CONGRATULATIONS ARE IN ORDER!
Congratulations! And Lots of Luck! Are extended to Lt. EDDIE LOTT and his lovely wife, Lt. DEBRA LOTT, on the birth of their second daughter, ELIZABETH ASHLEY LOTT.
Eddie, the Squad Commander of the 73 Squad, and his wife Debra, of the 94 Precinct, welcomed the newborn on July 10, 2004. Weighing on at 8lbs 12 oz, we are happy to report all are home and doing very well.
THE DEPARTMENT MEDAL
From 1889 to 1911, the department awarded a medal known as the Department Medal, or �Medal of Honor�.
On January 15, 1889, the Board of Police Commissioners made Honorable Mention in the minutes of the board meeting and awarded a Department Medal to Ptl. John Meagher of the Steamboat Squad for his rescue of a man who had jumped into the North River. This medal was previously known as the Honorable Mention Badge. After 1889 the medal was known as the Department Medal, or a Medal of Honor.
Although not always done so, some commissioners, in particular Theodore Roosevelt, would have a formal presentation ceremony at Headquarters.
MULTIPLE AWARDS OF THE MEDAL OF HONOR
Since the modern medal era came into being in 1915, when the name of the highest NYPD award �The Department Medal� was changed to �The Medal of Honor�, only three members of the NYPD have been awarded the Medal of Honor twice.
The first multiple award was to Detective Timothy J. Connell who was awarded the Medal of Honor in 1922, after he was wounded during a shootout in which he killed a hold-up man. He also received a posthumous award of the medal in 1926, after he was killed in another shootout with four criminals in 1924.
The second multiple award was to Detective John Cordes. He received the medal in 1924 after a shootout in which he was wounded five times during a stickup in a store. He received it again in 1928 for a second shootout.
The third recipient was PO Robert Bilodeau, Street Crime Unit, who was awarded the medal twice, posthumously, at the 1981 Medal Day Ceremony. The first award was for an incident on April 5, 1979, when while making an arrest his throat was slashed, an injury that required 63 stitches to heal. The second award was for an incident on February 12, 1980, when he chased a gunman into an alleyway. The gunman turned and shot Bilodeau three times. Before he died he was able to wound his assailant.
CORRECTION NOTED: ROUNDSMAN DONOHUE
On my last posting of "In Memoriam" I listed an entry as Ptl. Donohue, as that is how he is listed on the NYPD Memorial site.
The correct rank, however, is Roundsman. A Roundsman was equivalent to today�s rank of Sergeant. The details of Roundsman Donohue�s death is noted below. Thanks again to Ret. Det1 John Reilly for his noticing this discrepancy, and correcting it.
Noting the entry recently regarding police whistles, John Reilly added the following on this topic as well.
When he came on the job in 1955 all MOS had to carry two whistles, one a traffic whistle and one a police whistle.
Although he can't ever remember using the police whistles to summon help, he does recall that the top end of the whistle had a round shank which you hooked onto your belt. The big problem he recalls is that the end shank would break off and you had to get a new whistle. He thinks that this was the main reason for discontinuing them � probably that and the fact that using the whistle to summon aid was fast obsolete.
IN THE LINE OF DUTY: ROUNDSMAN JOHN DONOHUE � 1872
On July 11, 1872, Roundsman John Donohue of Brooklyn�s 5th Precinct (the current 94 Precinct) was killed in the line of duty.
At about 1:00 am on the morning of July 7, 1872, on North First Street, near Union Avenue, Brooklyn, the �Battle-Row Gang� ambushed Rdsman Donohue. For some time there had been bad feeling between the gang and Rdsman Donohue because he had arrested some of them for various crimes.
During the early hours of July 7th, the gang had been in a whisky shop drinking and was overheard plotting to start a disturbance, which would bring Donohue to the area. One of the leaders of the gang, Henry Rodgers, had stated that when Donohue came he �would kill him.� The disturbance was created and when Donohue responded to disperse them the whole gang attacked him.
Witnesses testified that they saw Rodgers with an oak bar and that he struck the officer on the back of his head. The gang left the officer lying on the sidewalk insensible. Rdsman Donohue was removed to the Brooklyn City Hospital where he was treated for injuries to his brain. He died at the hospital on July 11, 1872.
Donohue was married and had two young children. A funeral service for Roundsman John Donohue was held on July 14, 1872 at the Church of St. Peter and Paul, 2nd Street, Williamsburg. The funeral cortege consisted of about 300 police officers, the Mayor and members of the Board of Aldermen, the family and friends riding in some seventy carriages. Interment of the body was in Calvary Cemetery. The murderer of Rdsman Donohue, Henry Rodgers, was convicted of the crime of murder on Oct. 22, 1872 and executed by hanging on Dec. 6, 1872 at the Raymond Street Jail, Brooklyn.
INTERESTING WEB SITES
CHANGE DETECTION.COMHere's a useful website I recently stumbled across: www.changedetection.com.
It's a free service that let's you monitor a website for changes. You enter the web address and your email address and when a change occurs, you'll be notified.
�LEST WE FORGET�� THE NYPD MEMORIAL
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. Maifland Mercer, 76 Pct, Shot-off duty arrest
Tuesday, July 27, 2004
Wednesday, July 14, 2004
SOME WISDOM FROM WILL ROGERS�
Never slap a man who's chewing tobacco
There are 2 theories to arguing with a woman...neither works.
Never miss a good chance to shut up.
Good judgment comes from experience, and a lot of that comes from bad judgment.
When you are dissatisfied and would like to go back to youth, think of Algebra.
DEPARTMENT COMMUNICATION: FROM RATTLE TO TELEGRAPH
When this department was in its infancy, back in 1651, the first people involved in the job of law enforcement were citizens selected as "watchmen" who would patrol their neighborhoods at night.
If the watchmen needed assistance, they would simply twirl a wooden ratchet or "rattle" that they carried; hence their tour of duty became known as the "Rattle Watch".
Ninety years later, watchmen turned in their rattle for a bell and a lantern, making it much easier for other members of the public to find them at night. The "bellmen", as they were then called, also carried an hourglass, as they were required to inform the public of the time every hour which not only made it easier for the public to find them, but it also proved that they were still awake.
As New York City grew, this primitive method of using a hand-held bell to summon assistance became outdated, and a better system was needed. It was therefore no surprise that when the Municipal Police - which later became the NYPD - was officially founded in 1845, that one of the first orders of business was to adopt the latest miracle of technology, the telegraph.
Becoming an instant success, the precincts now had the ability to communicate directly with Headquarters, but the cop on the street had to wait until 1885 before the first telegraphic signal boxes would be installed on the streets.
Once the experimental boxes were installed in the Bronx, patrolman, using Morse Code, were able to contact the precinct in a matter of seconds, and the desk lieutenant could now be alerted of emergencies in the field, such as a fire. Required to carry a signal box key at all times, patrolmen also carried a code book and originally rang the precinct at whatever frequency the duty captain ordered. A selected group of "responsible citizens" were also given signal box keys, and trained on using the boxes to call for assistance in the absence of a patrolman. Later, patrolman were required to signal the precinct three times each tour. By the end of 1892, a total of 34 signal boxes had been installed in these test precincts which, over the course of the year had facilitated the transmission of over 121,000 signals.
WHEN DID POLICE OFFICERS START USING WHISTLES?
Whistles began to be used because police officers needed a way to signal other officers on near-by posts.
Carved wooden whistles were used as early as 1854, and by 1860, the "pea" whistle (a cast lead casing with a small dried pea inside to give a "warble" sound) was in use. Up until that time, signaling was done by hitting a curbstone, wall or ash can lid with the nightstick, or even firing off a pistol shot.
Around 1889, the tubular whistle used by the British "Bobbies" came into use by the N.Y.P.D. because it was very loud and had a distinctive sound. The tubular whistle was retired from Department use in 1959 because improved electronic communications available to police officers made it unnecessary. However, the "traffic" whistle was retained in service and is the one and only whistle used by the N.Y.P.D. today.
REGRETFUL ANNOUNCEMENT
I am saddened to report that Retired Capt. Gerald Howard, 49 yrs of age passed away on Sun. 7/11/2004.
Jerry was appointed to the NYC Transit Police Dept. on 9/4/80, serving first in District 33 on patrol before being promoted. Viewing, at Macken Mortuary, 52 Clinton Ave. Rockville Center, NY were Tuesday July 13 and Wednesday July 14. A Funeral Mass will be said at St. Agnes, R.C. Church--Rockville Centre on Thursday July 15, 10:00am.
I remember many days on patrol as a rookie cop with Jerry, and always enjoyed his very dry wit and humor. He ended his career with a return to District 33, his roots, as its Commanding Officer. God bless, Jerry.
LAW ENFORCEMENT PUBLICATIONS
Here are some law enforcement publications made available through the National Criminal Justice Resources:
"Forensic Examination of Digital Evidence: A Guide for Law Enforcement" (92 pp.) (NCJ 199408) is for members of the law enforcement community who are responsible for the examination of digital evidence. Second in a series of guides on investigation of electronic crime; see also "Electronic Crime Scene Investigation: A Guide for Law Enforcement" at:
http://www.ojp.usdoj.gov/nij/pubs-sum/187736.htm. (NIJ)
You may access the full text at:
http://www.ncjrs.org/txtfiles1/nij/199408.txt or http://www.ncjrs.org/pdffiles1/nij/199408.pdf
New COPS Publication Available: "Policing Smarter through IT: Learning from Chicago's Citizen and Law Enforcement Analysis and Reporting (CLEAR) System" (104 pp.) (NCJ 205698) examines "launch procedures" toward developing an integrated criminal justice information system powered by the CLEAR data warehouse and lessons learned on the design, development, and use of automated systems and police management applications. (COPS)
Access full text at COPS Online:
http://www.cops.usdoj.gov/mime/open.pdf?Item=1264
INTERESTING WEB SITES
Yet another all-in-one site to help you find people. This site is COMPLETELY free!
http://www.the-seeker.com/
IN MEMORIAM: SPECIAL PTL. THOMAS SPARKS
On July 8, 1857, Special Patrolman Thomas Sparks of the Central Office, Metropolitan Police Department (New York City) was killed in the line of duty.
When the Metropolitan P.D. took over the policing of NYC on July 1, 1857, their numbers were low, so the Board of Commissioners, on July 3rd, expecting trouble from gangs, appointed three hundred citizens as Special police for the upcoming 4th of July holiday.
Thomas Sparks was one of those appointed. On July 4th during the "Dead Rabbit Riots" he arrested a man for assault. While taking his prisoner to the White Street station house he was followed by a crowd. Just before getting to the station house he was hit over the head with a club. He was taken to his home at 100 East 16th St., where on July 8th he died from his injuries: Ptl. Sparks was 40 years of age.
"LEST WE FORGET�" THE NYPD MEMORIAL
July 7, 1872 Ptl John Donohue, 5 Pct, Head injuries-ambushed
July 8, 1857 Spec. Ptl Thomas Sparks, Assaulted
July 9, 1938 Ptl Arthur Howarth, 85 Pct, Auto accident on patrol
July 10, 1968 Ptl Nicholo 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-rescue
July 14, 1922 Ptl Frank Mundo, Traffic Div, Auto accident, 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 18, 1992 PO Paul Heidelberger, PSA4, Shot-off duty incident
Never slap a man who's chewing tobacco
There are 2 theories to arguing with a woman...neither works.
Never miss a good chance to shut up.
Good judgment comes from experience, and a lot of that comes from bad judgment.
When you are dissatisfied and would like to go back to youth, think of Algebra.
DEPARTMENT COMMUNICATION: FROM RATTLE TO TELEGRAPH
When this department was in its infancy, back in 1651, the first people involved in the job of law enforcement were citizens selected as "watchmen" who would patrol their neighborhoods at night.
If the watchmen needed assistance, they would simply twirl a wooden ratchet or "rattle" that they carried; hence their tour of duty became known as the "Rattle Watch".
Ninety years later, watchmen turned in their rattle for a bell and a lantern, making it much easier for other members of the public to find them at night. The "bellmen", as they were then called, also carried an hourglass, as they were required to inform the public of the time every hour which not only made it easier for the public to find them, but it also proved that they were still awake.
As New York City grew, this primitive method of using a hand-held bell to summon assistance became outdated, and a better system was needed. It was therefore no surprise that when the Municipal Police - which later became the NYPD - was officially founded in 1845, that one of the first orders of business was to adopt the latest miracle of technology, the telegraph.
Becoming an instant success, the precincts now had the ability to communicate directly with Headquarters, but the cop on the street had to wait until 1885 before the first telegraphic signal boxes would be installed on the streets.
Once the experimental boxes were installed in the Bronx, patrolman, using Morse Code, were able to contact the precinct in a matter of seconds, and the desk lieutenant could now be alerted of emergencies in the field, such as a fire. Required to carry a signal box key at all times, patrolmen also carried a code book and originally rang the precinct at whatever frequency the duty captain ordered. A selected group of "responsible citizens" were also given signal box keys, and trained on using the boxes to call for assistance in the absence of a patrolman. Later, patrolman were required to signal the precinct three times each tour. By the end of 1892, a total of 34 signal boxes had been installed in these test precincts which, over the course of the year had facilitated the transmission of over 121,000 signals.
WHEN DID POLICE OFFICERS START USING WHISTLES?
Whistles began to be used because police officers needed a way to signal other officers on near-by posts.
Carved wooden whistles were used as early as 1854, and by 1860, the "pea" whistle (a cast lead casing with a small dried pea inside to give a "warble" sound) was in use. Up until that time, signaling was done by hitting a curbstone, wall or ash can lid with the nightstick, or even firing off a pistol shot.
Around 1889, the tubular whistle used by the British "Bobbies" came into use by the N.Y.P.D. because it was very loud and had a distinctive sound. The tubular whistle was retired from Department use in 1959 because improved electronic communications available to police officers made it unnecessary. However, the "traffic" whistle was retained in service and is the one and only whistle used by the N.Y.P.D. today.
REGRETFUL ANNOUNCEMENT
I am saddened to report that Retired Capt. Gerald Howard, 49 yrs of age passed away on Sun. 7/11/2004.
Jerry was appointed to the NYC Transit Police Dept. on 9/4/80, serving first in District 33 on patrol before being promoted. Viewing, at Macken Mortuary, 52 Clinton Ave. Rockville Center, NY were Tuesday July 13 and Wednesday July 14. A Funeral Mass will be said at St. Agnes, R.C. Church--Rockville Centre on Thursday July 15, 10:00am.
I remember many days on patrol as a rookie cop with Jerry, and always enjoyed his very dry wit and humor. He ended his career with a return to District 33, his roots, as its Commanding Officer. God bless, Jerry.
LAW ENFORCEMENT PUBLICATIONS
Here are some law enforcement publications made available through the National Criminal Justice Resources:
"Forensic Examination of Digital Evidence: A Guide for Law Enforcement" (92 pp.) (NCJ 199408) is for members of the law enforcement community who are responsible for the examination of digital evidence. Second in a series of guides on investigation of electronic crime; see also "Electronic Crime Scene Investigation: A Guide for Law Enforcement" at:
http://www.ojp.usdoj.gov/nij/pubs-sum/187736.htm. (NIJ)
You may access the full text at:
http://www.ncjrs.org/txtfiles1/nij/199408.txt or http://www.ncjrs.org/pdffiles1/nij/199408.pdf
New COPS Publication Available: "Policing Smarter through IT: Learning from Chicago's Citizen and Law Enforcement Analysis and Reporting (CLEAR) System" (104 pp.) (NCJ 205698) examines "launch procedures" toward developing an integrated criminal justice information system powered by the CLEAR data warehouse and lessons learned on the design, development, and use of automated systems and police management applications. (COPS)
Access full text at COPS Online:
http://www.cops.usdoj.gov/mime/open.pdf?Item=1264
INTERESTING WEB SITES
Yet another all-in-one site to help you find people. This site is COMPLETELY free!
http://www.the-seeker.com/
IN MEMORIAM: SPECIAL PTL. THOMAS SPARKS
On July 8, 1857, Special Patrolman Thomas Sparks of the Central Office, Metropolitan Police Department (New York City) was killed in the line of duty.
When the Metropolitan P.D. took over the policing of NYC on July 1, 1857, their numbers were low, so the Board of Commissioners, on July 3rd, expecting trouble from gangs, appointed three hundred citizens as Special police for the upcoming 4th of July holiday.
Thomas Sparks was one of those appointed. On July 4th during the "Dead Rabbit Riots" he arrested a man for assault. While taking his prisoner to the White Street station house he was followed by a crowd. Just before getting to the station house he was hit over the head with a club. He was taken to his home at 100 East 16th St., where on July 8th he died from his injuries: Ptl. Sparks was 40 years of age.
"LEST WE FORGET�" THE NYPD MEMORIAL
July 7, 1872 Ptl John Donohue, 5 Pct, Head injuries-ambushed
July 8, 1857 Spec. Ptl Thomas Sparks, Assaulted
July 9, 1938 Ptl Arthur Howarth, 85 Pct, Auto accident on patrol
July 10, 1968 Ptl Nicholo 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-rescue
July 14, 1922 Ptl Frank Mundo, Traffic Div, Auto accident, 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 18, 1992 PO Paul Heidelberger, PSA4, Shot-off duty incident
Wednesday, July 07, 2004
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.
REDESIGNED MEDAL OF HONOR � 1973
Sixty years after the Medal of Honor replaced the Department Medal as the NYPD�s top award for valor, the department decided to change its design.
In 1972, a contest was announced to pick a design for a new medal. The winner was Ptl. Alfred Young, a police historian and later curator of the Police Museum. His design was based on the star-shaped badge worn by the New York City Municipal Police Department officers from 1845 to 1857. The medal hangs from a green ribbon on which 12 white stars are clustered. A top bar is inscribed with �Valor�. A gold palm leaf on the ribbon indicates a second award. Since 1997, the medal has been made of gold.
The first presentation of the new medals were made on October 23, 1973, to the widows of five officers: Gregory Foster and Rocco Laurie, 9 Pct., Elijah Stroud, 88 Pct., Phillip Cardillo, 28 Pct., and Det. William Capers, 16 B/L Sqd, who were slain in the line of duty during 1972. Two other awards of the Medal of Honor were also made that day to Sgt. William Manos, ESD 4, and Officer Frank Buono, Bx. FSA.
At the 1985 Medal Day ceremonies the first awards of the NYPD Medal of Honor to a female police officer were made to PO Tanya Braithwaite, 41 Pct, and PO Sharon Fields, 40 Pct. Each officer had engaged in a shootout with a gunman who had just murdered another police officer.
It is noted that in 1984, a female police officer with the NYC Transit Police Department, Irma Lozada, was killed in the line of duty and awarded the Transit Police� Medal of Honor posthumously.
Since 1921, when posthumous awards were first made, approximately 70% of the Medals of Honor awarded have been to officers who died in the line of duty, with the majority killed in shooting incident.
IN MEMORIAM: PTL. DANIEL NEVILLE
On August 27, 1921 Ptl. Daniel J. Neville of the 23rd Precinct (Midtown South) was killed in the line of duty.
Ptl. Neville entered a lot at 39th St. and Eleventh Ave. to investigate a report that a group of young gangsters were using the watchman�s shanty for card games and for the distribution of drugs. When he was about five foot from the shanty he was shot in the left chest, which resulted in his death. Witnesses had reported that they saw one man run out of the yard and that two men were seen climbing over the fence of the year after the shot.
Ptl. Neville was appointed to the NYPD in 1907; he was married and the father of five children. Ptl. Neville was Posthomously awarded the NYPD Medal of Honor.
(Special Note: In 1918, One of Ptl. Neville�s former partners, Ptl. Joseph Nolan, was killed in front of 526 W. 39th Street by a brick thrown from the roof.)
IDENTITY THEFT INVESTIGATORS GUIDE AVAILABLE
A recently release publication by the national Institute of Justice focuses on the ever increasing problem of Identity Theft.
Law Enforcement Agencies and Identity Theft, (NCJ 205701) a 64 page booklet, is a new COPS POP Guide, addresses the problem of identity theft, and reviews the factors that increase the risk of it. Identity theft is a new crime, facilitated through established, underlying crimes such as forgery, counterfeiting, check and credit card fraud, computer fraud, impersonation, pickpocketing, and even terrorism.
You Can Access full text at COPS Online:
http://www.cops.usdoj.gov/mime/open.pdf?Item=1271
SGT. PATRICK BENEVENTI HONORED
As noted in a recent NY POST article, on June 16, 2004, Sgt. Patrick Beneventi of the 109 Pct. was recently honored.
On June 16, 2004 Police Commissioner Ray Kelly presented the Theodore Roosevelt Award - which honors NYPD cops who survive a medical hardship - to a Queens sergeant who fought back against cancer.
"I had a little bad luck with my health. Thank God everything is OK. I had a little surgery and I feel fine now," said Sgt. Patrick Beneventi.
Beneventi became ill in July 1999 and underwent surgery to remove a malignant tumor from his spine. He returned to work - only to be twice diagnosed with prostate cancer, but he has been cancer-free since March 2003.
The Roosevelt Award honors the legacy of the former NYPD commissioner and childhood asthma victim who became the 26th president.
Kelly lauded Beneventi not only for beating his illness, but for supervising three cops from the 109th Precinct who have had a remarkable impact upon crime in Flushing.
The trio - Officers Brian McCloskey, Dennis Kim and Jerry Svoronos - logged 366 arrests in 2003, an average of an arrest a day. Through March of this year, they had nabbed 157 suspected criminals, a rate nearly twice that of last year.
IF YOGI BERRA WAS A DETECTIVE
The following statements, taken from DD5s, could easily have been written by Yogi Berra if he was a detective.
�They were living domesticatally.
They�re habitating at �
Seeking the location of his whereabouts�
He was of Jamaican assessment.
Seeking to identify his identification.
Identified a pattern of unrelated incidents.
Was wearing a multi-colored white tee shirt
Known to congregate by himself.
The eyewitness is blind and did not see anything.
They went into a feet pursuit.
He has numerical arrests on his rap sheet.
The bus driver was working off duty at the time.
The information was received from an anonymous CI.
His sister states that she is not related to her brother.
The suspicious package was examined and determined to be not suspicious.
The unarmed security guard fired two shots at the perp.
All the calls that day happened another day.
Also, does anyone know when the word �conversating� became a recognized word in the English language?
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.
REDESIGNED MEDAL OF HONOR � 1973
Sixty years after the Medal of Honor replaced the Department Medal as the NYPD�s top award for valor, the department decided to change its design.
In 1972, a contest was announced to pick a design for a new medal. The winner was Ptl. Alfred Young, a police historian and later curator of the Police Museum. His design was based on the star-shaped badge worn by the New York City Municipal Police Department officers from 1845 to 1857. The medal hangs from a green ribbon on which 12 white stars are clustered. A top bar is inscribed with �Valor�. A gold palm leaf on the ribbon indicates a second award. Since 1997, the medal has been made of gold.
The first presentation of the new medals were made on October 23, 1973, to the widows of five officers: Gregory Foster and Rocco Laurie, 9 Pct., Elijah Stroud, 88 Pct., Phillip Cardillo, 28 Pct., and Det. William Capers, 16 B/L Sqd, who were slain in the line of duty during 1972. Two other awards of the Medal of Honor were also made that day to Sgt. William Manos, ESD 4, and Officer Frank Buono, Bx. FSA.
At the 1985 Medal Day ceremonies the first awards of the NYPD Medal of Honor to a female police officer were made to PO Tanya Braithwaite, 41 Pct, and PO Sharon Fields, 40 Pct. Each officer had engaged in a shootout with a gunman who had just murdered another police officer.
It is noted that in 1984, a female police officer with the NYC Transit Police Department, Irma Lozada, was killed in the line of duty and awarded the Transit Police� Medal of Honor posthumously.
Since 1921, when posthumous awards were first made, approximately 70% of the Medals of Honor awarded have been to officers who died in the line of duty, with the majority killed in shooting incident.
IN MEMORIAM: PTL. DANIEL NEVILLE
On August 27, 1921 Ptl. Daniel J. Neville of the 23rd Precinct (Midtown South) was killed in the line of duty.
Ptl. Neville entered a lot at 39th St. and Eleventh Ave. to investigate a report that a group of young gangsters were using the watchman�s shanty for card games and for the distribution of drugs. When he was about five foot from the shanty he was shot in the left chest, which resulted in his death. Witnesses had reported that they saw one man run out of the yard and that two men were seen climbing over the fence of the year after the shot.
Ptl. Neville was appointed to the NYPD in 1907; he was married and the father of five children. Ptl. Neville was Posthomously awarded the NYPD Medal of Honor.
(Special Note: In 1918, One of Ptl. Neville�s former partners, Ptl. Joseph Nolan, was killed in front of 526 W. 39th Street by a brick thrown from the roof.)
IDENTITY THEFT INVESTIGATORS GUIDE AVAILABLE
A recently release publication by the national Institute of Justice focuses on the ever increasing problem of Identity Theft.
Law Enforcement Agencies and Identity Theft, (NCJ 205701) a 64 page booklet, is a new COPS POP Guide, addresses the problem of identity theft, and reviews the factors that increase the risk of it. Identity theft is a new crime, facilitated through established, underlying crimes such as forgery, counterfeiting, check and credit card fraud, computer fraud, impersonation, pickpocketing, and even terrorism.
You Can Access full text at COPS Online:
http://www.cops.usdoj.gov/mime/open.pdf?Item=1271
SGT. PATRICK BENEVENTI HONORED
As noted in a recent NY POST article, on June 16, 2004, Sgt. Patrick Beneventi of the 109 Pct. was recently honored.
On June 16, 2004 Police Commissioner Ray Kelly presented the Theodore Roosevelt Award - which honors NYPD cops who survive a medical hardship - to a Queens sergeant who fought back against cancer.
"I had a little bad luck with my health. Thank God everything is OK. I had a little surgery and I feel fine now," said Sgt. Patrick Beneventi.
Beneventi became ill in July 1999 and underwent surgery to remove a malignant tumor from his spine. He returned to work - only to be twice diagnosed with prostate cancer, but he has been cancer-free since March 2003.
The Roosevelt Award honors the legacy of the former NYPD commissioner and childhood asthma victim who became the 26th president.
Kelly lauded Beneventi not only for beating his illness, but for supervising three cops from the 109th Precinct who have had a remarkable impact upon crime in Flushing.
The trio - Officers Brian McCloskey, Dennis Kim and Jerry Svoronos - logged 366 arrests in 2003, an average of an arrest a day. Through March of this year, they had nabbed 157 suspected criminals, a rate nearly twice that of last year.
IF YOGI BERRA WAS A DETECTIVE
The following statements, taken from DD5s, could easily have been written by Yogi Berra if he was a detective.
�They were living domesticatally.
They�re habitating at �
Seeking the location of his whereabouts�
He was of Jamaican assessment.
Seeking to identify his identification.
Identified a pattern of unrelated incidents.
Was wearing a multi-colored white tee shirt
Known to congregate by himself.
The eyewitness is blind and did not see anything.
They went into a feet pursuit.
He has numerical arrests on his rap sheet.
The bus driver was working off duty at the time.
The information was received from an anonymous CI.
His sister states that she is not related to her brother.
The suspicious package was examined and determined to be not suspicious.
The unarmed security guard fired two shots at the perp.
All the calls that day happened another day.
Also, does anyone know when the word �conversating� became a recognized word in the English language?
Wednesday, June 30, 2004
THE DETECTIVE�S INGREDIENTS
I recently came across an interview that was printed in the January/February 1991 edition of Spring 3100 in which Chief Joseph Borrelli, the then-Chief of Detectives, commented on the role of the Detective.
Chief Borrelli shared what he described as his �Four Basic Ingredients to be a Detective�, and I would like to excerpt them here, as they are just as appropriate today as they were back then.
He stated that the four basic ingredients to be a detective are: immense professional pride, knowledge of the law, patience, and a true sense of caring.
�Teamwork is extremely important in detective work. Detectives must be patient; you learn quickly that you can�t force things. Detectives need to carefully examine every detail in addition to using their deductive and inductive reasoning skills to draw conclusions. (I sometimes have wished that others in authority recognized that patience is necessary, and that you can�t force things!)
Luck, too, plays an important role. But luck is not enough. Some cynical people think that a case is solved by a phone call, and at times that�s true. But that phone call was assuredly preceded by much hard work separating the truth from fiction, and misconceptions from outright lies. Detectives work hard in gathering information and isolating the truth, but if that phone call does come in, you must be ready for it.�
Emotionally, Chief Borrelli recognized that detectives have to like people. �They must care about each of their cases. Cases that make front page news are often forgotten in a few days time. But for the family and the detective who has that case, it goes on until it can be closed - however long that takes.�
IN MEMORIAM: PTL. JOSEPH NOLAN
On June 26, 1918 Ptl. Joseph A. Nolan Sh# 1626 of the then 22nd Precinct (Midtown South) was killed in the line of duty.
At about 2 am on June 26, 1918, while on post on Eleventh Ave., Ptl. Nolan heard pistol shots in the vicinity of 39th St. between Tenth and Eleventh Aves. He rapped for assistance with his nightstick on the pavement, and when Patrolmen Walsh and Neville responded they found Ptl. Nolan questioning several persons who were standing on the stoop of No. 526 W. 39th St. The men were allowed to go, the officers assuring themselves that they knew of the pistol shots.
After the men left, the officers remained in front of the building, and while they were standing there a number of bricks were thrown from the roof, one of which struck Ptl. Nolan on the head and he fell to the sidewalk. An ambulance was called immediately, but before it arrived at the hospital Nolan died.
In 1921, Ptl. Nolan was Posthumously awarded the NYPD Medal of Honor. (Special Note: Ptl. Neville was killed three years later (1921) in a lot at 544 W. 39th St., not 100 feet from the spot where Ptl. Nolan was killed.)
NEWS AROUND THE BORO
Some happy, some a little bit sad, but there has certainly been some news flying around the boro recently.
With a little bad of sadness in our hearts, but wishing him all the best just the same, we see TOMMY JOYCE leave as the 79 Squad�s Commanding Officer and take on new responsibilities in the Cold Case Squad. I have known Tommy for many years, and have had the privilege of working with him when he was a Squad Sergeant in the 77 Squad when I took over that command, and then later as a fellow colleague and Squad Commander. He also sits on the LBA Board in one of the Sentinel positions (Outside/Inside). I will certainly miss his input around here, knowing that the loss to Brooklyn North Detective�s is truly a gain by the Cold Case Squad! A true professional, and a cop�s cop� I join all of my Brooklyn North brothers and sisters in wishing Tommy ALL THE BEST in his new position! We�ll miss you!
It was great to see Sergeant CHUCK RIBANDO's name on the recent promotion list, with his well deserved bump to SDS Sergeant. I also count Chuck as a long time friend, and had the privilege of working with him most recently in the 75 Squad before I left for Homicide and Chuck moved on to the Joint Terrorism TF. Another cop�s cop; it�s great to see the recognition come to someone so deserving.
Another promotion to a Brooklyn North Detective alum saw the eagle pinned to the collars of MIKE HARRINGTON, the current C.O. of the 79 Precinct. Many of us still remember when he was the Detective Captain, running around town with his fellow Detective Captain, Paddy Boyle. His work in the 79 Precinct is reflected in this fine promotion. I fondly recall working with Mike�s father (boy, do I feel like Paddy Boyle now!) when I was a cub-patrol cop in District 33 and Neil Harrington was a newly promoted Lieutenant. He certainly left a good impression on his family, to say the least, with many footsteps following him into law enforcement. There was a story that was running around back then that the elder Neil Harrington went to work one morning, driving from Staten Island to District 30 in downtown Brooklyn, before realizing that one of his younger tribe (there are more than a handful of young Harrington�s) was asleep in the back seat of the car! I�ve never verified the story, but just wonder about that all the same.
Recuperating well at home is another great friend, JOHN AMODEO. Undergoing several surgical procedures to place stints in his arteries may have set him back for a while, but John is recovering quite well, and sounding fine. We are looking forward to getting him out for some lunch dates, as I�m sure he is as well. Your wit, humor, and more importantly your professional advice are sorely missed by all here in Brooklyn North. We all look forward to the day we see you playing a foursome at one of the golf outings! Keep up your spirits, and know that you have touched many here in Brooklyn North who continue rooting for you.
TOMB OF THE UNKNOWN SOLDIER
While this has nothing to do with detectives, I recently came across this item and thought it interesting enough to pass on to readers of this site.
Regarding the military detail assigned to guard the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier in Washington DC, did you know any of the following?
A guard takes 21 steps during his walk across the tomb of the Unknowns. These steps allude to the twenty-one gun salute, which is the highest honor given any military or foreign dignitary. For this same reason, he hesitates 21 seconds after his about face to begin his return walk.
The guard wears his white gloves wet, moistened to prevent his losing his grip on the rifle.
He carries the rifle on the shoulder away from the tomb. After his march across the path, he executes an about face, and moves the rifle to the outside shoulder.
Guards are changed every thirty minutes, twenty-four hours a day, 365 days a year.
For a person to apply for guard duty at the tomb, he must be between 5' 10" and 6' 2" tall and his waist size cannot exceed 30 inches. In addition, a candidate to the Guard must commit 2 years of life to guard the tomb, live in a barracks under the tomb, and cannot drink any alcohol on or off duty for the rest of their lives. They cannot swear in public for the rest of their lives and cannot disgrace the uniform {fighting} or the tomb in any way.
After two years, the guard is given a wreath pin that is worn on their lapel signifying they served as guard of the tomb. There are only 400 presently worn.
The guard must obey these rules for the rest of their lives or give up the wreath pin.
The shoes are specially made with very thick soles to keep the heat and cold from their feet. There are metal heel plates that extend to the top of the shoe in order to make the loud click as they come to a halt. There are no wrinkles, folds or lint on the uniform.
Guards dress for duty in front of a full-length mirror. The first six months of duty a guard cannot talk to anyone, nor watch TV. All off duty time is spent studying the 175 notable people laid to rest in Arlington National Cemetery. A guard must memorize who they are and where they are interred. Among the notables are: President Taft, Joe E. Lewis, the boxer, and Medal of Honor winner Audie Murphy, the most decorated soldier of W.W.II, of Hollywood fame.
Every guard spends five hours a day getting his uniforms ready for guard duty.
Recently the US Senate and House took 2 days off as they couldn't work because of an expected storm. On the ABC evening news, it was reported that, because of the dangers from Hurricane Isabelle approaching Washington, DC, the military members assigned the duty of guarding the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier were given permission to suspend the assignment.
They respectfully declined the offer, "No way, Sir!"
Soaked to the skin, marching in the pelting rain of a tropical storm, they said that guarding the Tomb was not just an assignment, it was the highest honor that can be afforded to a service person.
The tomb has been patrolled continuously, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, since 1930.
MULTIPLE AWARDS OF THE MEDAL OF HONOR
Since the modern medal era came into being in 1915, when the name of the highest NYPD award �The Department Medal� was changed to �The Medal of Honor�, only three members of the NYPD have been awarded the Medal of Honor twice.
The first multiple award was to Detective Timothy J. Connell who was awarded the Medal of Honor in 1922, after he was wounded during a shootout in which he killed a hold-up man. He also received a posthumous award of the medal in 1926, after he was killed in another shootout with four criminals in 1924.
The second multiple award was to Detective John Cordes. He received the medal in 1924 after a shootout in which he was wounded five times during a stickup in a store. He received it again in 1928 for a second shootout.
The third recipient was PO Robert Bilodeau, Street Crime Unit, who was awarded the medal twice, posthumously, at the 1981 Medal Day Ceremony. The first award was for an incident on April 5, 1979, when while making an arrest his throat was slashed, an injury that required 63 stitches to heal. The second award was for an incident on February 12, 1980, when he chased a gunman into an alleyway. The gunman turned and shot Bilodeau three times. Before he died he was able to wound his assailant.
EAST IS NORTH AND WEST IS SOUTH
It was reported in the January 1961 issue of Spring 3100 that a reorganization of department commands had taken place on November 22, 1959, with borough and division commands in Manhattan and Brooklyn affected.
It was during this reorganization that the borough commands were reorganized as North and South, where previously they were arranged in an East and West format.
Brooklyn North commands included those of Divisions 13 and 14, and the headquarters was at � 179 Wilson Avenue!
Brooklyn South included Divisions 10, 11, and 12, headquartered at 485 Bergen Street (78 Precinct).
FOR THE INVESTIGATOR�S ROLODEX
Rolex Watch Database
The Rolex database includes dates of service when a watch has been worked on at one of two authorized Rolex service centers � New York and Dallas.
Also included in the database is the serial number of watches reported stolen.
If a stolen watch is brought into an authorized service center for service, it will be confiscated. Information from the database is available to persons with legitimate nned to know, including law enforcement, insurance investigators, jewelers and others.
Telephone requests are not honored. There is no master registry of Rolex ownership.
Fax your requests on company letterhead to:
Rolex (Fax) 212-980-2166
Rolex: Telephone 212-758-7700
www.rolex.com
AN INVITATION TO READERS
I have always found it informative, as have many readers to this site, to hear from retired Detective�s with their �old-time� stories �From the Squad Room�.
What was it like when you made Detective? What were the Squad�s like; how did that duty chart work, with those �Open Days� and the tours that ran from 1700 to 0900 hours. How did investigations proceed, detectives working around the clock on a homicide, without any overtime? Did you even know that a Detective Captain existed? Did cops naturally progress from �plainclothes� assignments to �The Squad�?
If you have any stories you�d like to relate, please pass them on to me. If you don�t want me to use any on this site, just say so � I�ll enjoy them anyway, and won�t post them or reveal the source if you care not to. I�ve always felt it�s important to know where you came from � the history that surrounds the squad is better than any fiction writers imagination.
I look forward to hearing some of your stories.
Please e-mail me at:
Ltjac77@yahoo.com
Thanks!
�LEST WE FORGET�� THE NYPD MEMORIAL
July 1, 1911 Ptl Michael Lynch, 22 Pct, Shot by perp
July 2, 1922 Det John Moriarty, DetDiv, Shot-robbery in progress
July 2, 1970 Ptl Paul Donadio, 75 Pct, Patrolwagon accident
July 3, 1857 Ptl Thomas, line of duty incident
July 3, 1917 Ptl John Flood, 31 Pct, Assaulted, head injury
July 3, 1966 Ptl Willie Stephenson, HAPD, Drowned, rescue
July 4, 1940 Det Joseph Lynch and Det Ferdinand Socha, Bomb Squad : Investigation
July 4, 1993 PO Rudolph Thomas, PSA3, Shot-off duty incident
July 5, 1946 Sgt Isaac Price, 28 Pct, Heart attack during robbery arrest
I recently came across an interview that was printed in the January/February 1991 edition of Spring 3100 in which Chief Joseph Borrelli, the then-Chief of Detectives, commented on the role of the Detective.
Chief Borrelli shared what he described as his �Four Basic Ingredients to be a Detective�, and I would like to excerpt them here, as they are just as appropriate today as they were back then.
He stated that the four basic ingredients to be a detective are: immense professional pride, knowledge of the law, patience, and a true sense of caring.
�Teamwork is extremely important in detective work. Detectives must be patient; you learn quickly that you can�t force things. Detectives need to carefully examine every detail in addition to using their deductive and inductive reasoning skills to draw conclusions. (I sometimes have wished that others in authority recognized that patience is necessary, and that you can�t force things!)
Luck, too, plays an important role. But luck is not enough. Some cynical people think that a case is solved by a phone call, and at times that�s true. But that phone call was assuredly preceded by much hard work separating the truth from fiction, and misconceptions from outright lies. Detectives work hard in gathering information and isolating the truth, but if that phone call does come in, you must be ready for it.�
Emotionally, Chief Borrelli recognized that detectives have to like people. �They must care about each of their cases. Cases that make front page news are often forgotten in a few days time. But for the family and the detective who has that case, it goes on until it can be closed - however long that takes.�
IN MEMORIAM: PTL. JOSEPH NOLAN
On June 26, 1918 Ptl. Joseph A. Nolan Sh# 1626 of the then 22nd Precinct (Midtown South) was killed in the line of duty.
At about 2 am on June 26, 1918, while on post on Eleventh Ave., Ptl. Nolan heard pistol shots in the vicinity of 39th St. between Tenth and Eleventh Aves. He rapped for assistance with his nightstick on the pavement, and when Patrolmen Walsh and Neville responded they found Ptl. Nolan questioning several persons who were standing on the stoop of No. 526 W. 39th St. The men were allowed to go, the officers assuring themselves that they knew of the pistol shots.
After the men left, the officers remained in front of the building, and while they were standing there a number of bricks were thrown from the roof, one of which struck Ptl. Nolan on the head and he fell to the sidewalk. An ambulance was called immediately, but before it arrived at the hospital Nolan died.
In 1921, Ptl. Nolan was Posthumously awarded the NYPD Medal of Honor. (Special Note: Ptl. Neville was killed three years later (1921) in a lot at 544 W. 39th St., not 100 feet from the spot where Ptl. Nolan was killed.)
NEWS AROUND THE BORO
Some happy, some a little bit sad, but there has certainly been some news flying around the boro recently.
With a little bad of sadness in our hearts, but wishing him all the best just the same, we see TOMMY JOYCE leave as the 79 Squad�s Commanding Officer and take on new responsibilities in the Cold Case Squad. I have known Tommy for many years, and have had the privilege of working with him when he was a Squad Sergeant in the 77 Squad when I took over that command, and then later as a fellow colleague and Squad Commander. He also sits on the LBA Board in one of the Sentinel positions (Outside/Inside). I will certainly miss his input around here, knowing that the loss to Brooklyn North Detective�s is truly a gain by the Cold Case Squad! A true professional, and a cop�s cop� I join all of my Brooklyn North brothers and sisters in wishing Tommy ALL THE BEST in his new position! We�ll miss you!
It was great to see Sergeant CHUCK RIBANDO's name on the recent promotion list, with his well deserved bump to SDS Sergeant. I also count Chuck as a long time friend, and had the privilege of working with him most recently in the 75 Squad before I left for Homicide and Chuck moved on to the Joint Terrorism TF. Another cop�s cop; it�s great to see the recognition come to someone so deserving.
Another promotion to a Brooklyn North Detective alum saw the eagle pinned to the collars of MIKE HARRINGTON, the current C.O. of the 79 Precinct. Many of us still remember when he was the Detective Captain, running around town with his fellow Detective Captain, Paddy Boyle. His work in the 79 Precinct is reflected in this fine promotion. I fondly recall working with Mike�s father (boy, do I feel like Paddy Boyle now!) when I was a cub-patrol cop in District 33 and Neil Harrington was a newly promoted Lieutenant. He certainly left a good impression on his family, to say the least, with many footsteps following him into law enforcement. There was a story that was running around back then that the elder Neil Harrington went to work one morning, driving from Staten Island to District 30 in downtown Brooklyn, before realizing that one of his younger tribe (there are more than a handful of young Harrington�s) was asleep in the back seat of the car! I�ve never verified the story, but just wonder about that all the same.
Recuperating well at home is another great friend, JOHN AMODEO. Undergoing several surgical procedures to place stints in his arteries may have set him back for a while, but John is recovering quite well, and sounding fine. We are looking forward to getting him out for some lunch dates, as I�m sure he is as well. Your wit, humor, and more importantly your professional advice are sorely missed by all here in Brooklyn North. We all look forward to the day we see you playing a foursome at one of the golf outings! Keep up your spirits, and know that you have touched many here in Brooklyn North who continue rooting for you.
TOMB OF THE UNKNOWN SOLDIER
While this has nothing to do with detectives, I recently came across this item and thought it interesting enough to pass on to readers of this site.
Regarding the military detail assigned to guard the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier in Washington DC, did you know any of the following?
A guard takes 21 steps during his walk across the tomb of the Unknowns. These steps allude to the twenty-one gun salute, which is the highest honor given any military or foreign dignitary. For this same reason, he hesitates 21 seconds after his about face to begin his return walk.
The guard wears his white gloves wet, moistened to prevent his losing his grip on the rifle.
He carries the rifle on the shoulder away from the tomb. After his march across the path, he executes an about face, and moves the rifle to the outside shoulder.
Guards are changed every thirty minutes, twenty-four hours a day, 365 days a year.
For a person to apply for guard duty at the tomb, he must be between 5' 10" and 6' 2" tall and his waist size cannot exceed 30 inches. In addition, a candidate to the Guard must commit 2 years of life to guard the tomb, live in a barracks under the tomb, and cannot drink any alcohol on or off duty for the rest of their lives. They cannot swear in public for the rest of their lives and cannot disgrace the uniform {fighting} or the tomb in any way.
After two years, the guard is given a wreath pin that is worn on their lapel signifying they served as guard of the tomb. There are only 400 presently worn.
The guard must obey these rules for the rest of their lives or give up the wreath pin.
The shoes are specially made with very thick soles to keep the heat and cold from their feet. There are metal heel plates that extend to the top of the shoe in order to make the loud click as they come to a halt. There are no wrinkles, folds or lint on the uniform.
Guards dress for duty in front of a full-length mirror. The first six months of duty a guard cannot talk to anyone, nor watch TV. All off duty time is spent studying the 175 notable people laid to rest in Arlington National Cemetery. A guard must memorize who they are and where they are interred. Among the notables are: President Taft, Joe E. Lewis, the boxer, and Medal of Honor winner Audie Murphy, the most decorated soldier of W.W.II, of Hollywood fame.
Every guard spends five hours a day getting his uniforms ready for guard duty.
Recently the US Senate and House took 2 days off as they couldn't work because of an expected storm. On the ABC evening news, it was reported that, because of the dangers from Hurricane Isabelle approaching Washington, DC, the military members assigned the duty of guarding the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier were given permission to suspend the assignment.
They respectfully declined the offer, "No way, Sir!"
Soaked to the skin, marching in the pelting rain of a tropical storm, they said that guarding the Tomb was not just an assignment, it was the highest honor that can be afforded to a service person.
The tomb has been patrolled continuously, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, since 1930.
MULTIPLE AWARDS OF THE MEDAL OF HONOR
Since the modern medal era came into being in 1915, when the name of the highest NYPD award �The Department Medal� was changed to �The Medal of Honor�, only three members of the NYPD have been awarded the Medal of Honor twice.
The first multiple award was to Detective Timothy J. Connell who was awarded the Medal of Honor in 1922, after he was wounded during a shootout in which he killed a hold-up man. He also received a posthumous award of the medal in 1926, after he was killed in another shootout with four criminals in 1924.
The second multiple award was to Detective John Cordes. He received the medal in 1924 after a shootout in which he was wounded five times during a stickup in a store. He received it again in 1928 for a second shootout.
The third recipient was PO Robert Bilodeau, Street Crime Unit, who was awarded the medal twice, posthumously, at the 1981 Medal Day Ceremony. The first award was for an incident on April 5, 1979, when while making an arrest his throat was slashed, an injury that required 63 stitches to heal. The second award was for an incident on February 12, 1980, when he chased a gunman into an alleyway. The gunman turned and shot Bilodeau three times. Before he died he was able to wound his assailant.
EAST IS NORTH AND WEST IS SOUTH
It was reported in the January 1961 issue of Spring 3100 that a reorganization of department commands had taken place on November 22, 1959, with borough and division commands in Manhattan and Brooklyn affected.
It was during this reorganization that the borough commands were reorganized as North and South, where previously they were arranged in an East and West format.
Brooklyn North commands included those of Divisions 13 and 14, and the headquarters was at � 179 Wilson Avenue!
Brooklyn South included Divisions 10, 11, and 12, headquartered at 485 Bergen Street (78 Precinct).
FOR THE INVESTIGATOR�S ROLODEX
Rolex Watch Database
The Rolex database includes dates of service when a watch has been worked on at one of two authorized Rolex service centers � New York and Dallas.
Also included in the database is the serial number of watches reported stolen.
If a stolen watch is brought into an authorized service center for service, it will be confiscated. Information from the database is available to persons with legitimate nned to know, including law enforcement, insurance investigators, jewelers and others.
Telephone requests are not honored. There is no master registry of Rolex ownership.
Fax your requests on company letterhead to:
Rolex (Fax) 212-980-2166
Rolex: Telephone 212-758-7700
www.rolex.com
AN INVITATION TO READERS
I have always found it informative, as have many readers to this site, to hear from retired Detective�s with their �old-time� stories �From the Squad Room�.
What was it like when you made Detective? What were the Squad�s like; how did that duty chart work, with those �Open Days� and the tours that ran from 1700 to 0900 hours. How did investigations proceed, detectives working around the clock on a homicide, without any overtime? Did you even know that a Detective Captain existed? Did cops naturally progress from �plainclothes� assignments to �The Squad�?
If you have any stories you�d like to relate, please pass them on to me. If you don�t want me to use any on this site, just say so � I�ll enjoy them anyway, and won�t post them or reveal the source if you care not to. I�ve always felt it�s important to know where you came from � the history that surrounds the squad is better than any fiction writers imagination.
I look forward to hearing some of your stories.
Please e-mail me at:
Ltjac77@yahoo.com
Thanks!
�LEST WE FORGET�� THE NYPD MEMORIAL
July 1, 1911 Ptl Michael Lynch, 22 Pct, Shot by perp
July 2, 1922 Det John Moriarty, DetDiv, Shot-robbery in progress
July 2, 1970 Ptl Paul Donadio, 75 Pct, Patrolwagon accident
July 3, 1857 Ptl Thomas, line of duty incident
July 3, 1917 Ptl John Flood, 31 Pct, Assaulted, head injury
July 3, 1966 Ptl Willie Stephenson, HAPD, Drowned, rescue
July 4, 1940 Det Joseph Lynch and Det Ferdinand Socha, Bomb Squad : Investigation
July 4, 1993 PO Rudolph Thomas, PSA3, Shot-off duty incident
July 5, 1946 Sgt Isaac Price, 28 Pct, Heart attack during robbery arrest
Monday, June 21, 2004
FALSE CONFESSION CASES
A recent article that appeared on the John E. Reid & Associates popular investigative web site dealt with the issue of �False Confession Cases�. Some of the highlights from this are excerpted for your review. This area is certainly one that has been receiving increased attention lately.
In the past several years a number of false confession cases have received extensive publicity. In several of these cases the convicted individual has been exonerated by DNA testing and the actual perpetrator, in turn, has been identified. In these cases it is important to examine in detail exactly what happened; what went wrong; what are the lessons to be learned, and what are potential safeguards that can be put into place to prevent future mistakes.
To be sure, in the experience of most professional interrogators the frequency of false confessions is rare. When we do learn of them, however, the interrogation tactics and techniques should be scrupulously examined, as well as the circumstances surrounding the interrogation. When this has been done, there are four factors that appear with some regularity in false confession cases:
1. The suspect is a juvenile; and/or
2. The suspect suffers some mental or psychological impairment; and/or
3. The interrogation took place over an inordinate amount of time; and/or
4. The interrogators engaged in illegal tactics and techniques
Every interrogator must exercise extreme caution and care when interviewing or interrogating a juvenile or a person who is mentally or psychologically impaired. Certainly these individuals can and do commit very serious crimes. But when a juvenile or person who is mentally or psychologically impaired confesses, the investigator should exercise extreme diligence in establishing the accuracy of such a statement through subsequent corroboration. In these situations it is imperative that interrogators do not reveal details of the crime so that they can use the disclosure of such information by the suspect as verification of the confession�s authenticity.
A review of the available information in false confession cases has revealed that in many of the interrogations the investigators engaged in the use of impermissible threats and promises. Interrogators in these cases have made such statements as: "You�re not leaving this room until you confess", and "If you tell me you did this you can go home and sleep in your own bed tonight (when such is not the case)."
A tactic utilized in interviewing according to �The Reid Technique� involves the use of alternative questioning. The proper of use of the alternative question should never threaten consequences or offer promises of leniency.
The following are improper alternative question examples:
"Do you want to cooperate with me and tell me what happened, or spend the next five to seven years behind bars?" (improper)
"Do you want to be charged with first degree murder, which will mean life in prison, or was this just manslaughter?" (improper)
There has been the suggestion by some critics of police interrogation techniques that the alternative question � "Was this your idea or did your buddies talk you into it?" is potentially dangerous because it only offers a suspect (including an innocent one) only two choices, both of which amount to an admission of guilt. Obviously the third choice is for the suspect to deny any participation in the commission of the crime that is under investigation.
It should be noted, however, that the courts have rejected the idea that a confession is inadmissible if a suspect confesses because he harbors some internal hope that his confession may lead to a lesser sentence.
Confession corroboration may be a vital task for the investigator.
Simply taking a confession at its face value, without ensuring the accuracy of the statement, could lead to problems later on.
It is imperative that interrogators do not reveal details of the crime so that they can use the disclosure of such information by the suspect as verification of the confession�s authenticity. In each case there should be documented "hold back" information about the details of how the crime was committed; details from the crime scene; details about specific activities perpetrated by the offender; etc. This is becoming increasingly more and more difficult in the atmosphere of multiple sources requiring a �Need to know�! Have you ever decided to hold back what you felt would be a key piece of information, only to read about it the next morning in the NY POST?
The goal should be to match the suspect�s confession against these details to establish the veracity of the statement. It should be remembered, however, that suspects do not always tell us everything that they did and they do not always remember all of the details themselves. �It is also a fact that most confessors to crimes of a serious nature will lie about some aspect of the occurrence, even though they may have disclosed the full truth regarding the main event. They will lie about some detail of the crime for which they have a greater feeling of shame than that which they experienced with respect to the main event itself."
Nevertheless, when significant and substantial contradictions exist between the known facts about the crime and what the suspect describes in his confession, extreme care must be exercised in the assessment of the confession�s validity.
OLD TIME CRIME NEWS
I�ve recently received a copy of an article that was written by Lona Manning for a publication named OLD NEWS, on the story behind Detective Joseph Faurot, the NYPD detective who pioneered the fingerprint identification system as a means of making criminal identifications here in New York, in the early 1900�s.
Prior to that Faurot and other policemen in New York City used a method called the Bertillon system to keep track of repeat offenders.
The Bertillon system was developed in 1885 by Alphonse Bertillon of the French criminal investigative agency, or Surete, which assisted in identifying criminals no matter what alias they used.
Whenever a suspect was arrested, the police recorded his hair color, eye color, and other distinguishing characteristics, and also recorded various body measurements such as height, forearm length, and width of the head. These details were noted on index cards with mug shot photos attached, giving each criminal a unique identification.
You can check out Lona Manning�s web site, which has links to her other crime related articles, at the following:
http://www.crimemagazine.com/authors/lmanning.htm
SOME COPS ARE A MAGNET FOR ACTION
I came across an article in the Summer 1979 edition of Spring 3100 concerning two friends, and an incident they were involved in while still assigned to the 83 Precinct.
At the time they were radio car partners in the 83 Pct, and PO Jack Beisel and PO William Kilbride responded to a silent alarm that was set off inside a Bushwick bar by the owner as he was being held up by two men.
Arriving on the scene the officers found the front door locked, and a man inside refused to open the doors. They solved that problem by obtaining a key from the building owner�s wife. Once inside they saw another man coming from the rear with a gun and holster clipped to his belt, off-duty style. Announcing to the officers that he was �on the job�, he produced a shield and ID of a correction officer. He was immediately contradicted by the owner, who yelled from the rear that he was being robbed. Guns wre drawn and shooting started.
The gunfire wounded Beisel in the chest, but he was able to get himself up and join Kilbride in a shot-filled pursuit of the gunmen. Although the gunmen was struck in the back he avoided capture until other responding officers from the 83 found him lying in a vacant lot. The second gunmen was arrested later at his residence.
Beisel was taken to Wyckoff Hospital where he satisfactorily recovered from his wound.
What the Spring article doesn�t fill in is a post-script to these officers.
Following this incident, Beisel and Kilbride were offered an opportunity to change commands, and seeking a change in work environment they were transferred to the 11 Precinct; closer to home, and a little less action. So you would think.
Shortly after arriving in the 111 Pct, the Brooklyn North at heart officers managed to keep themselves busy. Responding to a stolen car report they soon found themselves (once again) in pursuit � shots fired and all. No injuries to the MOS; arrest effected.
Jack Beisel and Bill Kilbride later attained their gold shields, and continued as very active homicide detectives in Queens (covering the back of The Minister�s father, I�d like to add).
At last contact they had retired, continuing their law enforcement expertise with the Queens DA�s Office.
CRUISER PATROLS
One of the early duties performed by the Detective Bureau (Detective Division at the time) included assignment to �Cruiser patrols� within a division.
At a time when precincts did not have officers working in plainclothes (there was no Anti-Crime teams), the Detectives that were assigned to �Cruiser patrols� performed those functions. This was the �first stop� for many newly-assigned white shields to The Squad.
WHERE DID THE TERM "COPS" COME FROM?
When the first police force began to patrol in the summer of 1845, they only badges on their civilian clothing. The badges were 8 pointed stars with the seal of the City at the center and were made of stamped copper.
The newspapers of the time referred to the new force as the "Star Police" but people seeing the shiny copper shields began to call the new force "Coppers" which was later shortened to "Cops."
There is also a British police term; Constable On Patrol which may account for the term "cops" in England as well.
Travelers to Chicago will note that the term �coppers� is still used today when referring to police officers there.
�LEST WE FORGET�� THE NYPD MEMORIAL
June 18, 1932 Ptl Joseph Burke, 32 Pct, Shot-robbery in progress
June 19, 1980 PO Joseph Keegan, TD1, Shot-arrest
June 20, 1930 Ptl Patrick Mitchell, 30 Pct, Shot
June 20, 1942 Ptl William Rooney, 30 Pct, Shot
June 20, 1974 Lt. Henry Schiermann, InspSvcs, Shot-off duty robbery
June 22, 1942 Ptl Joseph Swoboda, Traffic C, Trolley car accident
June 24, 1922 Ptl William Dearies, 113 Pct, Line of duty incident
June 26, 1918 Ptl Jospeh Nolan, 22 Pct, Brick thrown causing head injury
June 26, 1930 Ptl Wilson Fields, 62 Pct, Auto accident on patrol
June 26, 1937 Ptl George Mahonken, Mcy Unit, Motorcycle accident
June 26, 1977 Det Henry McDevitt, 48 Pct, Assaulted
A recent article that appeared on the John E. Reid & Associates popular investigative web site dealt with the issue of �False Confession Cases�. Some of the highlights from this are excerpted for your review. This area is certainly one that has been receiving increased attention lately.
In the past several years a number of false confession cases have received extensive publicity. In several of these cases the convicted individual has been exonerated by DNA testing and the actual perpetrator, in turn, has been identified. In these cases it is important to examine in detail exactly what happened; what went wrong; what are the lessons to be learned, and what are potential safeguards that can be put into place to prevent future mistakes.
To be sure, in the experience of most professional interrogators the frequency of false confessions is rare. When we do learn of them, however, the interrogation tactics and techniques should be scrupulously examined, as well as the circumstances surrounding the interrogation. When this has been done, there are four factors that appear with some regularity in false confession cases:
1. The suspect is a juvenile; and/or
2. The suspect suffers some mental or psychological impairment; and/or
3. The interrogation took place over an inordinate amount of time; and/or
4. The interrogators engaged in illegal tactics and techniques
Every interrogator must exercise extreme caution and care when interviewing or interrogating a juvenile or a person who is mentally or psychologically impaired. Certainly these individuals can and do commit very serious crimes. But when a juvenile or person who is mentally or psychologically impaired confesses, the investigator should exercise extreme diligence in establishing the accuracy of such a statement through subsequent corroboration. In these situations it is imperative that interrogators do not reveal details of the crime so that they can use the disclosure of such information by the suspect as verification of the confession�s authenticity.
A review of the available information in false confession cases has revealed that in many of the interrogations the investigators engaged in the use of impermissible threats and promises. Interrogators in these cases have made such statements as: "You�re not leaving this room until you confess", and "If you tell me you did this you can go home and sleep in your own bed tonight (when such is not the case)."
A tactic utilized in interviewing according to �The Reid Technique� involves the use of alternative questioning. The proper of use of the alternative question should never threaten consequences or offer promises of leniency.
The following are improper alternative question examples:
"Do you want to cooperate with me and tell me what happened, or spend the next five to seven years behind bars?" (improper)
"Do you want to be charged with first degree murder, which will mean life in prison, or was this just manslaughter?" (improper)
There has been the suggestion by some critics of police interrogation techniques that the alternative question � "Was this your idea or did your buddies talk you into it?" is potentially dangerous because it only offers a suspect (including an innocent one) only two choices, both of which amount to an admission of guilt. Obviously the third choice is for the suspect to deny any participation in the commission of the crime that is under investigation.
It should be noted, however, that the courts have rejected the idea that a confession is inadmissible if a suspect confesses because he harbors some internal hope that his confession may lead to a lesser sentence.
Confession corroboration may be a vital task for the investigator.
Simply taking a confession at its face value, without ensuring the accuracy of the statement, could lead to problems later on.
It is imperative that interrogators do not reveal details of the crime so that they can use the disclosure of such information by the suspect as verification of the confession�s authenticity. In each case there should be documented "hold back" information about the details of how the crime was committed; details from the crime scene; details about specific activities perpetrated by the offender; etc. This is becoming increasingly more and more difficult in the atmosphere of multiple sources requiring a �Need to know�! Have you ever decided to hold back what you felt would be a key piece of information, only to read about it the next morning in the NY POST?
The goal should be to match the suspect�s confession against these details to establish the veracity of the statement. It should be remembered, however, that suspects do not always tell us everything that they did and they do not always remember all of the details themselves. �It is also a fact that most confessors to crimes of a serious nature will lie about some aspect of the occurrence, even though they may have disclosed the full truth regarding the main event. They will lie about some detail of the crime for which they have a greater feeling of shame than that which they experienced with respect to the main event itself."
Nevertheless, when significant and substantial contradictions exist between the known facts about the crime and what the suspect describes in his confession, extreme care must be exercised in the assessment of the confession�s validity.
OLD TIME CRIME NEWS
I�ve recently received a copy of an article that was written by Lona Manning for a publication named OLD NEWS, on the story behind Detective Joseph Faurot, the NYPD detective who pioneered the fingerprint identification system as a means of making criminal identifications here in New York, in the early 1900�s.
Prior to that Faurot and other policemen in New York City used a method called the Bertillon system to keep track of repeat offenders.
The Bertillon system was developed in 1885 by Alphonse Bertillon of the French criminal investigative agency, or Surete, which assisted in identifying criminals no matter what alias they used.
Whenever a suspect was arrested, the police recorded his hair color, eye color, and other distinguishing characteristics, and also recorded various body measurements such as height, forearm length, and width of the head. These details were noted on index cards with mug shot photos attached, giving each criminal a unique identification.
You can check out Lona Manning�s web site, which has links to her other crime related articles, at the following:
http://www.crimemagazine.com/authors/lmanning.htm
SOME COPS ARE A MAGNET FOR ACTION
I came across an article in the Summer 1979 edition of Spring 3100 concerning two friends, and an incident they were involved in while still assigned to the 83 Precinct.
At the time they were radio car partners in the 83 Pct, and PO Jack Beisel and PO William Kilbride responded to a silent alarm that was set off inside a Bushwick bar by the owner as he was being held up by two men.
Arriving on the scene the officers found the front door locked, and a man inside refused to open the doors. They solved that problem by obtaining a key from the building owner�s wife. Once inside they saw another man coming from the rear with a gun and holster clipped to his belt, off-duty style. Announcing to the officers that he was �on the job�, he produced a shield and ID of a correction officer. He was immediately contradicted by the owner, who yelled from the rear that he was being robbed. Guns wre drawn and shooting started.
The gunfire wounded Beisel in the chest, but he was able to get himself up and join Kilbride in a shot-filled pursuit of the gunmen. Although the gunmen was struck in the back he avoided capture until other responding officers from the 83 found him lying in a vacant lot. The second gunmen was arrested later at his residence.
Beisel was taken to Wyckoff Hospital where he satisfactorily recovered from his wound.
What the Spring article doesn�t fill in is a post-script to these officers.
Following this incident, Beisel and Kilbride were offered an opportunity to change commands, and seeking a change in work environment they were transferred to the 11 Precinct; closer to home, and a little less action. So you would think.
Shortly after arriving in the 111 Pct, the Brooklyn North at heart officers managed to keep themselves busy. Responding to a stolen car report they soon found themselves (once again) in pursuit � shots fired and all. No injuries to the MOS; arrest effected.
Jack Beisel and Bill Kilbride later attained their gold shields, and continued as very active homicide detectives in Queens (covering the back of The Minister�s father, I�d like to add).
At last contact they had retired, continuing their law enforcement expertise with the Queens DA�s Office.
CRUISER PATROLS
One of the early duties performed by the Detective Bureau (Detective Division at the time) included assignment to �Cruiser patrols� within a division.
At a time when precincts did not have officers working in plainclothes (there was no Anti-Crime teams), the Detectives that were assigned to �Cruiser patrols� performed those functions. This was the �first stop� for many newly-assigned white shields to The Squad.
WHERE DID THE TERM "COPS" COME FROM?
When the first police force began to patrol in the summer of 1845, they only badges on their civilian clothing. The badges were 8 pointed stars with the seal of the City at the center and were made of stamped copper.
The newspapers of the time referred to the new force as the "Star Police" but people seeing the shiny copper shields began to call the new force "Coppers" which was later shortened to "Cops."
There is also a British police term; Constable On Patrol which may account for the term "cops" in England as well.
Travelers to Chicago will note that the term �coppers� is still used today when referring to police officers there.
�LEST WE FORGET�� THE NYPD MEMORIAL
June 18, 1932 Ptl Joseph Burke, 32 Pct, Shot-robbery in progress
June 19, 1980 PO Joseph Keegan, TD1, Shot-arrest
June 20, 1930 Ptl Patrick Mitchell, 30 Pct, Shot
June 20, 1942 Ptl William Rooney, 30 Pct, Shot
June 20, 1974 Lt. Henry Schiermann, InspSvcs, Shot-off duty robbery
June 22, 1942 Ptl Joseph Swoboda, Traffic C, Trolley car accident
June 24, 1922 Ptl William Dearies, 113 Pct, Line of duty incident
June 26, 1918 Ptl Jospeh Nolan, 22 Pct, Brick thrown causing head injury
June 26, 1930 Ptl Wilson Fields, 62 Pct, Auto accident on patrol
June 26, 1937 Ptl George Mahonken, Mcy Unit, Motorcycle accident
June 26, 1977 Det Henry McDevitt, 48 Pct, Assaulted
Monday, June 14, 2004
THE NYPD MEDAL OF HONOR
Awarded to those members of the department undergoing extraordinary personal risk and exhibiting indomitable courage in the performance of duty. This medal was awarded from 1912 to 1972.
What was to become known as the Police Department Medal of Honor was designed in 1912 by Tiffany & Co. It was initially referred to as The Department Medal, but on October 10, 1914, Police Commissioner Woods announced that the name of the honorable Mention Medal was changed to the Medal of Honor.
Until 1921, there had never been a posthumous award of a medal. Upon recommendation of the Honor Committee, it was Police Commissioner Enright who approved the posthumous award of the Medal of Honor to members of the department killed in the performance of duty.
The first posthumous awards were made in 1921 and were retroactive to 1918.
From 1918 to 1972 there were only four years � 1956, 1958, 1959, 1969 � in which there were no posthumous awards of the medal of Honor. The most posthumous awards, 11, were made in 1931.
The first presentation of the Medal of Honor went to a Detective Bureau member. Acting detective Sergeant Charles Carrao was honored for his actions in the early morning hours of September 15, 1911. He followed a suspected Black Hand bomber into a tenement house on East 13th Street. The bomber lit the fuse to the bomb, which Det. Carrao pulled out and extinguished on the hallway floor. With the aid of other detectives the bomber was arrested.
SUMMER OF 79: HE WOULD BE CHIEF
The Summer of 1979 was extremely busy for this department. The Summer issue of Spring 3100 contains many notable entries, among which is a Medal Day ceremony of some note.
The June 12, 1979 Medal Day saw the Police Combat Cross awarded to two members of the 83 Precinct for actions they performed on March 15, 1978.
On that day PO Fred Falcone and PO Joseph Esposito were informed that three men, one armed, had just entered a store. As the officers approached, the men fled and during the subsequent chase a gun battle ensued resulting in the wounding and capture of a suspect.
You all know one of those PO�s as Chief Of Department today!
This same Medal Day saw the Medal of Honor awarded, posthumously, to PO Norman Cerullo and PO Christie Masone of the 79 Pct.
Six members of Brooklyn North were awarded the Combat Cross, and another nine MOS from Brooklyn North were awarded the Medal for Valor at this ceremony.
IN MEMORIAM: PTL. WILLIAM RAMOS
Ptl. William Ramos of the 80th Precinct was killed in the line of duty on June 14, 1960, while intervening in a holdup that had just taken place.
At about 1320 on June 14, 1960, Ptl. Ramos was on foot patrol on Fulton Street when he intercepted a man and a woman leaving the scene of an armed robbery they had committed in a hotel at 124 Fulton Street, Brooklyn. During an exchange of shots in which the holdup man was wounded, Ptl. Ramos was fatally wounded and died later that day.
The two bandits were arrested later the same day.
FOR THE INVESTIGATOR�S ROLODEX
For help in locating a particular state agency or office you can try contacting the general information operator. Local state�s operator information numbers are:
New York 518-474-2121
New Jersey 609-292-2121
Connecticut 860-566-4200
Pennsylvania 717-787-2121
FOR THE CULINARY DETECTIVE
The publisher for a cook book featuring recipes from law enforcement officers is seeking contributions.
The publisher is coming out with a wonderful cookbook this fall featuring recipes from law enforcement from all over the country and the world. The book will feature photos of each contributor, their special dishes, and a brief history of their career.
They have already received some great submissions from all over, but could certainly use some contributions from New York.
You can check out the book's website at:
www.culinarycops.com
You can contact the publisher directly via e-mail at:
clconnor@culinarycops.com
�LEST WE FORGET�� THE NYPD MEMORIAL
June 9, 1931 Sgt William O�Shaughnessy, 28 Pct, Shot-robbery in progress
June 9, 1939 Ptl Alexander Stult, ESU, Asphyxiated during rescue
June 9, 1969 Sgt Edward Henninger, AIS, LOD heart attack
June 11, 1925 Ptl James Cullen, 37 Pct, Motorcycle accident
June 12, 1991 PO Kenneth Hansen, Harbor, Drowned
June 14, 1960 Ptl William Ramos Jr, 80 Pct, Shot-robbery
June 15, 1944 Ptl Eliote Holmes, 13 Sqd, Line of duty injury
June 15, 1967 Ptl Walter Ferguson, DetDiv, LOD Heart attack
June 15, 1979 PO Ted Donald, PSA7, Shot-burglary arrest
June 15, 1980 PO John Patwell, 43 Pct, LOD Injured
June 15, 1983 PO John Mandia, 25 Pct, Fell under train
June 15, 1984 PO Juan Andino, 40 Pct, Shot-robbery arrest
June 16, 1927 Sgt Joseph Weckesser, 71 Pct, Fire rescue
June 16, 1967 Ptl Lloyd Innes, TD30, Shot-previously arrested by him
June 16, 1988 PO Gary Peaco, PSA7, Auto accident
June 17, 1912 Ptl Thomas O�Connell, 29 Pct, Drowned during rescue
June 17, 1973 PO Ralph Stanchi, 32 Pct, Shot-investigation
Awarded to those members of the department undergoing extraordinary personal risk and exhibiting indomitable courage in the performance of duty. This medal was awarded from 1912 to 1972.
What was to become known as the Police Department Medal of Honor was designed in 1912 by Tiffany & Co. It was initially referred to as The Department Medal, but on October 10, 1914, Police Commissioner Woods announced that the name of the honorable Mention Medal was changed to the Medal of Honor.
Until 1921, there had never been a posthumous award of a medal. Upon recommendation of the Honor Committee, it was Police Commissioner Enright who approved the posthumous award of the Medal of Honor to members of the department killed in the performance of duty.
The first posthumous awards were made in 1921 and were retroactive to 1918.
From 1918 to 1972 there were only four years � 1956, 1958, 1959, 1969 � in which there were no posthumous awards of the medal of Honor. The most posthumous awards, 11, were made in 1931.
The first presentation of the Medal of Honor went to a Detective Bureau member. Acting detective Sergeant Charles Carrao was honored for his actions in the early morning hours of September 15, 1911. He followed a suspected Black Hand bomber into a tenement house on East 13th Street. The bomber lit the fuse to the bomb, which Det. Carrao pulled out and extinguished on the hallway floor. With the aid of other detectives the bomber was arrested.
SUMMER OF 79: HE WOULD BE CHIEF
The Summer of 1979 was extremely busy for this department. The Summer issue of Spring 3100 contains many notable entries, among which is a Medal Day ceremony of some note.
The June 12, 1979 Medal Day saw the Police Combat Cross awarded to two members of the 83 Precinct for actions they performed on March 15, 1978.
On that day PO Fred Falcone and PO Joseph Esposito were informed that three men, one armed, had just entered a store. As the officers approached, the men fled and during the subsequent chase a gun battle ensued resulting in the wounding and capture of a suspect.
You all know one of those PO�s as Chief Of Department today!
This same Medal Day saw the Medal of Honor awarded, posthumously, to PO Norman Cerullo and PO Christie Masone of the 79 Pct.
Six members of Brooklyn North were awarded the Combat Cross, and another nine MOS from Brooklyn North were awarded the Medal for Valor at this ceremony.
IN MEMORIAM: PTL. WILLIAM RAMOS
Ptl. William Ramos of the 80th Precinct was killed in the line of duty on June 14, 1960, while intervening in a holdup that had just taken place.
At about 1320 on June 14, 1960, Ptl. Ramos was on foot patrol on Fulton Street when he intercepted a man and a woman leaving the scene of an armed robbery they had committed in a hotel at 124 Fulton Street, Brooklyn. During an exchange of shots in which the holdup man was wounded, Ptl. Ramos was fatally wounded and died later that day.
The two bandits were arrested later the same day.
FOR THE INVESTIGATOR�S ROLODEX
For help in locating a particular state agency or office you can try contacting the general information operator. Local state�s operator information numbers are:
New York 518-474-2121
New Jersey 609-292-2121
Connecticut 860-566-4200
Pennsylvania 717-787-2121
FOR THE CULINARY DETECTIVE
The publisher for a cook book featuring recipes from law enforcement officers is seeking contributions.
The publisher is coming out with a wonderful cookbook this fall featuring recipes from law enforcement from all over the country and the world. The book will feature photos of each contributor, their special dishes, and a brief history of their career.
They have already received some great submissions from all over, but could certainly use some contributions from New York.
You can check out the book's website at:
www.culinarycops.com
You can contact the publisher directly via e-mail at:
clconnor@culinarycops.com
�LEST WE FORGET�� THE NYPD MEMORIAL
June 9, 1931 Sgt William O�Shaughnessy, 28 Pct, Shot-robbery in progress
June 9, 1939 Ptl Alexander Stult, ESU, Asphyxiated during rescue
June 9, 1969 Sgt Edward Henninger, AIS, LOD heart attack
June 11, 1925 Ptl James Cullen, 37 Pct, Motorcycle accident
June 12, 1991 PO Kenneth Hansen, Harbor, Drowned
June 14, 1960 Ptl William Ramos Jr, 80 Pct, Shot-robbery
June 15, 1944 Ptl Eliote Holmes, 13 Sqd, Line of duty injury
June 15, 1967 Ptl Walter Ferguson, DetDiv, LOD Heart attack
June 15, 1979 PO Ted Donald, PSA7, Shot-burglary arrest
June 15, 1980 PO John Patwell, 43 Pct, LOD Injured
June 15, 1983 PO John Mandia, 25 Pct, Fell under train
June 15, 1984 PO Juan Andino, 40 Pct, Shot-robbery arrest
June 16, 1927 Sgt Joseph Weckesser, 71 Pct, Fire rescue
June 16, 1967 Ptl Lloyd Innes, TD30, Shot-previously arrested by him
June 16, 1988 PO Gary Peaco, PSA7, Auto accident
June 17, 1912 Ptl Thomas O�Connell, 29 Pct, Drowned during rescue
June 17, 1973 PO Ralph Stanchi, 32 Pct, Shot-investigation
Monday, June 07, 2004
MORE ON THE FRENCH CONNECTION
It was October 7, 1961, when Sonny Grosso and Eddie Egan, two detectives in the Narcotics Division, were so elated that they �went out on the town, despite having worked for the past twenty-seven hours�. So describes the beginning of this infamous case by Edward Conlon, in his recent blockbuster book BLUE BLOOD.
They went to the Copacabana, because Egan had his eyes on the coat-check girl, and because they could easily tin their way in to the swank club.
It was there that they recognized some mob-connected dope dealers and gamblers, but were stunned by the person who was the center of attention, as they had no idea who he was. The detective instincts in them took over, they followed this person from the club as he changed cars, parked a car, and ended up in a Brooklyn (North) luncheonette on Bushwick Avenue and Maujer Street.
So begins the investigation of what is perhaps the most celebrated investigation in NYPD history, related in a great book and an even greater movie, as the French Connection.
All knew Eddie Egan, who made First Grade in just four years on the job, as �Bullets� or �Popeye�. The Irish street kid, he was outgoing and �hard-charging, skirt-chasing, strongly built with a bit of a belly, ruddy and fair�.
Sonny Grosso was known as �Cloudy� because �he kept an eye on the down side�. He was also �disciplined and reserved, tall and thin, with dark eyes and olive skin�. A sharp contrast to his partner, for sure.
It is noted that Popeye made detective a year after he joined the department, and that he and Grosso teamed up in narcotics in 1959.
One of the ways that the movie version of the French Connection is perversely gripping is in its depiction of the grueling dullness of surveillance, and the monotony of putting a case together. �It was all shoe leather and peeking around corners�, real detective work, that put everything together.
The scene in the movie where Popeye and one of the Frogs do an elaborate dance in the subway, stepping on the train, then off, then on, until the Frog is on and Popeye is off, and he tips his hat as the train pulls away � that happened. The famous car chase scene as the elevated train is pursued from station to station � didn�t. Sonny and Popeye did have to beat a train to the next stop, but the train was underground. Although they did have to dodge midtown traffic, trying to beat the Shuttle from Grand Central to Times Square, there was no shoot-out at the end.
The car they seized the heroin from was a 1960 Buick Invicta, which had nearly 112 pounds of nearly pure heroin concealed in the rocker panels. By the way, in the movie, when the French television anchor goes to the auto pound to retrieve his car, the Sergeant at the desk is played by Randy Jurgensen � one of Grosso�s former partners, who played a large part in the Murder at the Harlem Mosque incident.
This great narcotics investigation became a legendary one. At the time the NYPD had only 200 cops assigned to the Narcotics Division, and there were only sixty federal drug agents assigned to New York. The drugs that they seized consisted of approximately one month�s supply of heroin for the entire country.
What the movie left out was that a large part of the drug seizure took place months after the initial ones. The first phase took three months; the second phase that involved the Frenchmen took another ten days. For another full month Sonny and Popeye had to sit in a basement in the Bronx, surveilling a steamer trunk, where the luncheonette thugs brother lived. Of course, when would this surveillance come to fruition? On a Saturday that Sonny was the best man at a wedding, wearing a tuxedo at St. Patrick�s cathedral, he got a call from Popeye telling him to �Get back, this is it�.
Sonny skipped the reception and came back to collar the main target wearing his black tie outfit!
WHEN DID THE NEW YORK CITY POLICE DEPARTMENT ACTUALLY START?
When the High Constable of New York City, Jacob Hays retired from service in 1844, permission was granted by the Governor of the state to the Mayor of the City to create a Police Department.
A force of approximately 800 men under the first Chief of Police, George W. Matsell, began to patrol the City in July of 1845. They wore badges that had an eight-pointed star (representing the first 8 paid members of the old Watch during Dutch times). The badges had the seal of the City in their center and were made of stamped copper.
THE DEPARTMENT MEDAL
From 1889 to 1911, the department awarded a medal known as the Department Medal, or �Medal of Honor�.
On January 15, 1889, the Board of Police Commissioners made Honorable Mention in the minutes of the board meeting and awarded a Department Medal to Ptl. John Meagher of the Steamboat Squad for his rescue of a man who had jumped into the North River. This medal was previously known as the Honorable Mention Badge. After 1889 the medal was known as the Department Medal, or a Medal of Honor.
Although not always done so, some commissioners, in particular Theodore Roosevelt, would have a formal presentation ceremony at Headquarters.
INTERESTING WEB SITES
Clumsy Crooks - A hilarious lineup of true stories of actual crimes committed by clumsy crooks.
http://www.clumsycrooks.com/
Government Telephone Directory Online
The Government Services Administration recently revised U.S. Blue Pages Online. You can search federal government blue page listings by state, city and state, area code or keyword.
http://www.usbluepages.gov/gsabluepages/
HALL OF HEROES
Did you know that there are approximately 75 New York City Police Officers who fell in the line of duty that are NOT included on the Memorial at One Police Plaza, nor the Memorial at Battery Park?
On the fourth floor of the Police Museum, the Hall of Heroes, there are still spaces where the badges of these fallen officers were supposed to have been added, but any recognition by the City of New York of the sacrifice that these men made has been indefinitely postponed. A ceremony had been scheduled to install their names on the Memorial at One Police Plaza in September 2001 - it was postponed due to the events of 9/11. Under the Bloomberg administration, there is no intention of ever rescheduling any acknowledgement of the ultimate sacrifice of over 77 men of the New York Police Department.
Several police organizations are in the process of correcting this oversight.
SPRING BREAK
It was nice to see the great turnout at the recent Brooklyn North Detective Club Spring BBQ.
So many of our members showed up for great time, that was aided by some great weather as well. It was nice to see those retirees taking the time out to join us as well. Joe Heffernan looked great, well tanned, and at ease with everything. There was Bobby Quinlan and Steve Amalfitano, recent 75 Squad retirees, joining in as well. They both looked great! Retirement seems to suit them well, as it does for Bobby Gates, and Bobby Fragoletti. Fragoletti thought he could combine the detective�s BBQ into a dinner he owed some former team members, but they wouldn�t have any of that! He�ll just have to make up with a special lunch at Mendy�s.
Louis Savarese and Lester Kakol put a lot of hard work into setting things up, and it was greatly appreciated. Paddy Adams did a fine job grilling the food to perfection. The festivities weren�t complete until some of our more valiant gumshoe�s jumped in to take part in some karaoke � (dare I say who they were?).
A great time was certainly had by all!
CONDOLENCES ARE EXTENDED
All of the Brooklyn North Detective Family wish to extend our sympathy to the family of Det. Larry Eggers, from Brooklyn North Homicide, whose nephew was killed while serving in the Armed Forces this past week.
On May 29, 2004, three soldiers three soldiers supporting Operation Enduring Freedom were killed in action. They died in Kandahar, Afghanistan, when the vehicle they were operating hit a land mine.
Larry�s nephew, Capt. Daniel W. Eggers, 28, of Cape Coral, Fla, was assigned to the 1st Battalion, 3rd Special Forces Group (Airborne), from Fort Bragg, N.C.
Other casualties were Staff Sgt. Robert J. Mogensen, 26, of Leesville, La. He was assigned to the 1st Battalion, 3rd Special Forces Group (Airborne), Fort Bragg, NC and Pfc. Joseph A. Jeffries, 21, of Beaverton, Ore. He was assigned to the Army Reserve�s 329th Psychological Operations Company, Portland, Ore.
Captain Eggers will be returned to the States, and following a memorial service in his hometown he will be buried in Arlington National Cemetery.
IN MEMORIAM: PTL. SID THOMPSON
Ptl. Sid Thompson of the Transit Police Department was assigned in plainclothes on a fare evasion stakeout at the 174th Street IRT No. 2 subway station in the Bronx on June 5, 1973.
While attempting to arrest a fare evader, Officer Thompson was fatally shot by the farebeater�s companion. Both were linked to the Black Liberation Army terrorist group.
Later, in a police raid of an apartment, one suspect was killed, others were arrested, and a Transit detective was wounded.
Officer Thompson left a wife, a son who became a New York City Police Officer, and a daughter.
�LEST WE FORGET�� THE NYPD MEMORIAL
June 2, 1973 PO Robert Laurenson, 20 Pct, Shot-robbery
June 2, 1989 PO Jeff Herman, 71 Pct, Shot-investigation
June 3, 1938 Ptl James Fisher, 73 Pct, Shot-accidental discharge
June 4, 1927 Sgt Benjamin Cantor, DetDiv, Shot-robbery arrest
June 4, 1932 Ptl Thomas Burns, McyUnit, Injured on patrol
June 5, 1977 PO Sid Thompson, TD12, Shot-arrest
June 6, 1939 Ptl Emmitt Cassidy, 120 Pct, Shot-off duty incident
June 8, 1958 Ptl Herman Corn, 52 Pct, Auto accident on patrol
It was October 7, 1961, when Sonny Grosso and Eddie Egan, two detectives in the Narcotics Division, were so elated that they �went out on the town, despite having worked for the past twenty-seven hours�. So describes the beginning of this infamous case by Edward Conlon, in his recent blockbuster book BLUE BLOOD.
They went to the Copacabana, because Egan had his eyes on the coat-check girl, and because they could easily tin their way in to the swank club.
It was there that they recognized some mob-connected dope dealers and gamblers, but were stunned by the person who was the center of attention, as they had no idea who he was. The detective instincts in them took over, they followed this person from the club as he changed cars, parked a car, and ended up in a Brooklyn (North) luncheonette on Bushwick Avenue and Maujer Street.
So begins the investigation of what is perhaps the most celebrated investigation in NYPD history, related in a great book and an even greater movie, as the French Connection.
All knew Eddie Egan, who made First Grade in just four years on the job, as �Bullets� or �Popeye�. The Irish street kid, he was outgoing and �hard-charging, skirt-chasing, strongly built with a bit of a belly, ruddy and fair�.
Sonny Grosso was known as �Cloudy� because �he kept an eye on the down side�. He was also �disciplined and reserved, tall and thin, with dark eyes and olive skin�. A sharp contrast to his partner, for sure.
It is noted that Popeye made detective a year after he joined the department, and that he and Grosso teamed up in narcotics in 1959.
One of the ways that the movie version of the French Connection is perversely gripping is in its depiction of the grueling dullness of surveillance, and the monotony of putting a case together. �It was all shoe leather and peeking around corners�, real detective work, that put everything together.
The scene in the movie where Popeye and one of the Frogs do an elaborate dance in the subway, stepping on the train, then off, then on, until the Frog is on and Popeye is off, and he tips his hat as the train pulls away � that happened. The famous car chase scene as the elevated train is pursued from station to station � didn�t. Sonny and Popeye did have to beat a train to the next stop, but the train was underground. Although they did have to dodge midtown traffic, trying to beat the Shuttle from Grand Central to Times Square, there was no shoot-out at the end.
The car they seized the heroin from was a 1960 Buick Invicta, which had nearly 112 pounds of nearly pure heroin concealed in the rocker panels. By the way, in the movie, when the French television anchor goes to the auto pound to retrieve his car, the Sergeant at the desk is played by Randy Jurgensen � one of Grosso�s former partners, who played a large part in the Murder at the Harlem Mosque incident.
This great narcotics investigation became a legendary one. At the time the NYPD had only 200 cops assigned to the Narcotics Division, and there were only sixty federal drug agents assigned to New York. The drugs that they seized consisted of approximately one month�s supply of heroin for the entire country.
What the movie left out was that a large part of the drug seizure took place months after the initial ones. The first phase took three months; the second phase that involved the Frenchmen took another ten days. For another full month Sonny and Popeye had to sit in a basement in the Bronx, surveilling a steamer trunk, where the luncheonette thugs brother lived. Of course, when would this surveillance come to fruition? On a Saturday that Sonny was the best man at a wedding, wearing a tuxedo at St. Patrick�s cathedral, he got a call from Popeye telling him to �Get back, this is it�.
Sonny skipped the reception and came back to collar the main target wearing his black tie outfit!
WHEN DID THE NEW YORK CITY POLICE DEPARTMENT ACTUALLY START?
When the High Constable of New York City, Jacob Hays retired from service in 1844, permission was granted by the Governor of the state to the Mayor of the City to create a Police Department.
A force of approximately 800 men under the first Chief of Police, George W. Matsell, began to patrol the City in July of 1845. They wore badges that had an eight-pointed star (representing the first 8 paid members of the old Watch during Dutch times). The badges had the seal of the City in their center and were made of stamped copper.
THE DEPARTMENT MEDAL
From 1889 to 1911, the department awarded a medal known as the Department Medal, or �Medal of Honor�.
On January 15, 1889, the Board of Police Commissioners made Honorable Mention in the minutes of the board meeting and awarded a Department Medal to Ptl. John Meagher of the Steamboat Squad for his rescue of a man who had jumped into the North River. This medal was previously known as the Honorable Mention Badge. After 1889 the medal was known as the Department Medal, or a Medal of Honor.
Although not always done so, some commissioners, in particular Theodore Roosevelt, would have a formal presentation ceremony at Headquarters.
INTERESTING WEB SITES
Clumsy Crooks - A hilarious lineup of true stories of actual crimes committed by clumsy crooks.
http://www.clumsycrooks.com/
Government Telephone Directory Online
The Government Services Administration recently revised U.S. Blue Pages Online. You can search federal government blue page listings by state, city and state, area code or keyword.
http://www.usbluepages.gov/gsabluepages/
HALL OF HEROES
Did you know that there are approximately 75 New York City Police Officers who fell in the line of duty that are NOT included on the Memorial at One Police Plaza, nor the Memorial at Battery Park?
On the fourth floor of the Police Museum, the Hall of Heroes, there are still spaces where the badges of these fallen officers were supposed to have been added, but any recognition by the City of New York of the sacrifice that these men made has been indefinitely postponed. A ceremony had been scheduled to install their names on the Memorial at One Police Plaza in September 2001 - it was postponed due to the events of 9/11. Under the Bloomberg administration, there is no intention of ever rescheduling any acknowledgement of the ultimate sacrifice of over 77 men of the New York Police Department.
Several police organizations are in the process of correcting this oversight.
SPRING BREAK
It was nice to see the great turnout at the recent Brooklyn North Detective Club Spring BBQ.
So many of our members showed up for great time, that was aided by some great weather as well. It was nice to see those retirees taking the time out to join us as well. Joe Heffernan looked great, well tanned, and at ease with everything. There was Bobby Quinlan and Steve Amalfitano, recent 75 Squad retirees, joining in as well. They both looked great! Retirement seems to suit them well, as it does for Bobby Gates, and Bobby Fragoletti. Fragoletti thought he could combine the detective�s BBQ into a dinner he owed some former team members, but they wouldn�t have any of that! He�ll just have to make up with a special lunch at Mendy�s.
Louis Savarese and Lester Kakol put a lot of hard work into setting things up, and it was greatly appreciated. Paddy Adams did a fine job grilling the food to perfection. The festivities weren�t complete until some of our more valiant gumshoe�s jumped in to take part in some karaoke � (dare I say who they were?).
A great time was certainly had by all!
CONDOLENCES ARE EXTENDED
All of the Brooklyn North Detective Family wish to extend our sympathy to the family of Det. Larry Eggers, from Brooklyn North Homicide, whose nephew was killed while serving in the Armed Forces this past week.
On May 29, 2004, three soldiers three soldiers supporting Operation Enduring Freedom were killed in action. They died in Kandahar, Afghanistan, when the vehicle they were operating hit a land mine.
Larry�s nephew, Capt. Daniel W. Eggers, 28, of Cape Coral, Fla, was assigned to the 1st Battalion, 3rd Special Forces Group (Airborne), from Fort Bragg, N.C.
Other casualties were Staff Sgt. Robert J. Mogensen, 26, of Leesville, La. He was assigned to the 1st Battalion, 3rd Special Forces Group (Airborne), Fort Bragg, NC and Pfc. Joseph A. Jeffries, 21, of Beaverton, Ore. He was assigned to the Army Reserve�s 329th Psychological Operations Company, Portland, Ore.
Captain Eggers will be returned to the States, and following a memorial service in his hometown he will be buried in Arlington National Cemetery.
IN MEMORIAM: PTL. SID THOMPSON
Ptl. Sid Thompson of the Transit Police Department was assigned in plainclothes on a fare evasion stakeout at the 174th Street IRT No. 2 subway station in the Bronx on June 5, 1973.
While attempting to arrest a fare evader, Officer Thompson was fatally shot by the farebeater�s companion. Both were linked to the Black Liberation Army terrorist group.
Later, in a police raid of an apartment, one suspect was killed, others were arrested, and a Transit detective was wounded.
Officer Thompson left a wife, a son who became a New York City Police Officer, and a daughter.
�LEST WE FORGET�� THE NYPD MEMORIAL
June 2, 1973 PO Robert Laurenson, 20 Pct, Shot-robbery
June 2, 1989 PO Jeff Herman, 71 Pct, Shot-investigation
June 3, 1938 Ptl James Fisher, 73 Pct, Shot-accidental discharge
June 4, 1927 Sgt Benjamin Cantor, DetDiv, Shot-robbery arrest
June 4, 1932 Ptl Thomas Burns, McyUnit, Injured on patrol
June 5, 1977 PO Sid Thompson, TD12, Shot-arrest
June 6, 1939 Ptl Emmitt Cassidy, 120 Pct, Shot-off duty incident
June 8, 1958 Ptl Herman Corn, 52 Pct, Auto accident on patrol
