STREETS OF SAN FRANCISCO
This 1970’s crime drama highlighted a pair of plainclothes homicide detectives, Lt. Mike Stone and Inspector Steve Keller, cruise the streets of San Francisco solving a variety of crimes, usually involving murder. Stone, played by Karl Malden, is the street-smart 20-year veteran cop, and Keller, who was played by a very young Michael Douglas, is the college-educated rookie detective. Much of the series' success was due to the friendly by-play and relationship between the two leads.
In San Francisco, the detectives go by the title “Inspector”.
The show ran for five seasons, between September 16, 1972, and June 9, 1977, on ABC, amassing a total of 120 60-minute episodes. The series started with a pilot of the same title, and was based on the detective novel Poor, Poor Ophelia by Carolyn Weston.
The show revolved around two police officers who investigated homicides in San Francisco. The centre of the series was a veteran cop and widower, Lt Mike Stone (Karl Malden) who had more than twenty years of police experience and was now assigned to the Homicide Detail of SFPD’s Bureau of Inspectors (the San Francisco Detective Bureau). He was partnered with a young detective and energetic partner, Assistant Inspector Steve Keller (Michael Douglas) a college graduate, age twenty-eight, who had no experience in the police force. Stone would become a second father to Keller as he learned the rigors and procedures of detective work. Eventually, Keller was promoted to full inspector. As the series went on, Douglas became a star in his own right.
After the second episode of the fifth and final season, Douglas left the show after successfully producing the film “One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest”, which won the Academy Award for Best Film for 1975. He in turn would also establish a film career. His character's absence was explained by having him take a teaching position at a local college, while Lt. Stone was partnered with another detective, Insp. Dan Robbins, played by Richard Hatch. The change was not popular with audiences, and the show ended in 1977, due to low ratings.
Michael Douglas would go on to continued fame, later starring in the hit movie “Wall Street”, and go on to marry Catherine Zeta-Jones.
A DETECTIVES SECRET
The following is taken from the booklet “A Detectives Secret”, printed February 1898, authored by Ex-Chief Thomas Byrnes.
Byrnes, as regular readers to this site may recall, was a Chief of Police and former “Chief of Detectives”- attributed as the “First” Chief of Detectives of the department; for more info on Byrnes take a look at recent prior postings to this site.
Here is the opening to Byrnes’ dictum on “How To Become A Detective and How To Succeed As One”.
“To become a successful detective a young man must have, first of all, natural aptitude; then, plenty of brains, and last, but far from least, an almost inexhaustible fund of perseverance. Without all of these qualifications he may grow to be a satisfactory, or even an excellent policeman, but he can never hope to be a successful detector of crime.”
Byrnes is attributed to being the lawman who headed the Broadway Squad and drew an imaginary line in the street on Broadway and John Street- a “dead line”- and made the statement to the criminals of America: “Beyond this corner you shall not pass”.
LONDON CRIME FIGHTING STRATEGY: OPERATION TRIDENT
In keeping with the general media theme this past week concerning events in London, what with some sort of wedding going on there on the other side of the pond that has many people’s attention, I am including some details of a project that has been ongoing by the Metropolitan Police (Scotland Yard) in London known as Operation Trident.
What is Trident?
Trident is an anti-gun crime operation that was set up in 1998 to help bring an end to a spate of shootings and murders among young, black Londoners.
Over 350 police officers and 86 support staff work just on Trident. They are advised and informed by a group of black community leaders called the Trident Independent Advisory Group.
75% of London's gun crime involves the victim and suspect both coming from the capital's black communities. Trident was set up in response to black community members wanting the police to do something that specifically targeted the criminals affecting them. “Trident only works because it is a partnership with community leaders combined with robust, intelligence based policing”, according to official Scotland Yard statements.
What's the problem?
For a small number of people either carrying a gun, or living in fear of gun crime, is an everyday reality.
Operation Trident or Trident, is a Metropolitan Police Service unit set up to investigate and inform communities of gun related crime occurring within London’s black community, with special attention being placed on shootings relating to the illegal sale of drugs.
The importance of Trident is such that it was established as a dedicated Operational Command. called the Trident Operational Command Unit within the Metropolitan Police Specialist Crime Directorate. This is the equivalent of the Detective Bureau establishing a separate Division to address gun related crimes in the black communities of the city. In 2004 it expanded with the formation of Operation Trafalgar, which investigates all other non-fatal shootings in London.
As part of the Specialist Crime Directorate, Trident is also known as SCD8 and more recently officers within the command have referred to themselves as "the Ocho".
According to Metropolitan Police publications, the key responsibilities of Trident include the prevention and investigation of shootings in London’s communities and all gun related murders within London’s black communities.
Trident is composed of several key units. These include three Shooting Investigation Units, four Murder Investigation Teams (MITs) and five Proactive Units. These are supported by an Intelligence Unit incorporating airport liaison and immigration units, the Community Engagement Team and the Financial Payback Unit.
Trident was initially set up as an intelligence based initiative in April 1995 after the brutal murders in and around areas of Lambeth and Brent. Of particular attention was the murder of Marcia Lawes in Brixton by Delroy Denton. These incidents “were made much harder to investigate due to unwillingness on the part of witnesses to come forward through fear of reprisals from the perpetrators of such criminal behavior”.
Following a continuation of the shootings and murders Trident was implemented on a London wide scale. In May 2004 Trident was expanded and currently has over 460 police officers and police staff engaged in the investigation and prevention of firearm murders and other gun crime affecting London’s communities.
The work of these combined units is coordinated in the following areas.
In terms of the investigations of MURDER, Trident investigates all murders by shooting involving a gun, where both the victim and suspects are from black communities.
In terms of Non fatal Shootings, Trident investigates all non-fatal shootings, as well as any threat to police officers where a firearm is produced but not discharged.
Their Pro-Active Operations are aimed at targeting those who possess, supply, convert, reactivate and manufacture illegal firearms and those who seek to use illegal firearms to prevent shootings occurring.
A 2009 article in the Baltimore Sun addressed Trident, with a reporter for the Sun accompanying the Trident officers on a ride-along. The following is excerpted from the November 27, 2009 Baltimore Sun article on this topic.
“The Trident program was set up about 10 years ago to address the growing problem of black-on-black gun crime in Britain's Afro-Caribbean and black communities. The impetus was a wave of killings, along with the black community's simmering distrust of police.
“With 300 officers and a budget of $44 million, Trident investigates homicides and spends hundreds of thousands of dollars on slick public-relations campaigns aimed at diverting young men from gun violence.
“The Trident squad gave The Baltimore Sun an inside look at a murder investigation, though because of government-imposed restrictions in Great Britain on reporting about active cases, police insisted that certain facts and names be withheld to preserve the prosecution.
“Detective Chief Inspector John Crossley's squad typically handles cases in the northern part of town but has had to pick up a few cases from South London recently to balance workloads. The workload in London, of course, pales in comparison to that of Baltimore police. London, a city of 7.5 million, has seen 110 homicides this year, only 17 of which involved guns. There is no unit that is equivalent to Trident in Baltimore, where the homicide division, by default, specializes in black-on-black gun crime, with nine out of every 10 of the homicides fitting that pattern.
“In the early stages of an investigation, a killing in Baltimore gets assigned to a squad of six, and police can free up additional resources as needed.
“The cases being investigated by Trident squads are scrawled in blue marker on white dry-erase boards at opposite ends of an upstairs office. Each case is assigned an obscure operational name, such as "Operation Tilton," "Operation Conch Key," and "Operation Tavernier." On the board, there are slots for each officer assigned to the case, such as the primary case officer, the officer who will act as a liaison to the family and the officer assigned to inspect closed-circuit television footage. Each board lists about 20 cases - dating to the late 1990s.
“Overall, officials say, gun crime is on the decline. Police are seeing more shootings apparently intended only to maim, a trend that police and city leaders believe might be due to criminals' awareness of the stiff penalties they face if charged with murder. Though total shootings have nearly doubled this year, from 123 to 236, gun crime is still at one of its lowest points in the past five years. Fatal shootings investigated by Trident have dropped from six in the past fiscal year to four this (2009) year”.
Not immune to the budget and economic crisis that is affecting everyone throughout the world, London’s Metropolitan Police appear likely to be closing down Operation Trident by the end of 2011.
HORSE SENSE
The following was written by Elbert Hubbard, best known for his writing “A Message To Garcia” in 1898.
While this more famous work, “Message To Garcia”, deserves much longer inclusion on this site at a later time, I chose to reprint this following writing on “Horse Sense”, which I think many will enjoy.
“If you work for a man, in Heaven’s name work for him. If he pays wages that supply you your bread and butter, work for him, speak well of him, think well of him, and stand by him, and stand by the institution he represents. I think if I worked for a man, I would work for him. I would not work for him a part of his time, but all of his time.
“I would give an undivided service or none. If put to the pinch, an ounce of loyalty is worth a pound of cleverness. If you must vilify, condemn, and eternally disparage, why, resign your position, and when you are outside, damn to your heart’s content. But, I pray you, so long as you are a part of an institution, do not condemn it.
“Not that you will injure the institution – not that – but when you disparage the concern of which you are a part, you disparage yourself. And don’t forget – “I forgot” won’t do in business”.
Certainly applicable to any work situation, least of which being this life we have chosen.
DETECTIVE TERMINOLOGY: INTERVIEW, INTERROGATE AND DEBRIEF
Somewhere along the way, probably in a measure of political correctness, investigators have adapted and interchanged these two terms. More often than not, without understanding the basis of the terms to begin with.
Talking to people is the basis of detective work.
A good detective understands this as the foundation of an investigator. Detectives need information from others, and talking to people is how we get much of that information.
Two of the major terms to describe the forms we take in talking to people are Interview, and Interrogation. The third term is Debriefing.
As defined for the investigator, these terms distinguished as follows.
Interrogation- in speaking with another person, a confrontational tone for the purpose of obtaining a confession or admission of guilt, culpability, or other involvement.
Interview- in speaking with another person, a conversational tone for the purpose of obtaining information.
The Interrogation is the confrontational discussion with another who is a suspect in a crime. The Interview is the informational questioning with someone in an effort to get information.
In an effort to sound “less confrontational”, or to make an effort to seem less accusatory, we use the term “interview” when, in reality, we know what we are conducting is an “interrogation”.
The third term, Debriefing, is even less accusatory, but slightly different in definition than the interview.
While the “debriefing” is in reality an “interview”, is has grown into main stream investigative usage in the past decade or so, adapted from the militaristic intelligence gathering interview.
When a military source returned from a battle field, from the “front lines”, or when an intelligence source came back from “contact with the enemy”, the intelligence “debriefing” was conducted.
The debriefing was intended to gather as much information from the source as could be obtained, with this intelligence to be examined by analysts as to its appropriate value.
Investigators have coined this “debriefing” as a general question and answer session with someone, usually one who has been arrested, in an effort to gain intelligence on other criminal activity.
Thus, while all are very similar in scope, the three terms- Interview, Interrogation, and Debriefing – have distinct differences in scope.
BICYCLE CRIME- LONDON STYLE
With all the attention given in these past several weeks over the ceremonial undertakings in London involving the wedding of Will and Kate (yes, The Minister is on a first name basis!), I thought this following information on a current crime trend in London was worth taking a look at.
It seems that New York City is not alone in the recent push towards bicycle usage- in fact, we are somewhat way behind our European cousins in the use of this mode of transportation.
In London, Mayor Boris Johnson wants more people to get on their bikes, and an active push is underway to encourage bicycle usage- and to stop bicycle thefts. The City is also aware that if a bicycle gets stolen, the owner is not as likely to replace and continue the use as had been before the theft.
Last year, approximately 24,000 bikes were stolen in the capital city of London, which is why the Cycle Task Force was created, and the London Police is making it a priority to catch cycle thieves all over London, and to educate cyclists about keeping their bikes safe.
The unit is made up of three sergeants, 12 Police Constables and 12 Police Civilian Community Officers, who work all over London in tandem with the Traffic’s Cycle Team.
“Having a cycle squad helped us have a better understanding of the type of cycle theft happening out there,” says Commander Mark Gore, who heads STC.
Sergeant Titus Halliwell of the squad says: “There’s no typical cycle thief. You might think that they’re entry-level criminals who are just cutting their teeth. But what we’ve found is that there are people out there making hundreds of pounds (dollars) a day from stealing bikes and selling them on websites such as Gumtree and eBay.”
One recent tactic being used by thieves is to steal a bike and simply chain it up elsewhere until they find a buyer. This way they hope to avoid being caught with it.
The Cycle Task Force encourages riders to get their bikes registered on private sites, such as Immobilise.com or Bikeregister.com, which upload the frame number to a central database. A sticker is then affixed to ward thieves off. Police officers can access their databases by requesting a login. They’re also encouraging retailers to security-mark the bikes at the point of sale.
Investigators in the Cycle Task Force catch criminals by looking for clues, such as repeat phone numbers on sites such as Gumtree or eBay. They also carry out sting operations, putting out decoy bikes to see if a thief will bite.
Cyclists reunited with their property by the task force often tell other cyclists on riding forums, which leads to more people reporting stolen bikes, thus improving intelligence.
“By making it safe to own a bike in London we are reducing the fear of crime, lessening pressure on the transport system and encouraging people to live healthier lives,”says Steve Burton, a spokesman for the Transport For London.
FROM THE HUMIDOR
Some basic information for the cigar smoker.
Lighting the Cigar: Holding the cigar, rotate the foot just above the flame. Warming or pre-heating the foot primes the cigar to light faster. Then without letting the flame touch the cigar, draw gently while rotating the cigar to ensure an even burn.
What about the ash? The ash on a premium cigar should be even and tight. Remember a premium cigar has a long leaf filler and the ash will be long, therefore you want the ash length to show, noting your selection of a fine cigar. When the ash is about to drop, you may let it drop naturally into the ashtray or with your index finger lightly tap the cigar over the ashtray. If the ash falls on your clothing, don�t panic, the fire is on the cigar not in the ash. You can stand up and let the ash fall to the floor, or gently brush the ash away.
What about the band? To remove the band or not is a personal preference. It�s completely up to you. (The Minister leaves the band on).
MULTIPLE AWARDS OF THE MEDAL OF HONOR
Some history of the department that every member should be aware of concerns these officers who have received multiple awards of the Medal of Honor.
Department history reflects only three members who have received multiple awards of the Medal of Honor.
Only one of these lived to receive his second medal.
Detective Timothy J. Connell was awarded his first Medal of Honor in 1922, after he was wounded foiling a hold up at a cigar store which resulted in a shoot-out with two armed perpetrators of which he mortally wounded one and the second showed up the next day at a local hospital with a bullet wound. Detective Connell was awarded his second Medal of Honor posthumously in 1926 after he was killed in another shootout with four armed adversaries in 1924.
Detective John Cordes was awarded his first Medal of Honor in 1924 after a shootout in which he was wounded five times, and again in 1928 for another shoot out. He lived to be awarded his second Medal of Honor, and completed his career as a Lieutenant – Commander of Detectives, commanding first the Broadway Squad and then the Riverfront Squad, from where he retired.
Police Officer Robert Bilodeau, Street Crime Unit, was awarded his first Medal of Honor for an incident that took place on April 5, 1979, when while making an arrest during a decoy operation his throat was slashed, an injury that required 63 stitches. His second award was posthumously in 1981 for an incident that took place on February 12, 1980, when Officer Bilodeau chased a gunman into an alleyway. The gunman turned and shot Officer Bilodeau three times, but before he died he was able to wound his assailant.
“LEST WE FORGET…” THE NYPD MEMORIAL
May 1, 1892 Ptl Robert Nichol, 20 Pct, Off duty fire rescue
May 1, 1964 Ptl Edmond Schrempf, TPF, assaulted
May 1, 1981 PO John Scarangella, 113 Pct, Shot- car stop
May 2, 1974 PO William O’Brien, 10 Pct, auto accident on patrol
May 3, 1913 Ptl William Heaney, 12 Pct, Shot- arrest
May 3, 1921 Ptl John Conk, 97 Pct, Struck by horse
May 3, 1931 Ptl Bernard Sherry, 15 Pct, Shot- burglary in progress
May 3, 1964 Det Joseph Greene, DetDiv, Auto accident on patrol
May 4, 1863 Ptl Francis Mallon, 4 Pct, Shot by EDP
May 4, 1914 Ptl Michael Kiley, 156 Pct, Shot- arrest
May 4, 1931 Ptl John Hoey, 40 Pct, Auto accident on patrol
May 4, 1938 Ptl Thomas Hackett, 4 Pct, Auto accident on patrol
May 4, 1968 Ptl Gerard Apuzzi, 107 Pct, Asphyxiated
May 4, 1981 Lt Jan Brinkers, PSA8, Shot- off duty robbery arrest
May 5, 1934 Ptl Arthur Rasmussen, 3 Pct, Shot- robbery in progress
May 5, 1971 Det Ivan Lorenzo, Narco Div, Shot- off duty incident
May 6, 1934 Ptl Lawrence Ward, 23 Pct, Shot-investigation
May 6, 1964 Ptl Stanley Schall, 70 Pct, Line of duty heart attack
May 7, 1931 Ptl John Ringhauser, 102 Pct, auto accident on patrol
May 8, 2000 PO David Regan, 62 Pct, Auto accident on patrol
May 9, 1939 Ptl William Holstein, Mcy2, Motorcycle accident
May 10, 1922 Ptl Henry Pohndorf, 38 Pct, Shot- robbery arrest
May 10, 1979 PO Robert Soldo, 108 Pct, Shot- off duty incident
May 11, 1959 Ptl Harry Hafner, Hwy3, Motorcycle accident
May 12, 1925 Ptl Charles Godfrey, 16 Pct, Shot- arrest
May 12, 1932 Sgt Theodore Werdann, 87 Pct, Injured on patrol
May 12, 1944 Ptl Joseph Curtis, Mtd, Line of duty injury
May 12, 1951 Ptl Harold Randolph, 75 Pct, shot- off duty incident
May 13, 1913 Ptl Charles Teare, 12 Pct, Shot- arrest
May 15, 1934 Ptl John Morrissey, Telegrph Bur, Injured- assaulted
