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- [00:02]
A
A tenth of a square mile between Fifth Avenue and the East River. Wouldn't know if you asked them that they lived or worked in the 21st. Whether they know it or not. The security of their homes, their persons and their property is the job of the men of the 21st Precinct. The 21st. 160 patrolmen, 11 sergeants and four lieutenants, of whom I am the boss. My name is Kennelly, Frank Kennelly. I'm captain in Command of the 21st. I was working my day tour, 8am to 6pm I had reported for duty at 7:40, signed the blotter and changed changed to my uniform in time to turn out the platoon which would patrol the precinct until 4pm after I had read and signed reports and communications which had accumulated since I was last on duty, I began the quarterly inspection of the entire station house as required by rule and regulation 24, in the company of Patrolman Fallon, the clerical man, and Patrolman Bailey, the attendant. I started on the third floor where the offices of the Civil defense patrolman, the youth patrolman and the old records are located. We then proceeded to the second floor and the 21st detective squad office and the precinct hack inspector, then to the first floor and my office, the muster room, the 124 room, the back room and the cells. At 9:35am we finished up in the locker rooms in the basement. After the inspection was completed and I gave instructions to Patrolman Fallon in regard to preparation of the report, I walked out into the muscle room where Lt. Gorman was desk officer and Sgt. Waters was on telephone switchboard duty. Oh, what's going, red? Nothing much here, captain. Telegraph order eliminating the 11th precinct. Oh. Drill force in the 11th, divided between the 9th and the 13th. Well, what about the captain? Didn't say. Lieutenant? Yes? A call. He's ringing in. Sue hasn't been able to make that notification on 83rd. Well, Tom, I'll talk to myself. Yes, sir. Oh, captain. Yeah? Father Bernard Creedy of St Barbara is waiting in your office, Father Creedy. Damn. Assistant. Father O'. Bannon. Oh, Y. 21st Precinct. Lieutenant Garman. I'll be in my office, sergeant. Yes, sir. Well, how many times did you charge. Hello, Father. How are you, captain? Just fine. What can I do for you, Father? Well, Father o' Bann thought you might be able to help me. I will if I can. I'm about to go in the Navy? In the chaplain's corps. Oh, yes. I'm supposed to get my fingerprints made and send them in on this card. Well, the detectives can do that. Oh, good. I'll take you upstairs. Well, I certainly appreciate your trouble, Captain. No trouble that way. Upstairs to the detectives, Lieutenant. Yes, sir. That saves me a trip downtown. We're happy to do it, Farmer. When do you report? I don't have my orders yet. July 1, I think. Up the stairs, Father. Thank you. Well, are you looking forward to it? Yes, very much. Of course, I would have liked to have spent a little more time at St Barbara's learned a lot from Father Robert in there. Go ahead, Father. Oh, thank you. Thank Fred Squire. Detective McDonald that way? Yes. When he's down at the grand jury this morning. I ought to be hearing from him, though. Hold on a second. Yes, sir. Captain, is Lt. King in his office? Yes, sir. He and Scanlan and DeLuca are talking to a robbery suspect. He'll have a minute. Yes, I'm sure he will. All right, Father. Hello. Can I have him for you? I'm not upsetting any routine, am I?
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B
Oh, no.
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A
Yeah, Yeah, I got that, Captain Kennelli. All right, I'll give him the message. Yes, sir. Captain. Oh, Matt, this is Father Bernard Creedy, Assistant to Father o' Band at St Barbara's this Lieutenant King, Father. I'm glad to meet you, Lieutenant. Excuse me. I'll be back in a minute, Scanlan. Now, what can I do for you? Oh, Matt, Father Creedy is going into the Navy Chaplain's Corps. Oh, yes. He's got to have his fingerprints made. Sure. I'll be glad to do it, Natalie. I certainly appreciate it, Lieutenant. Yes, sir. Command on this card. Yes, sir. Lieutenant. Father Creedy, Detective Vitale. Hello, Father. Hello. Father Creedy is going into the Navy. Take his fingerprints on the car. He's done. Yes, sir. Over this way. Father. Yes? Have you ever had this done before? No, I've never had the pleasure. Well, thanks, Matt. All right. Captain. Oh, yeah. Are you interested in a good rumor? What's that? I had to send FITZPATRICK down to 2:40 this morning. He picked up the rumble that the commissioner is going to make four deputy inspectors today. Is that so? That's what he brought back, besides what I sent him for. Yeah. Well, I know the vacancies exist. Do you think you'll be one of them, Captain? If I am, I haven't heard anything about it. How much more money is it? $900. Not bad. No, it's not. Wish you luck. Oh, we got the boy inside who's been robbing us blind. Have you? Yes, sir. Gamblin picked up some information on him during the night. Got his Address and waited on a plant at his house. Sounds good. Boy came home at 7:30 this morning. He admits to mugging three women on the street and stealing their pocketbooks. He's right in that delicatessen stick up last week too. That's a good collar, man. That's it. The way it looks. I've called the squad commander from the 19th and 23rd. Maybe he'll help them clear a couple of cases too. Wanna see what he looks like? Yeah, I'd like to. Come in, Kevin. Hello, Scanlon. Deluca? Yeah. I want you to take a look at a real miserable character, captain. He beats up ladies on the street and robs them. He holds up delicatessens. He's 24 years old. He's never done a day's work in his life. That's not so. What's not so? Bud said I never done a day's work. I worked. I worked a lot. Who'd give you a job? I got an uncle. I worked for my uncle. How'd he fire him? Who said he fired? He did, didn't he? Yeah, he fired him. You make my mother sore. She hasn't spoke to him since. What'd you do, steal from him too? Well, not much. You didn't hit him over the head too, like you did the ladies? No, it's my uncle. Wonder you didn't kill him. As long as it's in the family. Listen, what am I gonna do, sit here all day? Hurry, Bud. You've got time. You're lousy with time. How do you want to tell us about anything else besides those three ladies and the delicate tests? That's all I was. I swear to you, My word of honor. Know what your word of honor is? Wet. Duncan. Come on, Bud, on your feet. Where am I going? Get up. All right, I'm here. Let's go. Look, I didn't mean to hurt anybody much. I just wanted the money. Makes it all right, huh? Just wanted the money. Go ahead. How'd they grow them like that, Captain? Beats me. All right, but Batali. Yes? Don't foil that thing up. When you get through, want you to print this boy one. Bud. Over there, Captain. Right with you, man. Listen, I want to tell you, I had my fingers print before. Well, we want to do it again. All right, Father, give me the whole hand, please. I just want to save you the effort. That's it. Now let me do the work. Just relax. I'm certainly obliged for all this, captain. We're happy to do it, Father. All right, Father. You can wash your Hands over there. Well, thank you very much. Okay, Father. Step right up, man. Did the UN come off easy? Yeah, a little. So, Father. All right. You? Oh, my father. Yeah. What did you do? Me? Yeah. What they got you for? Oh, nothing serious. I returned to my office where I received a Telephone call from Captain Lawrence K. Commanding officer of the 12th Precinct. He wanted to know if I had heard anything of the rumor that the commissioner would make Ford deputy inspectors sometime during the day. I told him I'd heard the rumor, but nothing further. Neither had he. The rank of captain is the highest under civil service and all above, including the 54 deputy inspectors, are made by appointment of the police commissioner from among the 250 odd men holding the civil service rank of Captain. At 10:50am I instructed the desk officer to have a car come by the house to take me on patrol of the precinct. In the course of that patrol, I made three stops to check on various complaints and conditions. At 11:55, I told Patrolman Iseman, the operator of sector car number two, in which I was riding, to return to the station house on ruled. A call was broadcast reporting an automobile accident. Ambulance responding on the east river Drive near 92nd Street. I instructed him to make the run. We entered the drive at 96th street and drove downtown with the siren open. As we neared the scene, I could see that one car was turned over on its side. Another, badly damaged, traveled the island between the lanes. Traffic, fortunately light at this time of day, was confined to one lane in either direction. We still had difficulty getting through and broken glass nearly covered the roadway. Beside the overturned car, I saw the still figure of a man. All right, help him keep the traffic moving. My son, He looks in pretty bad shape. Yes, sir. I think he's had it. No response when we pulled him out of the car. Was he in this lane, coming in this direction? Yes, sir. The woman was heading uptown, the other lane. He lost control and a car jumped over the island. Is she her? She seems to be taking up a lunch happen. I thought it's best to leave her sit in her car until the ambulance gets in. All right, come on. Keep her moving. How'd it happen? We didn't get the full story yet, Captain, but from the best I can make out, another car cut in front of her. He jumped the island and hit him head on. Mr. Underwood, keep that traffic moving with him. Get on the job. Did you look for identification on him, Sergeant? No, sir, not yet. The only thing is, I had the first man on the job calling with the registration numbers of his car, that's all. Well, I guess we better talk to her. Yes, sir. Turner, Ryan, post yourselves over here. He's not hurt very bad? No, sir. I don't think so. What's that? Glass, Captain. He's lucky. Sergeant. Yes, sir. You haven't said anything to her yet about the man probably being dead? No, sir. I. I didn't want to get her set up good. All right, Callie Far. Let us in there. Hello, Captain. Callie Far. You feel a little better now, Lee?
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B
No, I. I think my legs feel kind of numbed.
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Well, the ambulance will be here right away.
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B
Oh, I don't want to go to the hospital.
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Well, we'll see what happens, Margaret.
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If I could only get out and walk around a little bit, then maybe it wouldn't give some lumps.
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I think you better just sit there. What's Your name, please?
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B
Mrs. Rollins. Mrs. Marion Rollins.
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R, A, W, L, I, N, S. No, no.
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R, A, W, L, E, n. I see, Mrs. Marion. My. My arm hurts a little bit too, but this one.
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Where do you live, Ms. Rollins?
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Charleston to Clinton Avenue in the Bronx.
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Yeah. Can we see your registration?
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B
What registration?
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A
You mean for the car and your operator's ladder?
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Oh, sure. I. I didn't. My purse. I took my purse.
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There it is on the floor. Oh, I'll get it.
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Oh, I'm. I'm sorry. Thank you. My leg is beginning to hurt a little more now.
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Well, you'll be all right.
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You want to see my license?
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Yes, that's right.
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I couldn't help it. That station wagon cut right in front of me.
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He didn't even stop.
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He just went right on going and. Oh, here they are, I think. Yeah.
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Thank you.
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I couldn't do anything. I just lost control. I went right over, and this car was coming the other way. And I thought I was going to be killed. I ran into it.
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Here you are, Ms. Rowland. You can put these vacuums on the book.
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Thank you. I'd like to get out and see how bad my car is damaged.
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A
Well, I think you better sit there until the ambulance comes.
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B
I'm all right.
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A
You said your leg hurts pretty bad.
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B
Well, I really ought to take a look. There must damage. This car's new this year, you know.
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There's a lot of damage. Yes.
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B
Oh, dear.
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But I. I don't think it's beyond repair.
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A little, almost. I better luck.
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No, no, no, Mrs. Lord. I suggest you just wait until the ambulance gets you. Captain Kennelli? Yes.
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I like the cool.
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Eisman said there was a call broadcast for you to Ring in.
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Oh, it wouldn't hurt to take a look, would it?
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Just now? That's what he said. There's a call box right across the roadway there, Captain. All right.
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I'm entitled to that much, Sergeant.
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Yes, sir. I'm gonna ring in. Yes, sir. Underwood, hold up that traffic a minute. Okay, thanks. All right. There's Captain Canelli. Did you put out a call for me? Oh, turn.
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Cor.
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Mrs. Captain. Hold on a second. All right, Captain Canelli. Ring in. Go on, Captain. 45. Captain Canelli. Red, where are you? Captain, I'm at the scene of that auto wreck on the drive. Looks like there's one man dead and a woman injured slightly. Listen, Captain. Wait a minute. Hold on. The ambulance is just coming up here. I can't hear anything you say. All right, what is it then? A Lt. Altman and the police commissioner's office called up a few minutes ago. Just a second. What'd you say? I said a Lt. Altman in the commissioner's office called up a few minutes ago. You are? He asked if you were in the house. I told him no. He asked me if I could get in touch with you. Yes. I told him you're out on patrol. What? I can't hear you. I told him you're out on patrol, Captain. He said the commissioner wanted to see you in his office. In the commissioner's office? That's right, sir. Yes. When? All right. Thanks, then. Captain? Yeah? I heard a rumor that the commissioner is going to make four deputy inspectors today. Did you? Yes, I heard the same rumor. Well, anyway, it looks good for you. I wish you luck. Thanks, Red. You're welcome. I'll ring in from downtown. All right. Hold it, c. Up there. Hold it up.
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Okay, captain.
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Come on.
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Of course.
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Come on. All right. Son of a. Thank you, danny. You're welcome. Is he dead, Sergeant? So the ambulance attendant says. I put out a radio call for the morgue wagon. What about identification? Underwood is making a search of the body now. Tell him. Okay, the ambulance can take her to Mr. Powell. What about getting the roadway cleared here? Yes, sir. One of you. Yes. Bring him to the desk officer. Tell him we need two wreckers to clear the roadway. Tell him there was a desk. Yes. Well, I guess we ought to tell her. Yes, sir. I think she'll be all right. She's not hurt bad at all. I don't think he's lucky. Yes.
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Ms. Rollins, I wish you'd let me get out and take a look at my car.
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We're going to send you to the hospital.
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I'M all right, I think. Is the front end of my car all smashed up?
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I'm afraid it is, Mrs. Ronson. Oh, no.
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That's terrible.
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Ms. Rollins, the man in the other car is dead.
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Awful
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taking him to Bellevue Mall.
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I don't know what I'm gonna do. What am I gonna say? You say he's dead.
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Yes. But you claim you were cut off and lost control. If that's the case, it wasn't your fault that the man was killed.
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How am I gonna explain you? What am I gonna say? My husband will murder me. He'll just murder me. That car was brand new this year.
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Mrs. Rawlins, still in a state of shock, was put into the ambulance and driven to Metropolitan Hospital to be treated. In the meantime, detectives from the 21st squad and the Manhattan East Hunasai Squad, which investigates all deaths and serious injuries resulting from motor vehicular accidents, began to arrive on the scene. So did the tow trucks. At 12:15, I got into sector car number two and instructed patrolman Iseman to drive me to police headquarters at 240 Center Street. We drove straight down the East River Drive to Houston street, over to Lafayette and down to the headquarters building. I reported to the police Commissioner's office and found him not in. I sat down to wait. Meanwhile, back in the 21st, where Lt. Gorman was on duty as desk officer and Sgt. Waters was back on ts, the robbery suspect had been booked and taken to felony court. The victim of the automobile accident had been identified in his family, notified the business of the precinct went on. 21st Precinct. Sergeant Waters. Yeah. Okay. 17 oh. Walk around the 40 floor there. Super cold in and said there's a drunk sleeping in the hallway. Can't get him out. Okay. Yeah. Yes, sir. Give me CVI within who? Yes, sir. Hello, CB Lieutenant Gromit, 21st. You notify the 40th Precinct? We've still been unable to make that notification for them. No answer. Yeah, I'll hold on. Sergeant, see if that's the promotions on the telescope, will you? Yes, sir. All right, let's try. Is it the commotion? An alarm for a stolen car out of a fifth briefing? You think the captain's going to get made a di? Certainly looks that way. The motion's coming up and gets called down to the commissioner's office. A lot of captains have got a lot more time on the job than here. It doesn't make any difference. It's up to the commissioner. Member Valentine was promoted from captain all the way to Chief inspector. Yes, sir, I remember. Well, I hope he gets it for his sake, but for Oz, I don't know. I could do a lot worse. That's what bothered me. I beg your pardon, Lieutenant. Can I be excused on a matter of personal necessity? You stay. I thought you were going to give me Police protection, Lieutenant. Mr. Reigate, we have been giving you police protection. We have nearly 200 policemen in this precinct, not to mention the detective. We're all protecting you. Well, that hasn't stopped me from being threatened again, Lieutenant. FBI. Who threatened you, Mr. Reichar?
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B
The same spy.
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A
We've been watching the house, Mr. Reichead. I promised that we would, didn't I? Yes, you promised me you would. I've issued special instructions. The men have got their eyes open, sir. Well, that's good to hear. It relieves my mind. But I've still been threatened. They're following me around right now all day. Maybe they'll follow you in here, Sergeant. Oh, no, they're too clever for that. How many are there, Mr. Reigate? Well, I don't know. They're so clever, I've never seen them, but they're there. They've been following me around. They want to kill me. I'll tell you what I'll do, Mr. Reigate. You go home and I'll see you to have adequate protection. I'm afraid to go home. They might be there. Mr. Reigate, it's been a long time since I first started following you around. In fact, isn't that right? Yes, quite a long time. And it's been a long time since you first came in and told me about it. Isn't that right? Yes. Mr. Reigate, step up a little closer. Now you know how a police department has to operate. We have to do things undercover. We've been working on it. Don't you think that if we didn't work on it, they'd have forgotten you by this time? Well, don't you think, Sal? Yes, I suppose you're right. You don't have to worry about it. Just let us go on protecting you in our own secret plan. You'll be all right. Ah, yes. I want to thank you, Lieutenant. You've renewed my confidence in our free institution. You're welcome, Mr. White.
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B
Goodbye.
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A
I'll keep in touch with you. You should have sent him to the FBI, Lieutenant. We'd have been rid of him. How good. What do you want to get rid of him for? He can brighten up a dog, too. Oh, any deal orders that promotion, Gentry? No, ma', am, not yet. You just missed your favorite sergeant. I missed him on purpose. I stayed in the back room until he went out the door. Well, he cornered me one night and I couldn't get rid of him for an hour. How do you do it, Red? He agrees with him, Lieutenant. I'll try that. Mike. Pat. The captain pulled down. Family was. I know. All right, you stand down for your relief. But for the fact there's more money in the job, I think the captain would rather stay here. Deputy Inspector has no command, mister. Plainclothes work, which is pretty thankless, thankfully, these days. There it is. That's it. All following Captain having been promoted to the rank of Deputy Inspector, are transferred and assigned as indicated to take effect at the time and date specified. Lawrence. You know him, man. Yeah, well, Prent sounds right. We were still happy together. Look how far I got and how far he got y. Where he from? I never heard of him, man. This could be the last one coming up. This better be it. Vincent Keenan. Well, that does it. Might be making more than four. Rumor could have been wrong. The rumors are never wrong, Lieutenant. See, now, see, I thought he was in. Then. What did the commissioner have him down there for? Why don't you send the commissioner a 49 and a half sergeant? I would, but I'm not independently wealthy. I need the job. All right. I want you. Hello, Captain Sheppard. Oh, it's the big meeting. Nothing, Captain, just by an alarm. I want to announce the turnout. I'll have Vitaly bring it down to you, Red. Okay. Well, all right. Better get upstairs. Excuse me. I'll sign the blotter, then. Yes. Wi Fi Preaching, Sergeant Waters. The promotion has just turned through on Teletype, Captain. Did they. It didn't get made, I'm sorry. Oh, that I know. But I got invited to lunch. That's more than any of the new deputy inspectors can think. 21st. Preaching, Sergeant Waters. Wait a minute, lady. Talk slower. I can't understand you. A man in the hallway. Well, what's he doing there? Yeah, yeah, yeah. And so it goes. Around the clock through the week, every day, every year, the police precinct in the city of New York is a flesh and blood merry gown. Anyone can cut the brass ring or the brass ring can catch anyone. 21st Precinct. A factual account of the way the police work in the world's largest city is presented with the official cooperation of the Patrolman's Benevolent association, an organization of more than 20,000 members of the Police Department, City of New York. Everett Sloan in the role of Captain Kelly. Ken lynch is Lieutenant King. Featured in tonight's cast were Catherine Bard, Harold Stone, Eric Dressler, Larry Haynes, Santa Sotega and Bill Lipton. Directed by Stanley Nist. Produced for CBS Radio by John Ives Art Hannah, Steven.