Police Department, over 900 men strong, proudly marched into the park, trumpets blaring and drums beating, ramrod straight and in perfect order. Each command was led by its captain.
They then formed up in front of City Hall, with the right resting on Chatham Street (Park Row) and the left on Broadway. His honor, after being notified that all was in order, proceeded to personally inspect the men.
This being concluded, the twenty-three uniformed corps formations, all in a very credible manner, to the accompaniment of music, then wheeled and proceeded to march and countermarch under the command of Chief Matsell. Very smartly, they executed flank movements and other military exercises that pleased the cheering crowds.
In short order, the surging multitudes proved too much for the men assigned to crowd control. Vast throngs near the dignitaries on the front steps of city hall rushed forward and obstructed their view and interrupted the ceremony.
The entire force, all 23 corps, was then ordered to form a semi-circle four deep and push the crowds back in order to create a sufficient space to allow for the ceremonies to begin. This they did in short order, and then with precision and on command turned and faced the mayor and the front of City Hall.
The mayor then complimented the men of the department on their fidelity and trustworthiness.
After that, the 'Chief of Police' George W. Matsell then began the ceremony by calling up the six patrolmen present that had been singled out to be decorated and formally installed into the �Legion of Honor� for performing �special services� to the city.
NOTE: One, Ptl. Swain Lindsey, was incapacitated and confined to his bed. He was unable to attend the ceremony due to the injuries he had heroically incurred performing his police duty.
Just before pinning the medals on each of the patrolmen, the mayor read the accounts of each patrolman�s noteworthy deeds and Matsell pinned the medal on the patrolman�s breast.
Each of the �Medals of Merit� being awarded to the patrolmen were all identical. They were all made of pure silver and were hung from a solid blue ribbon. The medal itself was in the shape of a shield, surmounted by a spread eagle, bearing a scroll inscribed with the first half of the Municipal Police Department�s motto, "Fiat justitia ruat coelum." The shield itself was decorated with stars and inscribed with the words, "New York Police." Below the �New York Police� inscription, the second element of the above aphorism, "Partum est Merito", was extolled.
Roughly translated the first Latin phrase means, �let justice be done although the heavens may fall�, expressing a commitment to do what is honorable or right regardless of the consequences. The second phrase�s literal translation is: "The duty is deserving,� expressing the thought that police duty or law enforcement in and by itself is meritorious or rewarding. Putting the two phases together, it expresses the thought, �Let justice be done, regardless of the consequences. The duty in and by itself is the reward.�
On the reverse side, the medal bore the inscription: �Presented to______ by F. Wood, Esq., Mayor, 1855 and 1856.�
As mentioned before, these valuable medals were made out of pure high grade silver and paid for by the mayor out of his own pocket.�
FOR HEROIC ACTIONS: SHADOW KINNER
One of those honored at this first medal ceremony was Ptl. Jesse Kinner of the 3rd Patrol District.
Mike Bosak�s research discovers that Kinner was a Detective � known in those days as a �Shadow�.
Ptl. Jesse C. Kinner was honored for having performed a highly commendable feat on the morning of the 17th of February, 1854, in which he nearly lost his life.
�He was on detective duty, and observed two suspicious persons before daylight on that morning, at the corner of Broadway and John Street. He watched them until satisfied they were burglars, and there with the intention of robbery.
He then made an effort to arrest them both.
One of them struck him with a jimmy in the jaw, cutting it severely, and the other at the same time cut him on the head with a chisel. He, however, made a desperate fight and succeeded after a long chase in capturing them both, though suffering much from loss of blood and the injuries he had received.
The burglars have since been sentenced to the State prison.�
Ret. Sgt. Bosak�s research indicates that �Shadow� Kinner was an extremely active detective, who was frequently in the newspapers, regularly making really great collars.
At the ceremony and in the newspapers, Shadow Kinner was literally the star of the show. By the way, on the date of the arrest that Kinner was honored for, Kinner was detailed to the �Reserve Corps� as a �Shadow� (Detective - Chief of Police George Matsell�s Office)�.
THE NYPD: 1855
In 1855, the Department numbered 1165 sworn � members of the force,� all male.
Over 900 �members of the force� participated in the police parade and review that day.
The Department Ranks at that time were as follows.
�Doorman� � There was one to each corps. He took care of the cells and other various chores around the station house. Annual salary - $550.
Patrolman (1011): He was either a �Star� (Uniformed) or �Shadow� (Detective). Both received the same salary. However, by law the uniformed �Star� was required to live in the ward he worked in. Salary was $700 annually, except for those assigned to a detail (Reserve Corps).
They were all paid by law $100 less annually. In other words, if you were on patrol, you got paid a 17% premium for being on the street and going around the clock. There was no pension or insurance system to provide for a patrolman�s family, should he be killed or disabled in the line of duty.
�Sergeants� � None were assigned to patrol commands (police district). All sergeants were assigned to one of the reserve corps� 21 squads. They were paid exactly the same as a patrolman - $700 annually.
Lieutenant (44) � There were two assigned to each patrol district. � One 1st lieutenant and one 2nd lieutenant - forty-four lieutenants for the whole department. Annual salary - $800.
Captain (22) - One assigned to each �police district� as its commanding officer. Annual salary � $900.
Some other interesting terms pertaining to the department structure include:
Corps: What today would be called a precinct, in 1855 was called a �Police District�. Each district had the same geographical boundaries as the ward it took its number from. The alderman from that ward recommended to the mayor who should be appointed to that ward�s corps. Patrolmen from that police district or ward were required to be residents of that ward and were appointed for a term of good behavior. Consequently that ward�s corps resembled the ethnic makeup of that ward. Even though they worked out of a certain �Police District� they would say they were assigned to that (the number) �Corps� rather than say they worked out of a certain precinct.
There were twenty two wards in the city, each had its own �police districts� or �corps�.
The Reserve Corps: Chief Matsell established the �Reserve Corps� in 1853 as an elite unit of approximately 100 of the best and most competent patrolmen and sergeants. By 1855 it numbered approximately 150 men. They were assigned to the chief�s office and other high profile assignments such as detective duty, the courts and various other details, etc.
On occasion, the reserve corps would fly to various areas of the city and were used for duties similar to those performed by today�s Borough Task Forces.
CODIS, DNA, AND THE DATABASES
The FBI Laboratory�s Combined DNA Index System is better known as CODIS.
CODIS blends forensic science and computer technology into an effective tool for solving violent crimes. CODIS enables federal, state, and local crime labs to exchange and compare DNA profiles electronically, thereby linking crimes to each other and to convicted offenders.
Originally a pilot project begun in 1990, CODIS has evolved from its origination as serving 14 state and local laboratories to its current nationwide level. The DNA Identification Act of 1994 formalized the FBI�s authority to establish a national DNA index for law enforcement purposes.
It was in October 1998 that the FBI�s National DNA Index System � NDIS � became operational.
CODIS is implemented as a distributed database with three levels � local, state, and national.
NDIS is the highest level in the CODIS Program, exchanging information on a national level. All DNA profiles originate at the local level (LDIS), then flow to the state (SDIS) and national (NDIS) levels.
CODIS generates investigative leads using two indexes: the forensic and the offender indexes.
The Forensic Index contains DNA profiles from crime scene evidence.
The Offender Index contains DNA profiles of individuals convicted of sex offenses and other violent crimes which are included in the DNA requirements of the particular local and state agencies.
Matches in the Forensic Index can link crime scenes from different jurisdictions, possibly identifying serial offenders. Police agencies can coordinate their respective investigations, sharing leads they may have developed independently, when a Forensic Index match occurs.
Matches between the Forensic and the Offender Index provide investigators with an identity of the culprit.
It is noted that all states are participating in the National DNA Index System (NDIS), except for Mississippi, Rhode Island, and Hawaii.
DNA evidence collected at a crime scene is analyzed by a forensic laboratory at the local level; in our case, In New York City, the local lab is the NYC Medical Examiner�s Office. Once typed, the profile is then run against the convicted-offender DNA profiles in the State Databank to attempt to make a match. In addition, profiles from other unsolved cases are compared against it to identify serial crimes.
If no match occurs at the state level the profile is uploaded to the Federal DNA Index System for comparison with DNA profiles from other states. DNA profiles remain in the Federal Databank and are regularly searched against new profiles as they are added to the system.
It is important to remember, as an investigator, that once a match is made of the suspected profile the search will usually end. If there is no �match� locally, it is submitted to the state; if no match in the state, then it is submitted to the federal database. This is important to keep in mind. The investigator should keep in contact with the ME�s Office analyst; this will ensure that the appropriate checks which you want done are so completed.
TO CONTACT THE MINISTER OF INVESTIGATION�
Send an e-mail to:
Ltjac77@yahoo.com
�LEST WE FORGET�� THE NYPD MEMORIAL
July 11, 1938 Ptl Angelo Favata, 85 Pct, Auto accident on patrol
July 12, 1924 Det Timothy Connell, DetDiv, Shot:Robbery
July 13, 1868 Ptl Henry Corlett, 32 Pct, Drowned during rescue
July 14, 1922 Ptl Frank Mundo, TrafficDiv, Auto accident in pursuit
July 14, 1936 Det Lawrence Gallagher, 47 Pct, Shot
July 14, 1941 Ptl Norman Dixon, 120 Pct, Auto accident on patrol
July 14, 1980 Det Abraham Walton, SCU, Shot:Robbery,off duty
July 15, 1977 PO Edward Mitchell, 34 Pct, Shot:Robbery
July 16, 1987 PO George Scheu, 115 Pct, Shot:Robbery,off duty
July 17, 1938 Ptl Harry Padian, 32 Pct, Shot by prisoner
July 17, 2000 PO John Kelly, PBSI, Auto accident on patrol
July 18, 1992 PO Paul Heidelberger, PSA4, Shot:Off duty
July 20, 1857 Ptl Eugene Anderson, 14 Pct, Shot:Burglary in progress
July 20, 1964 Ptl John Polarolo, Harbor, Auto accident on patrol
July 21, 1950 Ptl Alfred Loreto, 24 Pct, Shot:Off duty pursuit
July 22, 1921 Ptl Charles Potter, 27 Pct, Drowned during rescue
July 22, 1922 Ptl Arthur Loewe, 78 Pct, Shot:Robbery in progress
July 22, 1983 PO James Rowley, Aviation, Helicopter accident
July 23, 1983 PO Charles Trojahn, Aviation, Helicopter accident
July 24, 1876 Sgt James McGiven, 17 Pct, Stabbed, Robbery
July 24, 1951 Ptl Albert Polite, 94 Pct, Motorcycle accident
July 24, 1971 Ptl Robert Denton, 73 Pct, Stabbed during investigation
July 26, 1923 Ptl Frank Romanella, 29 Pct, Shot during investigation
July 26, 1923 Ptl Charles Reynolds, 116 Pct, Shot
July 26, 1924 Ptl John Hyland, 42A Pct, Shot:Robbery in progress
July 26, 1957 Ptl Edward O�Leary, 7 Div, Auto accident transporting prisoner
July 27, 1942 Ptl Michael Keene, Traffic A, Auto accident on patrol
July 27, 1950 Ptl Roderick O�Connor, Mcy2, Motorcycle accident on patrol
July 27, 1964 Ptl Richard Walburger, 9 Pct, Shot:Burglary in progress
July 28, 1929 Ptl William Kerlin, ESU, Auto accident on patrol
July 28, 1930 Ptl Dominick Caviglia, 20 Pct, Shot:Burglary in progress
July 28, 1930 Det Thomas Hill, 48 Sq, Shot during investigation
July 29, 1906 Ptl William Hederman, 35 Pct, Drowned during rescue
July 30, 1945 Ptl Howard Hegerich, 28 Pct, shot during investigation
July 31, 1947 Ptl William Panczyk, Traffic Unit, Auto accident on patrol
July 31, 1965 Ptl. Maitland Mercer, 76 Pct, Shot-off duty arrest
NOTE TO ALL: An EXCELLENT web site to check out, that honors all members of the department who have given the ultimate sacrifice, is:
http://www.nypdangels.com/
I have noted this site in the past, but would just like to do so again as a reminder. If you are familiar with the site then you are aware of the excellent work that Dee Cook does on this site.
What you may not know, though, is that she was served with legal papers by the City�s Law Department ordering her to �cease and desist� from using the PD logo on this site, as that logo is copyrighted by the city.
Believe it or not!
It made me wonder about all those souvenir stands in Midtown selling baseball hats and t-shirts with the NYPD patch on it � that can be purchased by anyone on the street � are those sales protected under the copyright? Is the city making money on selling the copyright for these items, so that any Tom, Dick or Harry can walk around with �Police� items?
Just a thought.
Anyway, check out the web site, and let Dee know you support her work.
Hoping everyone is enjoying the summer!
The No. 1 state for identity theft is Arizona, where one in six adults has had his or her identity stolen in the past five years.
Why? Blame it on two things, according to Javelin Strategy and Research, a private research firm that conducted the study:
(1)A large number of methamphetamine users in the state.
(2)A decision by local governments to post public records on the Internet.
This is how bad it is in Arizona: Identity theft there is double the national average. And it's being fueled by meth addicts.
James Van Dyke, president of Javelin, calls it a "supply-chain effect." Van Dyke told ABC News reporter Leslie Yeransian, "Meth users will take your bills in the mail and sell your bank statements as a form of payment. Then the [meth-]maker will use those bank statements to go into an existing account or make a new account off that information or sell your statements to an identity theft specialist."
The police admit that methamphetamine use and identity theft are a tightly linked problem. "Every time we find a meth lab, we also find identity theft," Detective Tony Morales of the Phoenix Police Department told ABC News. "These meth freaks like to hang together, and they learn about identity theft tricks together."
How are the meth addicts getting such sensitive data? They aren't just stealing it out of dumpsters or your mailbox. Often, they are getting it from the government--with a click of a mouse on the Internet.
That's especially true in Arizona where counties put very private information on very public Web sites for the convenience of county employees. Two treasure troves for ID criminals are divorce decrees and tax liens.
Still, Van Dyke says the greatest risk to innocent people is the old-fashioned paper trail. "They should be more worried about documents going through the mail. We found in our research that only 9 percent of identity theft can be traced to Internet use and billing," he told ABC News. "If you follow normal precautions on the Internet you are actually better off than using mail."
Top five states for identity theft:1. Arizona2. Nevada3. California4. Texas 5. Colorado
DEPARTMENT HONORS: 1855
Thanks to the research conducted by Michale Bosak, Retired Sergeant and department historian extraordinaire, the following is excerpted regarding the departments first ceremony to honor heroic acts by its members. (Note that this is copyrighted material).
It was on Saturday, May 26, 1855.
�The day turned out to be bright, sunny and warm, without being unpleasantly so. Long before the scheduled 2 pm ceremony, a vast multitude, well over fifteen thousand of New York�s most prominent citizens gathered in City Hall Park to watch the first time ever assembly of almost the entire Municipal Police Department in uniform for a grand review and parade.
For the mayor and New York�s first Chief of Police George W. Matsell, this day would be the culmination of long planning and many months of hard work. After ten long years, the Municipal Police had finally come into its own. The department, for the first time ever, was now fully uniformed, spiffily dressed in gray pants with 1� black strips, dark blue coats and blue caps.
Moreover, many of its men had performed heroically, some making newsworthy arrests at great personal risk; others under imminent danger to themselves had performed valiant rescues. The �Star Police� were now setting the standards for exemplary and meritorious service to the city.
So acting upon the recommendations of George Matsell, Mayor Fernando Wood decided that it was now time to honor the department and its heroes.
To do this, Wood and Matsell decided that there should be a grand parade and review with a ceremony to honor the finest of the �Stars� for �Heroic� or �Meritorious conduct.�
Seven deserving patrolmen would be awarded silver �medals of merit� at this ceremony and would be the first members of the department to be inducted into a �Legion of Honor� to be made up of the very finest that the Municipal Police Department had to offer. Six of the patrolmen would be honored for �Heroic Conduct�, and one would be honored for �Meritorious Conduct.�
To accomplish this honor, Mayor Wood, using his own personal money graciously purchased these first solid silver medals for the department.
So at the Board of Aldermen�s meeting on Wednesday, May 23, 1855, the mayor, acting on the recommendations of Chief George Matsell, introduced a resolution for the above mentioned parade, ceremony and honors. He also formally nominated the names of those first patrolmen to be awarded these medals and inducted into the �Legion of Honor�.
The resolution ratifying the same passed unanimously.
So at 3:00 pm on Saturday, May 26, 1855, to the accompaniment of a 37-piece band and an hour behind schedule because of the huge throngs of joyous spectators cramming the park and its outlying areas, the department�s 22 ward corps, plus its reserve corps - almost the entire Municipal Police Department, over 900 men strong, proudly marched into the park, trumpets blaring and drums beating, ramrod straight and in perfect order. Each command was led by its captain.
They then formed up in front of City Hall, with the right resting on Chatham Street (Park Row) and the left on Broadway. His honor, after being notified that all was in order, proceeded to personally inspect the men.
This being concluded, the twenty-three uniformed corps formations, all in a very credible manner, to the accompaniment of music, then wheeled and proceeded to march and countermarch under the command of Chief Matsell. Very smartly, they executed flank movements and other military exercises that pleased the cheering crowds.
In short order, the surging multitudes proved too much for the men assigned to crowd control. Vast throngs near the dignitaries on the front steps of city hall rushed forward and obstructed their view and interrupted the ceremony.
The entire force, all 23 corps, was then ordered to form a semi-circle four deep and push the crowds back in order to create a sufficient space to allow for the ceremonies to begin. This they did in short order, and then with precision and on command turned and faced the mayor and the front of City Hall.
The mayor then complimented the men of the department on their fidelity and trustworthiness.
After that, the 'Chief of Police' George W. Matsell then began the ceremony by calling up the six patrolmen present that had been singled out to be decorated and formally installed into the �Legion of Honor� for performing �special services� to the city.
NOTE: One, Ptl. Swain Lindsey, was incapacitated and confined to his bed. He was unable to attend the ceremony due to the injuries he had heroically incurred performing his police duty.
Just before pinning the medals on each of the patrolmen, the mayor read the accounts of each patrolman�s noteworthy deeds and Matsell pinned the medal on the patrolman�s breast.
Each of the �Medals of Merit� being awarded to the patrolmen were all identical. They were all made of pure silver and were hung from a solid blue ribbon. The medal itself was in the shape of a shield, surmounted by a spread eagle, bearing a scroll inscribed with the first half of the Municipal Police Department�s motto, "Fiat justitia ruat coelum." The shield itself was decorated with stars and inscribed with the words, "New York Police." Below the �New York Police� inscription, the second element of the above aphorism, "Partum est Merito", was extolled.
Roughly translated the first Latin phrase means, �let justice be done although the heavens may fall�, expressing a commitment to do what is honorable or right regardless of the consequences. The second phrase�s literal translation is: "The duty is deserving,� expressing the thought that police duty or law enforcement in and by itself is meritorious or rewarding. Putting the two phases together, it expresses the thought, �Let justice be done, regardless of the consequences. The duty in and by itself is the reward.�
On the reverse side, the medal bore the inscription: �Presented to______ by F. Wood, Esq., Mayor, 1855 and 1856.�
As mentioned before, these valuable medals were made out of pure high grade silver and paid for by the mayor out of his own pocket.�
FOR HEROIC ACTIONS: SHADOW KINNER
One of those honored at this first medal ceremony was Ptl. Jesse Kinner of the 3rd Patrol District.
Mike Bosak�s research discovers that Kinner was a Detective � known in those days as a �Shadow�.
Ptl. Jesse C. Kinner was honored for having performed a highly commendable feat on the morning of the 17th of February, 1854, in which he nearly lost his life.
�He was on detective duty, and observed two suspicious persons before daylight on that morning, at the corner of Broadway and John Street. He watched them until satisfied they were burglars, and there with the intention of robbery.
He then made an effort to arrest them both.
One of them struck him with a jimmy in the jaw, cutting it severely, and the other at the same time cut him on the head with a chisel. He, however, made a desperate fight and succeeded after a long chase in capturing them both, though suffering much from loss of blood and the injuries he had received.
The burglars have since been sentenced to the State prison.�
Ret. Sgt. Bosak�s research indicates that �Shadow� Kinner was an extremely active detective, who was frequently in the newspapers, regularly making really great collars.
At the ceremony and in the newspapers, Shadow Kinner was literally the star of the show. By the way, on the date of the arrest that Kinner was honored for, Kinner was detailed to the �Reserve Corps� as a �Shadow� (Detective - Chief of Police George Matsell�s Office)�.
THE NYPD: 1855
In 1855, the Department numbered 1165 sworn � members of the force,� all male.
Over 900 �members of the force� participated in the police parade and review that day.
The Department Ranks at that time were as follows.
�Doorman� � There was one to each corps. He took care of the cells and other various chores around the station house. Annual salary - $550.
Patrolman (1011): He was either a �Star� (Uniformed) or �Shadow� (Detective). Both received the same salary. However, by law the uniformed �Star� was required to live in the ward he worked in. Salary was $700 annually, except for those assigned to a detail (Reserve Corps).
They were all paid by law $100 less annually. In other words, if you were on patrol, you got paid a 17% premium for being on the street and going around the clock. There was no pension or insurance system to provide for a patrolman�s family, should he be killed or disabled in the line of duty.
�Sergeants� � None were assigned to patrol commands (police district). All sergeants were assigned to one of the reserve corps� 21 squads. They were paid exactly the same as a patrolman - $700 annually.
Lieutenant (44) � There were two assigned to each patrol district. � One 1st lieutenant and one 2nd lieutenant - forty-four lieutenants for the whole department. Annual salary - $800.
Captain (22) - One assigned to each �police district� as its commanding officer. Annual salary � $900.
Some other interesting terms pertaining to the department structure include:
Corps: What today would be called a precinct, in 1855 was called a �Police District�. Each district had the same geographical boundaries as the ward it took its number from. The alderman from that ward recommended to the mayor who should be appointed to that ward�s corps. Patrolmen from that police district or ward were required to be residents of that ward and were appointed for a term of good behavior. Consequently that ward�s corps resembled the ethnic makeup of that ward. Even though they worked out of a certain �Police District� they would say they were assigned to that (the number) �Corps� rather than say they worked out of a certain precinct.
There were twenty two wards in the city, each had its own �police districts� or �corps�.
The Reserve Corps: Chief Matsell established the �Reserve Corps� in 1853 as an elite unit of approximately 100 of the best and most competent patrolmen and sergeants. By 1855 it numbered approximately 150 men. They were assigned to the chief�s office and other high profile assignments such as detective duty, the courts and various other details, etc.
On occasion, the reserve corps would fly to various areas of the city and were used for duties similar to those performed by today�s Borough Task Forces.
CODIS, DNA, AND THE DATABASES
The FBI Laboratory�s Combined DNA Index System is better known as CODIS.
CODIS blends forensic science and computer technology into an effective tool for solving violent crimes. CODIS enables federal, state, and local crime labs to exchange and compare DNA profiles electronically, thereby linking crimes to each other and to convicted offenders.
Originally a pilot project begun in 1990, CODIS has evolved from its origination as serving 14 state and local laboratories to its current nationwide level. The DNA Identification Act of 1994 formalized the FBI�s authority to establish a national DNA index for law enforcement purposes.
It was in October 1998 that the FBI�s National DNA Index System � NDIS � became operational.
CODIS is implemented as a distributed database with three levels � local, state, and national.
NDIS is the highest level in the CODIS Program, exchanging information on a national level. All DNA profiles originate at the local level (LDIS), then flow to the state (SDIS) and national (NDIS) levels.
CODIS generates investigative leads using two indexes: the forensic and the offender indexes.
The Forensic Index contains DNA profiles from crime scene evidence.
The Offender Index contains DNA profiles of individuals convicted of sex offenses and other violent crimes which are included in the DNA requirements of the particular local and state agencies.
Matches in the Forensic Index can link crime scenes from different jurisdictions, possibly identifying serial offenders. Police agencies can coordinate their respective investigations, sharing leads they may have developed independently, when a Forensic Index match occurs.
Matches between the Forensic and the Offender Index provide investigators with an identity of the culprit.
It is noted that all states are participating in the National DNA Index System (NDIS), except for Mississippi, Rhode Island, and Hawaii.
DNA evidence collected at a crime scene is analyzed by a forensic laboratory at the local level; in our case, In New York City, the local lab is the NYC Medical Examiner�s Office. Once typed, the profile is then run against the convicted-offender DNA profiles in the State Databank to attempt to make a match. In addition, profiles from other unsolved cases are compared against it to identify serial crimes.
If no match occurs at the state level the profile is uploaded to the Federal DNA Index System for comparison with DNA profiles from other states. DNA profiles remain in the Federal Databank and are regularly searched against new profiles as they are added to the system.
It is important to remember, as an investigator, that once a match is made of the suspected profile the search will usually end. If there is no �match� locally, it is submitted to the state; if no match in the state, then it is submitted to the federal database. This is important to keep in mind. The investigator should keep in contact with the ME�s Office analyst; this will ensure that the appropriate checks which you want done are so completed.
TO CONTACT THE MINISTER OF INVESTIGATION�
Send an e-mail to:
Ltjac77@yahoo.com
�LEST WE FORGET�� THE NYPD MEMORIAL
July 11, 1938 Ptl Angelo Favata, 85 Pct, Auto accident on patrol
July 12, 1924 Det Timothy Connell, DetDiv, Shot:Robbery
July 13, 1868 Ptl Henry Corlett, 32 Pct, Drowned during rescue
July 14, 1922 Ptl Frank Mundo, TrafficDiv, Auto accident in pursuit
July 14, 1936 Det Lawrence Gallagher, 47 Pct, Shot
July 14, 1941 Ptl Norman Dixon, 120 Pct, Auto accident on patrol
July 14, 1980 Det Abraham Walton, SCU, Shot:Robbery,off duty
July 15, 1977 PO Edward Mitchell, 34 Pct, Shot:Robbery
July 16, 1987 PO George Scheu, 115 Pct, Shot:Robbery,off duty
July 17, 1938 Ptl Harry Padian, 32 Pct, Shot by prisoner
July 17, 2000 PO John Kelly, PBSI, Auto accident on patrol
July 18, 1992 PO Paul Heidelberger, PSA4, Shot:Off duty
July 20, 1857 Ptl Eugene Anderson, 14 Pct, Shot:Burglary in progress
July 20, 1964 Ptl John Polarolo, Harbor, Auto accident on patrol
July 21, 1950 Ptl Alfred Loreto, 24 Pct, Shot:Off duty pursuit
July 22, 1921 Ptl Charles Potter, 27 Pct, Drowned during rescue
July 22, 1922 Ptl Arthur Loewe, 78 Pct, Shot:Robbery in progress
July 22, 1983 PO James Rowley, Aviation, Helicopter accident
July 23, 1983 PO Charles Trojahn, Aviation, Helicopter accident
July 24, 1876 Sgt James McGiven, 17 Pct, Stabbed, Robbery
July 24, 1951 Ptl Albert Polite, 94 Pct, Motorcycle accident
July 24, 1971 Ptl Robert Denton, 73 Pct, Stabbed during investigation
July 26, 1923 Ptl Frank Romanella, 29 Pct, Shot during investigation
July 26, 1923 Ptl Charles Reynolds, 116 Pct, Shot
July 26, 1924 Ptl John Hyland, 42A Pct, Shot:Robbery in progress
July 26, 1957 Ptl Edward O�Leary, 7 Div, Auto accident transporting prisoner
July 27, 1942 Ptl Michael Keene, Traffic A, Auto accident on patrol
July 27, 1950 Ptl Roderick O�Connor, Mcy2, Motorcycle accident on patrol
July 27, 1964 Ptl Richard Walburger, 9 Pct, Shot:Burglary in progress
July 28, 1929 Ptl William Kerlin, ESU, Auto accident on patrol
July 28, 1930 Ptl Dominick Caviglia, 20 Pct, Shot:Burglary in progress
July 28, 1930 Det Thomas Hill, 48 Sq, Shot during investigation
July 29, 1906 Ptl William Hederman, 35 Pct, Drowned during rescue
July 30, 1945 Ptl Howard Hegerich, 28 Pct, shot during investigation
July 31, 1947 Ptl William Panczyk, Traffic Unit, Auto accident on patrol
July 31, 1965 Ptl. Maitland Mercer, 76 Pct, Shot-off duty arrest
NOTE TO ALL: An EXCELLENT web site to check out, that honors all members of the department who have given the ultimate sacrifice, is:
http://www.nypdangels.com/
I have noted this site in the past, but would just like to do so again as a reminder. If you are familiar with the site then you are aware of the excellent work that Dee Cook does on this site.
What you may not know, though, is that she was served with legal papers by the City�s Law Department ordering her to �cease and desist� from using the PD logo on this site, as that logo is copyrighted by the city.
Believe it or not!
It made me wonder about all those souvenir stands in Midtown selling baseball hats and t-shirts with the NYPD patch on it � that can be purchased by anyone on the street � are those sales protected under the copyright? Is the city making money on selling the copyright for these items, so that any Tom, Dick or Harry can walk around with �Police� items?
Just a thought.
Anyway, check out the web site, and let Dee know you support her work.
Hoping everyone is enjoying the summer!
