“ONE RIOT, ONE RANGER”

“One riot, one ranger,” is a phrase made famous by Texas Ranger Captain W.J. McDonald in the very early 1900’s.

McDonald was called upon by a Dallas mayor to stop a forbidden prize fight and ease an angry mob. When stepping off the train by himself, the puzzled mayor asked, “Where are the others?”

To that McDonald replied, “Hell, ain’t I enough? There’s only one riot, isn’t there?”

One of the most enduring phrases associated with the Texas Rangers today is One Riot, One Ranger.
It is somewhat apocryphal in that there was never actually a riot; rather, the phrase was coined by Ranger Captain William “Bill” McDonald, who was sent to Dallas in 1896 to prevent the illegal heavyweight prize fight between Pete Maher and Bob Fitzsimmons that had been organized by Dan Stuart, and patronized by the eccentric "Hanging Judge" Roy Bean. 
According to the story, McDonald's train was met by the mayor, who asked the single Ranger where the other lawmen were. McDonald is said to have replied: "Hell! Ain't I enough? There's only one prize-fight!” This phrase over time has been adapted to become “only one riot”.  
Although some measure of truth lies within the tale, it is largely an idealized account written by author Bigelow Paine and loosely based on McDonald's statements, published in Paine's classic book Captain Bill McDonald: Texas Ranger in 1909.
In truth, the fight had been so heavily publicized that nearly every Ranger was at hand, including all the captains and their superior, Adjutant General Woodford H Mabry. Many of them were not really sure whether to stop the fight or to attend it; and in fact, other famous lawmen, such as Bat Masterson, were also present for the occasion. The orders from the governor were clear, however, and the bout was stopped.
Stuart then tried to reorganize it in El Paso and later in Langtry, but the Rangers followed and thwarted his attempts. Finally, the fight took place on the Mexican side of the Rio Grande near Langtry.
The motto appears on the pedestal of the large bronze statue of a Texas Ranger in the Love Field airport in Dallas. 

  

TEXAS RANGERS

The Texas Ranger Division is a major division within the Texas Department of Public Safety with lead criminal investigative responsibility for the following: major incident crime investigations, unsolved crime/serial crime investigations, public corruption investigations, officer involved shooting investigations, and border security operations.

The Texas Rangers are the main investigative organization for the State of Texas.

Over the years, the Texas Rangers have investigated crimes ranging from murder to political corruption, acted as riot police and as detectives, protected the Governor of Texas, tracked down fugitives, and functioned as a paramilitary force at the service of both the Republic of Texas (1836-1845) and the state of Texas.

The Texas Ranger Division is comprised of 216 full time employees; including 150 commissioned Rangers and 66 support personnel; including administrative staff, Border Security Operations Center, Joint Operations and Intelligence Centers, and the Special Weapons and Tactics team.

The Texas Ranger Division created a Special Operations Group to be tasked with the oversight of the Special Weapons and Tactics team, Regional Special Response Teams (SRT’s), Ranger Reconnaissance Team, Crisis Negotiations Unit, and the Explosive Ordnance Disposal.  The Texas Rangers currently coordinate border security operations through six (6) Ranger Staff Lieutenants assigned to six (6) Joint Operations and Intelligence Centers (JOICs) along the Texas-Mexico border and Coastal Bend area of the state.  In response to legislation, the Texas Rangers created a Public Corruption Unit and an Unsolved Crimes Investigation Program.

A look at the latest figures available from the Texas Rangers shows that in 2010, a total of 3,717 investigations resulted in 1,735 felony arrests, 193 misdemeanor arrests.  The Texas Rangers executed 404 search warrants and secured 4,544 statements, including 732 confessions to various crimes.  Rangers recovered stolen property valued at $559,429 and seized contraband valued at $537,087. There were 1,927 convictions for various crimes investigated that resulted in 2 death sentences, 79 life sentences and a total of 10,718 years in penitentiary time being assessed. Rangers served 277 subpoenas and 479 warrants. Rangers conducted 12 hypnosis sessions on criminal investigations.

Ed. Note: I find the 12 hypnosis sessions on criminal investigations to be quite interesting. I have made it a plan to look into this aspect myself, and will report back as I get more information. Hypnotists! Who would imagine?

Essentially, the Rangers are the statewide investigative arm for Texas. Answering the call that the Governor sees fit, they are called on to investigate and act on a wide variety of criminal issues. Matters involving organized crime, public corruption, major violent felony offenses- as an assisting unit in most cases, taking the lead in others when necessary, the Texas Rangers are called on to perform a multitude of tasks. 

A lot like the television show, Walker- Texas Ranger.

I found it very interesting to note that there are 150 Rangers, spread out over 254 counties in Texas.  That’s less than 1 Ranger per county!


Since 1935, the organization has been a division of the Texas Department of Public Safety, fulfilling the role of Texas’ State Bureau of Investigation. 


The Texas Rangers' internal organization still maintains the basic outlines that were set in 1935. The agency is divided into seven companies: six District Companies lettered from "A" to "F", and Headquarters Company "H".


The number of personnel is set by the Texas Legislature; as of^[update] 2010, the Texas Rangers number 144 commissioned officers, one forensic artist, one fiscal analyst and 24 civilian support personnel.
The District Companies' headquarters are distributed in six geographical locations throughout the 254 counties of Texas. 


Modern-day Rangers (as well as their predecessors) do not have a prescribed uniform, per se, although the State of Texas does provide guidelines as to appropriate Ranger attire, including a requirement that Rangers wear clothing that is western in nature.


The wearing of badges became more common in the late 1800s. Historians have put forth several reasons for the lack of the regular use of a badge; among them, some Rangers felt a shiny badge was a tempting target. Other historians have speculated there was no real need to show a badge to a hostile outlaw. Additionally, from a historical viewpoint, a Ranger's pay was so scanty that the money required for such fancy accoutrements was rarely available. Nevertheless, some Rangers did wear badges, and the first of these appeared around 1875. They were locally made and varied considerably from one to another, but they invariably represented a star cut from a Mexican silver coin (usually a five-peso coin). The design is reminiscent of Texas's Lone Star flag.


Although present-day Rangers wear the familiar "star in a wheel" badge, it was adopted officially only recently. The current design of the Rangers' badge was incorporated in 1962, when Ranger Hardy L. Purvis and his mother donated enough Mexican five-peso coins to the DPS to provide badges for all 62 Rangers who were working at that time as commissioned officers.


A Texas Ranger is equivalent in rank to a Sergeant in the Texas Department of Public Safety. In fact all Rangers have been “promoted” from the DPS to the Ranger position.  Rangers and the next rank, Lieutenant, have silver badges. Captains and above (Major) have gold.

INTERESTING WEB SITE

For more information about the Texas Rangers, visit the Texas Ranger museum web site at:

http://www.texasranger.org/

POWER OF POSITIVE THINKING OR HOW TO SPIN IT

Doing some research on the Texas Rangers, as noted above, I came across and interesting statistic.  I had believed I knew the information, but was looking to verify it (trust but verify!).

A complement of 150 Rangers spread out over 254 counties means each Ranger is responsible for roughly one and a half counties.  Most times they are not the lead investigators but assist the local agency by providing knowledge, technique and experience. Sometimes, based on the investigation, they do in fact take over the lead.

That seemed a little familiar to me.

I have used this as a positive point. Detectives being the competitive nature that they are never like to hear that someone or some unit is better than them. 

Here’s the spin I’ve taken from this.

The detectives in New York City are the Greatest Detectives In The World. Right? We have it emblazoned throughout our agency.

Certainly the Texas Rangers are not any better. We’re the Greatest.

If I field a team of two detectives to cover half of a borough (county), and the Texas Rangers field one detective to cover one and a half counties, then do the math.

I figure we have 200% more manpower than the Texas Rangers.  So as a team of two, you are ahead of the game. Quit bellyaching and solve some crimes.

Go figure.

ARMED POLICE- IN LONDON?

London’s police are famous the world over for not carrying guns, but that doesn’t mean that they’ve never been armed.

For more than half the Metropolitan Police of London’s (the Met) history, officers carried cutlasses and swords.

Back in 1829, the Met swords had a 33-inch sweeping blade. By design they were an extremely effective slashing saber, as used by the British Light Dragoons and Hussars in the Battle of Waterloo. These were first distributed to the Bow Street Horse Patrol and later adopted across the burgeoning police service. They were used until 1868 when a new sword was designed; it was the same weapon that was carried by the Light Cavalry at the Battle of Waterloo.

There is very little record of officers inflicting injuries with their weapons, not least because they would probably be sacked if they did.

Unbeknown to most criminals, it was also normal for the blades to be kept blunt.

The Met swords were for use in public order situations, but also in “solitary and exposed

situations where (constables) were at such a distance from each other to preclude a ready

mutual support by springing the rattle” (rattles were used before whistles were introduced in 1865).

According to police orders from 12 January 1832: “The police constable will be given to

understand distinctly that the sword is put into his hand merely as a defensive weapon in case his life should be in danger and if he shall use or even draw it for any less weighty cause, he shall be called to strict account and probably dismissed.”

But it wasn’t just because there was a calmer attitude to blades in those days.  London was a dangerous place 170 years ago.

According to a report about “H” Division in 1840: “There were plague spots where herded together the vilest and lowest of the criminal fraternity, men, women and children could be found. The police did their best, but there were places where, if an officer dared to walk alone, he carried his life in his hands and where double patrols were the merest precaution. Far into the night pandemonium reigned. Street fights in which belts, knives and bludgeons were used were no uncommon occurrence. Time and time again police were assaulted.”

In 1885 the Met started to cut back on the number of cutlasses used – 4,713 were scrapped and 728 were left on Division. Swords were last used operationally in 1910 and were officially withdrawn from use for most ranks in 1928. Some senior officers can still get them for ceremonial purposes.

(Reprinted with thanks to Neil Paterson, manager of the Met Historical Collection, and found in the November-December 2011 issue of The Met publication.)

DIRT CARTS: 1846 RULES AND REGULATIONS

My, how the streets of New York City have changed!

A look through the 1846 Rules & Procedures for the New York City Police Department finds a passage on the regulation of “dirt carts”.  These were not the motorized go-karts you used to find teens using in the trails inside parks; these refer to the actual wagons that cart dirt.

It is noted in the procedures that a police officer “must arrest any person they may see driving, for hire or wages, any cart for the transportation of earth, sand, gravel or clay, unless said person shall have been specially licensed a Dirt Cartman, or unless the owner of the cart shall have a license, from the Mayor, to have the same driven; and must also arrest every person who shall drive or lead or have charge of any horse before a Dirt Cart, which shall be going or standing in any street, lane, avenue or public place, without having a tight box fitted thereto” allowing the dirt or gravel to be kept inside the cart.

A “Dirt Cartman” license.  Who would have thought?

  

1960 DEPARTMENT SALARY CHART

Chief Inspector (Chief of Department)  $20,124

Chief of Detectives $13,664

C.O. Det Bureau (Inspector) $10,806

Lt- CDS – 47 of them – $8106-$8395

Sgt – SDS- 107 of them- $7505-$7794

Det First Grade – 269 – $7505-$7794

Det Second Grade- 450 – $6692-$6981

Det Third Grade – 1762- $6324

“LEST WE FORGET”… NYPD Memorial

“It is not how they died that makes them a hero, but how they lived their lives”.

January 22, 1971  Ptl Robert Bolden, 75 Pct, Shot-off duty altercation

January 23, 1934  Ptl Joseph Misichia, 114 Pct, Shot-arrest

January 23, 1943  Ptl Pasquale Venturelli, 45 Pct, Auto accident on patrol

January 23, 1987  PO Michael Reidy, 41 Pct, Shot-off duty robbery

January 24, 1967  Ptl John Barry, PA, Line of duty heart attack

January 24, 1975  Ptl John Scala, ApplicInv, Shot-off duty robbery

January 25, 1994  PO Nicholas DeMatiis, 106 Pct, Auto pursuit

January 27, 1908  Ptl John Loughman, 15 Pct, Shot-off duty incident

January 27, 1938  Ptl Edward Roos, 8 Sqd, Auto accident on patrol

January 27, 1943  Ptl Angelo Dimuro, 1 Pct, Line of duty incident

January 27, 1972  Ptl Gregory Foster, 9 Pct, Shot-assassination

January 27, 1972  Ptl Rocco Laurie, 9 Pct, Shot-assassination

January 28, 1938  Sgt David Kilpatrick, 40 Pct, Shot-robbery in progress

January 28, 1980  PO Cecil Sledge, 69 Pct, Shot-car stop

January 30, 1930  Ptl Maurice O’Brien, 28 Pct, Shot-arrest

January 30, 1956  Ptl Benny Bruno, GCP Pct, Auto pursuit

January 31, 1901  Ptl Thomas Fitzpatrick, 29 Pct, Explosion-rescue

January 31, 1901  Ptl Edward Mullin, 29 Pct, Explosion-rescue

January 31, 1927  Ptl James Masterson, 18 Div, Shot-robbery in progress

January 31, 1928  Ptl Patrick Fahey, Traffic C, Fall from horse

January 31, 1928  Ptl William Kelly, 37 Pct, Shot-robbery in progress

January 31, 1931  Ptl Harold Conway, 27 Pct, Drowned

January 31, 1959  Ptl Michael Talkowsky, 23 Pct, Shot-robbery

January 31, 1968  Ptl Stephen DellAquila, Safety B, Scooter accident on patrol

January 31, 1984  PO Angelo Brown, 84 Pct, Shot-robbery, off duty

January 31, 1992  PO Hilario Serrano, 43 Pct, Shot-robbery, off duty

January 31, 2004  Sgt Keith Ferguson, ESS7, LOD Heart attack

It is noted that the eleven line of duty deaths recorded on January 31 represented the date with the most line of duty deaths for members of this department prior to the 9-11 attack.

THE SIMPLE ART OF MURDER

From Raymond Chandler's THE SIMPLE ART OF MURDER

In describing the detective for this pulp fiction classic, Mr Chandler does so as follows.

“In everything that can be called art there is a quality of redemption. It may be pure tragedy, if it is high tragedy, and it may be pity and irony, and it may be the raucous laughter of the strong man. But down these mean streets a man must go who is not himself mean, who is neither tarnished nor afraid.

The detective in this kind of story must be such a man. He is the hero; he is everything. He must be a complete man and a common man and yet an unusual man. He must be, to use a rather weathered phrase, a man of honor — by instinct, by inevitability, without thought of it, and certainly without saying it. He must be the best man in his world and a good enough man for any world. I do not care much about his private life; he is neither a eunuch nor a satyr; I think he might seduce a duchess and I am quite sure he would not spoil a virgin; if he is a man of honor in one thing, he is that in all things.

He is a relatively poor man, or he would not be a detective at all. He is a common man or he could not go among common people. He has a sense of character, or he would not know his job. He will take no man’s money dishonestly and no man’s insolence without due and dispassionate revenge. He is a lonely man and his pride is that you will treat him as a proud man or be very sorry you ever saw him. He talks as the man of his age talks — that is, with rude wit, a lively sense of the grotesque, a disgust for sham, and a contempt for pettiness.

The story is the man’s adventure in search of a hidden truth, and it would be no adventure if it did not happen to a man fit for adventure. He has a range of awareness that startles you, but it belongs to him by right, because it belongs to the world he lives in. If there were enough like him, the world would be a very safe place to live in, without becoming too dull to be worth living in.“

Chandler is the author of numerous classic detective crime fiction stories. Among them are The Big Sleep, Little Sister, Farewell My Lovely, The Long Goodbye, and The Simple Art of Murder among them. He can rightly be called the grandfather of hard-boiled detective fiction.

Several of his stories have made it to the big screen. His protagonist character, the private detective Philip Marlowe, was played by Humphrey Bogart in The Big Sleep. Don't miss it the next time it's played on Turner Classic Movies.

If you're looking for an entertaining crime noir story to pass the time you can't do wrong picking up something from Chandler.

DANGER OF THREATENING INEVITABLE CONSEQUENCES DURING INTERROGATION

The following is taken from material provided by John Reid & Associates, renown leader in interrogation and interview tactics.

The standard rule of thumb relating to improper interrogation techniques is that the investigator should not offer the suspect any threats or promises. In this context, threats are often thought of as threats of physical harm, isolation or deprivation of biological needs. There is, however, a much more powerful threat that can be made during an interrogation -- threatening the suspect with inevitable consequences. These four suspects were offered the most potent threat possible - the threat of death i.e., "If you continue to lie about this you will die. Do you want to die? That's what will happen if you continue to tell me you didn't do this". This was then coupled with the promise of life, i.e.., "I can help you out on this thing. If you tell me the truth I will work it out so you will not face the death penalty. You will be able to live." Who in their right mind wouldn't accept life over death?

When an innocent suspect is convinced that he is helpless to avoid consequences of a crime (a long prison sentence, having children placed in foster homes, being deported to a foreign country, having a license or certificate revoked, etc.) this suspect will do anything in an effort to reduce those perceived consequences. As illustrated by this case, when threatened with inevitable consequences, innocent suspects will not only confess, but adjust their confession to please the interrogator (Dick offered seven different statements) and testify against defendants the suspect knows are innocent.

Concepts within the Reid Technique have been criticized under the guise of threatening inevitable consequences. Specifically, interrogating a suspect on the presumption of guilt, discouraging denials from surfacing and the use of an alternative question, e.g., "Did you plan this out for months in advance, or did it just happen on the spur of the moment?" These criticisms are baseless. Expressing high confidence in a person's guilt certainly would not motivate an innocent person to believe that it would be in his best interest to falsely confess. Rather, the innocent person would be motivated to more strongly maintain his innocence or terminate the interrogation. Similarly, discouraging a suspect from voicing denials will cause the typical innocent suspect to become more forceful in their denials or terminate the interrogation, not to believe that because the interrogator is not accepting their denial that it would somehow be in their best interest to confess.

Finally, it has been argued that the alternative question forces the innocent suspect to incriminate himself. Nothing could be further from the truth. A suspect always has a third choice which is to reject the alternative question and maintain his innocence. None of the tactics or techniques within the Reid Technique would cause an innocent person to believe that they would benefit by offering a false confession. However, this is not the case when a suspect is threatened with inevitable consequences, which is why we are adamantly opposed to this interrogation tactic.

INTERESTING WEB SITE: PACER

http://www.pacer.gov/

Public Access to Court Electronic Records (PACER) is an electronic public access service that allows users to obtain case and docket information from federal appellate, district and bankruptcy courts, and the PACER Case Locator via the Internet. PACER is provided by the federal Judiciary in keeping with its commitment to providing public access to court information via a centralized service.

Pacer IS AVAILABLE TO ANYONE WHO REGISTERS FOR AN ACCOUNT. Registration is free; you pay for what you use only.

If you have the need to seek federal court records including bankruptcy proceedings or other federal case information, you may find this site helpful.

NOTORIOUS NEW YORK: ARNOLD ROTHSTEIN

20 East 72^nd Street Arnold “The Brain” Rothstein (January 17, 1882–November 4, 1928)


In 1928 this was the location of the Fairfield Hotel, and it was owned by the man who some claimed fixed the major league baseball’s 1919 World Series Game.


Arnold Rothstein was the only real gangster name used in the Godfather Movies.


In 1931 this location was known as the Franconia Hotel, noted as the place where the “Jewish Kosher Nostra” held a meeting just two months after the hit on Boss of Bosses Salvatore Maranzano.


Arnold Rothstein was a New York businessman and gambler who became a famous kingpin of organized crime, the Jewish Mafia.


Rothstein was also widely reputed to have been behind baseball’s Black Sox Scandal, in which the 1919 World Series was fixed. 


His notoriety inspired several fictional characters based on his life, including “Meyer Wolfsheim” in F. Scott Fitzgerald’s novel The Great Gatsby, the character who shared his name in the Broadway Musical “Legs Diamond”, and “Nathan Detroit” in the Damon Runyon story The Idyll Miss Sarah Brown, which was made into the renowned musical “Guys and Dolls”.


According to crime writer Leo Katcher, Rothstein “transformed organized crime from a thuggish activity by hoodlums into a big business, run like a corporation, with himself at the top.” According to Rich Cohen, Rothstein was the person who first saw in Prohibition a business opportunity, a means to enormous wealth, who “understood the truths of early century capitalism (hypocrisy, exclusion, greed) and came to dominate them”.


Rothstein was the Moses of the Jewish gangsters, according to Cohen, “the progenitor, a rich man’s son who showed the young hoodlums of the Bowery how to have style; indeed, the man who, the Sicilian-American gangster Lucky Luciano would later say, “taught me how to dress.”

1968 DUTY CHART- FIGURE THIS ONE OUT!

The Duty Chart in 1968 for Patrolman's Duty, as listed in a 1968 Spring3100, describes the working life of the Patrolman as follows.

* You do three sets of 5 tours each.
* Rotating around the clock.
* With a 56 hour swing after your last tour.
* Unless you're working midnights. 
* Then you get the last midnight tour off,
* For an 80 hour swing.
* Unless your last midnight falls on a Saturday or a Sunday.
Then you work the tour!

Got it?

“LEST WE FORGET”… THE NYPD MEMORIAL

January 2, 1932  Ptl John Kranz, Det Sqd, Shot

January 3, 1975  PO Michael McConnon, 13 Pct, Shot-robbery

January 3, 1978  PO Ronald Stapleton, 77 Pct, Shot, off duty incident

January 5, 1922  Det William Miller, 38 Sqd(32 Sq), Shot-arrest

January 5, 1922  Det Francis Buckley, Det Div, Shot-arrest

January 5, 1944  Ptl Patrick Malone, Traffic I, Auto accident on patrol

January 7, 1930  Ptl Paul Schafer, 19 Pct, Motorcycle accident on patrol

January 7, 1933  Ptl Walter Murphy, 14 Div (13 Div), Shot-pursuit

January 7, 1934  Ptl Ernest McCarron, 68 Pct, Fire rescue

January 8, 1946  Ptl Benjamin Wallace, 32 Pct, Shot-Investigation

January 9, 1938  Ptl Anthony Tornatore, 52 Pct, Shot-investigation

January 9, 1973  Ptl Stephen Gilroy, ESS8, Shot-robbery / hostages

January 10, 1987 PO Francis LaSalla, ESS1, Fire rescue

January 10, 1998 PO Edward Ahrens, 28 Pct, Shot (5/5/75) narco invest

January 11, 1908  Ptl Robert Fitzgerald, Bridge Pct, Drowned-Rescue

January 11, 1916  Ptl Joseph Gaffney, 26 Pct, Shot-arrest

January 11, 1929  Ptl Albert Bruden, Mcy Unit, Auto pursuit

January 11, 1941  Ptl Edward Maher, Traffic P, Shot-robbery

January 12, 1974  PO Timothy Murphy, 120 Pct, Shot-off duty incident

January 12, 1981  PO Robert Walsh, 7 Pct, Shot-off duty robbery

January 13, 1924  Ptl John Schneider, 3Div, Robbery investigation

January 13, 1950  Ptl Edward Carraher, 14 Pct, Injured on patrol

January 13, 1997  Det Kenny Fung, 72 Sqd, Heart attack during investigation

January 15, 1938  Ptl Frank Zaccor, 14 Pct, Shot-robbery in progress

January 16, 1953  Ptl Thomas Sheehan, 10 Pct, Line of duty heart attack

January 17, 1947  Ptl Harry Schriffies, McyDist, Shot-investigation

January 17, 2000  PO Benny Marciante, SITF, LOD Heart attack

January 18, 1935  Ptl James Killion, 17 Pct, Shot-robbery in progress

January 18, 1960  Sgt Edward Johnson, 5 Pct, Stabbed by EDP

January 18, 1967  Det Harold Jacob, Safe Loft & Burg Sqd, Line of duty heart attack

January 18, 1979  PO Robert Manzione, 7 Pct, Line of duty heart attack

January 21, 1932  Ptl John Walsh, 17 Div, Shot-off duty robbery

January 21, 1941  Ptl Daniel Piselli, 88 Pct, Killed-line of duty incident

January 21, 1948  Ptl William Von Weisenstein, 101 Pct, Auto accident on patrol

January 21, 1958  Det Francis O’Rourke, 32 Sqd, Line of duty heart attack

January 21, 1986  Det Anthony Venditti, OCCB, Shot-investigation

January 21, 1995  Det Alfred Boesch, Housing SNEU, Line of duty incident

P.O. PETER FIGOSKI
75 Precinct
Rest In Peace

December 12, 2011
Killed in the line of duty-effecting arrests for Robbery
22 years of service to the City of New York

Please say a prayer for Peter and his family during this tragic time. While others are shopping and preparing for the coming holidays, his family buried a son, father, friend.







- Posted using BlogPress from my iPad

“I like homicide detectives.  They wear hats.  They wear hats so that other law-enforcement people will know they’re homicide”

Elmore Leonard, well known crime fiction writer of such works as BE COOL, PAGAN BABIES, GET SHORTY, KILLSHOT, and many more.

READ WHAT YOU WROTE

This is a very basic formula for success as a detective. Take the time to read what you have written.

In today's world of case management and investigative documentation, known in the NYPD as "ECMS" - reading what you have written before finalizing a DD5 report is critical to a successful case.

Just for familiarity of those who are not familiar with the terms, ECMS refers to the Detective Bureau's Electronic Case Management System- the electronic record keeping of all DD5s and other case documents developed during an investigation. It is the "electronic" version of the hard-copy case folder the detective prepares for an investigation; the place where the DD5s are created and stored electronically.

It is extremely important that a detective takes the time to read whatever he or she has typed out into a DD5 to make sure what you want to say is what you have said.

Not only for simple errors of grammar or spelling, but to make sure the intended message is what others read.

Of course, we all understand the error of typing DID when you meant to type DIDN'T. For example, to memorialize "the witness did get a good look at the culprits face" has a totally changed meaning- and certain obstacle later at trial- if you meant to say the witness DID NOT GET A GOOD LOOK AT THE CULPRITS FACE.

Errors like that, or on messy grammar and sentence structure, never really seem like "such a big deal"- until you're on the witness stand and the defense attorney has the jury believing that your work is soooo sloppy -"just look at these reports" - that your work is certainly subject to casting a "reasonable doubt" as to it's proper conclusion.

Will you really feel comfortable knowing a shooter walked out of jail because you didn't take the time to read what you wrote?

Along these same lines, it's important that you read the reports that other detectives prepare for YOUR case.

Make sure that you thoroughly understand what they are reporting, and that the written version matches the actual factual version.

A common problem that arises in the reporting of area canvasses.

Detectives are sent to a scene to help in canvassing a large area or a big building. They come back to the squad after completing this task and report to you "we canvassed that building and no one saw anything".

However, if you take the time to read the DD5 that is prepared for this canvass you learn that there are 5 apartments where no one was home. Perhaps there is a witness from one of these apartments, which you will never know about, if you didn't read the report AND GO BACK to knock on those doors.

If you missed that fact, and your Sergeant who signed off on the report missed that fact, I can assure you of someone who won't miss it- the Defense Attorney, in his quest to show the jury your "sloppy work and investigation".

Simple theory that takes a little time to avoid a lot of problems- READ WHAT IS WRITTEN, and make sure it presents the right message.

A LITTLE STORY TO ILLUSTRATE THE POINT:

THE ALMOST-MISSED POSITIVE CANVASS

I can recall an investigation that clearly illustrates a point on the importance of reading what others write in your case.

We all have been faced with the shooing/homicide in a location out in the open and no witnesses. Frustration we have all undergone.

In one such incident, which the investigation had gone on for almost a week with no witnesses to speak with despite the fact that we had discovered a probable suspect and background-motive for the incident, the DD5s were being reviewed for supervisor approval. A canvass of a building overlooking the courtyard where the shooting occurred was being signed off on- lots of No Info results from knocking on doors, but it was also noted that there were 3apartments on the 2nd floor overlooking the courtyard that were canvassed twice with "No Answer" reported.

Despite the looks given to the supervisor by the detective to "go back and try again" the detective went back. Of course, by now, you know the end result. A witness was developed from one of those apartments. It tuned out to be the only witness to a case that produced 2 arrests for Murder 2. (The effort it took convincing the DA to go with the 1 witness is the subject of a whole other theme, at another time!).

Pay attention to the details. Read what you wrote: is it what you want to say? And read what others wrote: is there anything else I need to do with this information?

We don't do it because some Chief wants us to-we do it because it's the right way to investigate the case!

NLEA: National Law Enforcement Associates

I very recently enjoyed a nice luncheon on the Chelsea Piers for the NLEA Holiday Celebration.

I have been fortunate to attend several of these, and thank Ret Capt. Frank Bolz-known by all as "HNT ONE"- for his hospitality. He and his good friend Mr Ben Barbosa of Global Entertainment Security acted as my host, and I thank them publicly.

Anyway, there were probably close to 1000 people in attendance. It's always good to see the retired members who one to this, and it gives you a great opportunity to catch up with others you haven't seen in a while. The cast of people you will rub shoulders with- and you will certainly be rubbing shoulders at the reception hour- are as varied and complex as you can imagine in a group of law enforcement professionals.

Active law enforcement and retired law enforcement, in all different capacities, rubbing shoulders and sharing an afternoon of good cheer. The collective stories in that room are infinite! 

I was sitting at my table and looked around the immediate tables, and to give you an example of the cast, I was slightly overwhelmed.

Here is the man who started the very first- Hostage Negotiation Team. He was also the first person to wear a baseball hat with a PD patch on it at a hostage scene, after his wife sewed one on the hat to help identify him at a scene. If only he/she could have patented that idea.

There's a man who now works for Channel 2 News. He recently worked for the federal government in a high-placed counterterrorist position; before that he had worked as the DCPI and was surely the only one in that room that actually sat with, and interviewed, Osama Bin Laden!

Here's a former Chief of Detectives, chatting with a former First Deputy Commissioner, both who retired after over 35 years of service.

I'm talking with a Retired First Grade Detective who spent over 11 years in the Bomb Squad- starting there in1956. Can you guess how sophisticated and the level of protection these bomb squad detectives had at that time??

To my immediate sides are members whose combined experience in the department, in detective investigations and major narcotics, at over 155 years!! And that's just within arms reach (and I'm short-my arms don't reach far!).

You can't help leave an event like that and feel good about what you do each and every day. Whenever I feel a little own I find there's nothing better to be with a group like that. You know what they all want to talk about? How much of a good time they had "on the job".

A great boost for the holiday season! Merry Christmas, for sure.

Global Entertainment Security

Intelligent Solutions for Entertainment Properties

http://www.gesecurityinc.com/

NATIONAL LAW ENFORCEMENT ASSOCIATES

National Law Enforcement Associates is a non-profit organization formed to conduct training and provide other educational opportunities while facilitating cooperation among its members in the law enforcement and private security communities.  

The goal is not only to facilitate the achievement of their common goals but also to further the preservation of the adherence to the Constitution of the United States.  

The organization will conduct regular meetings and seminars at which its members may hear and interact with expert speakers in various law enforcement and security fields while providing a forum to discuss challenges of
mutual interest.

http://www.nationallaw.org/

FROM THE MINISTER OF INVESTIGATION:

If I may just take a moment, I would like to acknowledge- and thank- those people in the past few days that approached me and encouraged to start writing on this blog once again.  You helped get me kick-started, and feeling positive about the fact that there is a positive reaction to some of this that I write, overpowering the negative feeling that I had been hearing "You have to be careful what you write about the department".

Once again, as I know I have said this on this site in the past, I am very protective of our role as police officers in this city. I am dedicated in what I do, as most of us are, and this is no place for ranting or raving or negativity. It will not be coming from my typewriter (yes, you still remember that- a typewriter).  

Hoping all are enjoying their holiday season, and festivities along the way.

Be safe at all times!

If you would like to contact The Minister of Investigation- perhaps you have a story or anecdote you'd like to tell - you may contact me at:

JCornDetect@gmail.com

Readers- please note the change in email address; although I still maintain the Yahoo address that appeared here on this site for many years, I do not check it all that often and would like to merge into this new Gmail address. Thank you again....

WHERE IS MY BOND GIRL?

One of the drawbacks of watching 96 hours of a James Bond movie marathon is a somewhat distorted outlook on reality.

As I have discovered first hand.

Channel surfing the other day for something to entertain me I discovered I had a cable channel known as Sleuth TV. What an amazing channel for a buff! They just happened to be showing a James Bond movie at the time. I felt like I hit the lottery.

A channel called Sleuth, and a Bond movie to boot. Well, that wasn't the all of it. It seems that Sleuth was about to start showing more than 96 hours of Bond movies! I was just the right candidate for this.

They were not just showing any Bond movies, but they had a pattern. A movie with each of the different Bonds!

Sean Connery, Robin Moore, Pierce Brosnan, and Daniel Craig- all the Bond's were represented. They even included the two most people forget- George Lazenby in the 1969 "On Her Majesty's Secret Service" and Timothy Dalton in the 1987 "The Living Daylights".

There was Dr No, with the unforgettable Ursula Andress coming out of the water in a bikini and a dagger- surely one of the top Bond girl candidates. There wax Halle Berry, my top choice for Bond Girl, playing the CIA counterpart to Pierce Brosnan in Die Another Day. Daniel Craig running around with Eva Green in Casino Royale, coupled with some really great 007 gadgets.

Did you know that in addition to providing the opening theme to "Die Another Day", Madonna also had a cameo appearance as a fencing instructor?

In "You Only Live Twice", Connery comes back to life- as an Asian! This movie has Bond fighting the evil forces of Ernst Blofeld, who later became the inspiration for Mike Meyers smash hits Austin Powers series. All while he squints the part of an asian male!

Let's just say I realized I overdosed on Bond after four days of 007 films.

The look I got from the Starbucks barista when I ordered my morning coffee "shaken, not stirred" was only matched by the look I got when I referred to Nancy, at the Boro, as "Miss Moneypenny". I found myself looking for a baccarat game- and I'm not even sure what baccarat is!

I called Marty, at Resource Allocation, "Q", and wondered why Bond gets these fancy Aston Martin cars with rockets and all sorts of unbelievable features and I can't even get a simple light package for my department four-cylinder Dodge?

Oh well, I have to go now. Sleuth is playing another Bond film.

Where's my Bond girl?


ROUNDSMEN

The 1875 Police Department of the City of New York had a somewhat different rank structure than todays department.

The Patrolman was appointed after a recommendation "by a number of reputable citizens".

Next in line was the Roundsmen. They were attached to each precinct, "to traverse the precinct from point to point, in order to see that the Patrolmen were discharging their duty faithfully".

Above them in grade were the Sergeants. There were four attached to each precinct, and were appointed by the Board of Police "at pleasure", after an examination was passed. The Sergeants "presided at the desk in the station house, and kept the "blotter", so-called, a book in which, with great minuteness of detail, all the transactions of Police life are entered".

Above the Sergeants rank are the Captains. "Those in command of the precincts were absolutely supreme".


A PRAYER FOR SONNY

I'd like to ask you all to say a prayer for me friend, Fermin "Sonny" Archer.

Sonny is a detective with the Fugitive Division's Regional Task Force, who is currently on life support at North Shore Hospital. Sonny suffered a series of strokes along with a torn aorta, and complications from all of these.

If you've ever had a bad guy tracked by the Regional TF, Sonny was surely involved.

Sonny would be the first to go through a door to catch a crook, even though he is larger than any door he went through.

A real cop's-cop, who practices actions over words, results and not just talk.

Please take a moment and say a prayer for Sonny. He needs it. It's the least we can do right now.



- Posted using BlogPress from my iPad

“All men dream, but not equally. Those who dream by night in the dusty recesses of their minds, wake in the day to find that it was vanity; but the dreamers of the day are dangerous men, for they may act their dream with open eyes, to make it possible.”


T.E. Lawrence (“Lawrence of Arabia”)

OUR POLICE PROTECTORS



So is the title of the 1885 book that chronicles the HISTORY OF THE NEW YORK POLICE: FROM THE EARLIEST PERIOD TO THE PRESENT TIME. The present time, in this case, being 1885.

What a great historical text for any police buff to find!

Over 600 pages of New York police history, including photos and drawings. I could spend years documenting findings of interest in this book alone.

Let’s take a look at some of the issues in the Police Act of 1844.


1845: POLICING NEW YORK



The police of the city consisted at that time of three separate bodies. There was “the police proper, the Municipal Police, and The Watch”. Those appointed to each agency received their appointments from different sources. Realizing that this was a complicated and inefficient system, the Board of Aldermen repealed the police ordinance on May 16, 1845, and adopted a new police act on May 23, 1845.

Under this new act, the Watch was abolished. The duties that were previously entrusted to the Watch were placed under the Police force as separate subdivisions. What were these duties that now came under the newly re-organized Police Department?

Street Inspectors, Health Wardens, Fire Wardens, Dock Masters, Lamp-lighters, Bell ringers, Inspectors of Pawnbrokers and Junk shops, were all duties that came under the Day and Night Police. The new force consisted of a group “not to exceed 800 men”, including Captains, Assistant Captains and Policemen.


The Chief of Police was appointed by the Mayor.

Each city Ward had the power to appoint a Captain, which came to the power of the Aldermen and Assistant Aldermen of these Wards. The appointments of the Policemen for each Ward also came under the prevue of the Aldermen, with a one year appointment for each position.

The Chief of Police received an annual salary of $1,500. A Captain was paid $700 a year, with Policemen paid $500.

Mayor Havemeyer appointed George W. Matsell his Chief of Police.

It is interesting that of the Policemen that were appointed, it is recognized that they were appointed in the following categories.

There were 9 Day Police Officers, 50 Sunday Officers, and another 16 Bell-ringers. 5 were appointed as Keepers of the Parks, and 1 was an Inspector of Pawnbrokers. An assorted other appointments under titles as Hack Inspectors, Inspector of Carts and Hydrant Inspectors rounded out some of the specific appointment’s to the Police department.

This force “wore no uniform, a star shaped badge, worn on the left breast of the outer coat being their only insignia of office”. Hence they came to be known as “The Star” Police.

All this would last approximately one year, when the new force hardly had the time to become familiar with the changes that had taken place, that the legislature passed another Act for the Establishment and regulation of the Police of the City of New York in May 1846.

“To the Police are committed the enforcement of law, maintenance of order, and the preservation of the public peace. The protection of life and the security of property largely depend on the zeal and fidelity with which they discharge their duties. It is essential, therefore, that they should possess discretion, integrity, activity, sobriety, fearlessness and decision. That these conditions are combined in our New York Police Protectors, few, if any, will be found so ill-informed as to deny”.



GREEN LANTERNS- THE GREEN LIGHT

Ever wonder why there are green lights in front of a NYC Police stationhouse?

It is believed that the Rattle Watchmen, who patrolled New Amsterdam in the 1650's, carried lanterns at night with green glass sides in them as a means of identification.

When the Watchmen returned to the watch house after patrol, they hung their lantern on a hook by the front door to show people seeking the watchman that he was in the watch house.

Today, green lights are hung outside the entrances of Police Precincts as a symbol that the "Watch" is present and vigilant.



SOCIAL NETWORKING HELPS NAB A THIEF

An article found recently on the Law.com site makes mention of how social networking sites have been utilized to put crooks behind bars.

As a writer on the web site noted recently, alleged bank robbers are already tripping themselves up and being arrested after posting things such as "I'm rich, b*tch" and "WIPE MY TEETH WITH HUNDEREDS" on Facebook. But that is just "after-the-fact" stuff. What about the people in the news who actually incorporated Facebook into their alleged crimes?

Take 20-year-old mother London Eley, for example. Philadelphia police allege that Eley went on to Facebook and offered $1,000 to anyone who would be willing to kill her ex-boyfriend, the Daily Mail reported. "I will pay somebody a stack to kill my baby father," she allegedly wrote. The word 'stack' is reportedly slang for $1,000. Police say a man responded to the posting and arranged to meet Eley, but this master scheme was undone when the ex-boyfriend/potential victim's aunt saw the messages on Facebook and alerted authorities.

That was quickly followed by reports Tuesday of a bizarre incident in which an "armed man held a woman hostage at a motel in a tense 16-hour, overnight standoff with SWAT teams, all while finding time to keep his family and friends updated on Facebook." The Associated Press reports that during the hostage standoff(!!), Jason Valdez made six posts to Facebook and added a dozen new friends. Giving new meaning to the phrase "status update," Valdez's first post during the crisis was:

"I'm currently in a standoff ... kinda ugly, but ready for whatever. I love u guyz and if I don't make it out of here alive that I'm in a better place and u were all great friends."

In another twist, some of Valdez's Facebook friends allegedly aided him during the standoff. One friend alerted Valdez that a SWAT officer was hiding in the bushes, prompting Valdez to reply, "Thank you homie. Good looking out." Other friends pleaded for Valdez to "do the right thing." Police stated that they are reviewing whether any of Valdez's friends should be arrested for obstructing justice.



DETECTIVES INVESTIGATIVE TIP: INVESTIGATIVE CONCLUSIONS

Always remember to let your conclusion develop as a result of your investigation. Don’t fall into the trap that you develop your investigation to suit your conclusion.

Remindful of the fact that we are sometimes pulled in different directions from the outset of an investigation, as good detectives we have to be mindful of how we develop our case.

Reminding ourselves that we are foolish to make assumptions without basis of facts, we are constantly telling ourselves “not to assume anything”.

It’s one thing for a good detective to bring with him an intimate knowledge of the command and its inherent crime conditions, and to be aware of those criminals known to act in and around the location. But to reach a conclusion without fact, and to then to tailor your investigation around this conclusion, is a sure formula for failure.

“Let your investigation lead you to your conclusion. Don’t investigate your conclusion”.



SCIENCE OF ASSUMPTIONS

As I noted above regarding assumptions and investigative conclusions, there is actually some scientific basis to my instructions.

It’s known as “Cognitive Dissonance”.

Cognitive dissonance is defined as “anxiety that results from simultaneously holding contradictory or otherwise incompatible attitudes, beliefs, or the like, as when one likes a person but disapproves strongly of one of his or her habits”.

In clearer terms in what we generally deal with, cognitive dissonance turns up when facts are discovered that do not support the investigators theory. “Once a detective had made up his mind about a guilty man, contrary evidence is highly discomfiting and will often be rejected out of hand”.

This is the theory a defense attorney will present to a jury in an effort to free his client. “The detective didn’t follow up on these facts because it didn’t support his theory, which is why he arrested my client who is an innocent man”. You get the picture!



ITALIAN ORGANIZED CRIME: GARBAGE CRISIS


The newly elected mayor of Naples blamed local mafia for the trash crisis that is provoking fresh protests, threatening health and choking the normal flow of city life.

"Obviously I don't exclude organized crime," said Mayor Luigi De Magistris, referring to his unkept campaign promise to clean up the disaster in five days if he were elected.

His June victory was largely seen as a call to end the relentless crisis.

The local mafia, or Camorra, has long been accused of infiltrating waste management in Naples and dumping toxic waste on sites near residential areas, leading to perennial flareups. The previous public outcry occurred last November when weeks of clashes and rising trash piles brought Italian Premier Silvio Berlusconi to the city.

De Magistris went on to reaffirm his intention to rid the city of its waste problem amid rampant protests spanning the city, spilling into surrounding areas of the Campania province.

Early Wednesday, protesters waived Italian flags and sang the Italian national anthem as they marched through the center of town along the rubbish-lined road leading to the Spanish district.

One restaurant owner closed up shop, writing on a sign outside, "I'm ashamed to stay open in this havoc."

Besieged by mounds of trash that have choked the flow of daily life for months, protesters resorted to turning over dumpsters, blocking traffic, and burning trash in the open as government incinerators have failed to resolve the problem.

Firefighters struggled into the early morning to extinguish 30 separate rubbish fires.

To diminish the stench, some resorted to pouring lime on countless trash heaps lining streets, passageways, and even in the middle of the road.

Approximately 1,500 tons of trash remain scattered all over the city.


PERP WALKS

I believe it was John Russo who passed along the following article to me. But I might be mistaken!

I’d like to give proper credit where due. John, along with Craig Gardella, have passed along quite a few interesting articles from various sources that I always enjoy getting. At the same time I don’t want to put someone’s name to a piece, crediting it from them, only to have them say “I never sent you that”. So, in all fairness, I’m really not sure who passed this along to me. (I accept total blame for not keeping better track.)

So, let’s just say, someone passed this along to me and thought I’d like it. I did. And now I’m passing it along to you.

Written by Dave Krajicek, it appeared under the title “The Crime Beat: Perp Walks”.


"Perp walks" have been used for decades, although more frequently in some cities than others.

In New York, the police press information office frequently has placed a courtesy call to reporters when a high-interest suspect was to be "moved" from a precinct stationhouse to a central booking facility.

Photographers and videographers would gather outside the stationhouse to record the "walk."

The courtesy calls set the NYPD apart from most police departments. In other big cities, including Los Angeles and Washington, no such photo appointments are set. Photographers who want a perp walk shot often must wait and hope.

Many police departments have made perp walks obsolete by freely passing out copies of mug shots to the media.

But old-school reporters argue that perp walks can be great theater.

For example, legendary robber Willie Sutton, who knocked over 100 banks from 1925 to 1952, uttered an immortal quote during a perp walk in New York.

A reporter shouted, "Hey, Willie, why do you rob banks?"

Sutton responded, "Because that's where the money is."

Federal authorities have been fond of perp walks since the early years of the FBI's J. Edgar Hoover, who understood the priceless public relations value of an image that showed a cuffed bad guy in the grasp of a federal agent.

In conspiracy and racketeering cases, the feds frequently have offered the media – and the news-consuming public – a graphic of criminal collusion by tethering the alleged conspirators to a single heavy chain before the photo-op.

In 1997, Timothy McVeigh, later convicted and executed in the Oklahoma City bombing case, was subjected to a perp walk nearly three hours before he was officially arrested. McVeigh's attorneys protested that the FBI timed the walk for maximum network TV exposure. McVeigh was surrounded by a dozen FBI agents. They were selected as a reward for collaring McVeigh, a tangential but important aspect of perp walks.

Defense attorneys and minority advocates have long complained about perp walks – lawyers because the photos make their clients look guilty, and blacks because an inordinate number of perp-walk shots show young black men in handcuffs with sweatshirt hoods pulled over their heads, like Grim Reapers.

Some compare perp walks to other forms of public humiliation, such as confinement to stocks or the practice of parading defeated opponents in war, an ancient custom that has regained popularity in the Mideast.

In 2002, federal authorities used perp walks in several white-collar crime cases, including the arrests of John Rigas, former chairman of Adelphia Communications, and two of his sons.

An attorney for the men said, "The Rigases had repeatedly offered to surrender, but were instead roused from their Manhattan apartments at 6 a.m. by federal agents. Later in the morning, they were escorted in handcuffs past news cameras."

Another New York case may sound a death knell for contrived perp walks.

In 1995, a New York City doorman was arrested after a surveillance camera caught him rifling through the underwear drawer and cabinets of a vacationing tenant. The tenant sold the surveillance tape to the local Fox affiliate.

The news director wanted video of the suspect. He called the police press information office, which ordered detectives to walk the perp. The doorman, who was being questioned at a precinct stationhouse, was handcuffed, walked outside, placed in an unmarked police car, driven around the block and returned to the stationhouse.

Fox shot footage of the walk and broadcast it that night.

Charges against the doorman were soon dropped because nothing was missing from the apartment. He sued the city and police for violation of his Fourth Amendment right against unreasonable arrest.

A trial court and the U.S. Second Circuit Court of Appeals agreed the police had acted unreasonably and invaded the doorman's privacy by staging a perp walk that was "an inherently fictional dramatization" with "no legitimate law enforcement justification."

However, the court added, "Despite its adverse effects on (the doorman's) dignity and privacy, the perp walk might nevertheless have been reasonable under the Fourth Amendment had it been sufficiently closely related to a legitimate governmental objective."

New York police have been moving to the concept of "legitimate justification" for perp walks. The department says its policy was and is to neither impede nor promote photographs of suspects as they are being moved.

Most journalists oppose any official curtailing of perp walks. The Society of Professional Journalist's Code of Ethics makes these points:

Journalists should "minimize harm" by balancing a criminal suspect's fair trial rights with the public's right to be informed.

"Show good taste. Avoid pandering to lurid curiosity."

"Recognize that private people have a greater right to control information about themselves than do public officials and others who seek power, influence or attention. Only an overriding public need can justify intrusion into anyone's privacy."



R.I.P. - RETIRED DETECTIVE FIRST GRADE FRANK BERBERICH


All of us in Brooklyn North Detectives were sad to learn of the passing of Retired Detective First Grade Francis Berberich on June 20, 2011.

Frank Berberich was a retired member of Brooklyn North Homicide, having retired in 1995. He served 34 years in the department, appointed in 1961.

Our thoughts and prayers go out to his family.



IN MEMORIAM: PTL. CHARLES BERBERICH – NOV. 15, 1908

Many people knew Frank Berberich, a detective assigned to Brooklyn North Homicide, as noted above in his obituary announcement.

But did you know that Frank had a grandfather who was also a Patrolman on NYPD who was killed in the line of duty in 1908?

Ptl. Charles Berberich had served on the NYPD for 11 years when, on November 15, 1908 he was electrocuted.

Patrolman Berberich was killed after coming into contact with a live wire he was guarding.

Patrolman Berberich was assigned to guard a downed wire in front of 360 East Seventh Street, Brooklyn. He was waiting for the electric company to come repair the wire when a woman and two children approached. As Patrolman Berberich helped them around the wire, he came in contact with it and was electrocuted.

Patrolman Berberich had served with the New York City Police Department for 11 years, and was survived by his wife and child. He was assigned to the Parkville Station.



“LEST WE FORGET”… NYPD Memorial

“It is not how they died that makes them a hero, but how they lived their lives”.

June 28, 1927 Ptl Andrew Grennan, 46 Pct, Drowned during rescue
June 28, 1931 Det William DeGive, MODD, Shot during GLA Arrest
June 28, 1963 Ptl. William Baumfield, 4 Div, Shot-Robbery
June 28, 1972 PO John Skagen, TD2, Shot chasing felon
June 28, 1986 PO Scott Gadell, 101 Pct, Shot during investigation
July 1, 1911 Ptl Michael Lynch, 22 Pct, Shot by perp
July 2, 1922 Det John Moriarty, Det Div, Shot:Robbery in progress
July 2, 1970 Ptl Paul Donadio, 75 Pct, Patrolwagon accident on patrol
July 3, 1857 Ptl Thomas Sparks, No info available
July 3, 1917 Ptl John Flood, 31 Pct, Assaulted
July 3, 1966 Ptl Willie Stephenson, HAPD, Drowned during rescue
July 4, 1940 Det Joseph Lynch, Bomb Squad, Explosion during investigation
July 4, 1940 Det Ferdinand Socha, Bomb Squad, Explosion during investigation
July 4, 1993 PO Rudolph Thomas, PSA3, Shot:Off duty
July 5, 1946 Sgt Isaac Price, 28 Pct, Heart attack during robbery arrest
July 6, 1979 PO Ignatius Gentile, 77 Pct, Fell under train
July 7, 1872 Ptl John Donohue, 5 Pct, Ambushed, assaulted
July 9, 1938 Ptl Arthur Howarth, 85 Pct, Auto accident on patrol
July 10, 1851 Ptl George Gillespie, NFI
July 10, 1968 Ptl Nicolo Danisi, PA, Shot:Off duty mistaken ID
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



WISHING ALL A VERY HAPPY JULY 4TH WEEKEND! Sunshine, maybe some beach and sand, a little barbecue action- shared with family and friends. Enjoy the holiday!



TO CONTACT THE MINISTER OF INVESTIGATION…

You may send email to:

Ltjac77@yahoo.com