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No two companies are alike. That's why the American Express corporate program can help you customize rewards, reporting and billing options all designed for your business. Build your program with American Express@americanexpress.com corporate terms apply. 20 place preaching. Sergeant Waters. Shooting where? Talk in the form, will you? Where's the shooting? Lexington. And what? Well, who shot who? Yeah, you are by transcription in the muster room at the 21st Precinct. The nerve center. A call is coming through. You will follow the action taken pursuant to that call from this minute until the final report is written in the 124 room at the 21st Precinct. Okay, go back there and wait. The officer will be right over there. Yeah, that's right. I'm sending him now. Right now. 21st Precinct. It's just lines on a map of the city of New York. 173,000 people wedged into the nine tenths of a square mile between Fifth Avenue and the East River. 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'm the boss. My name is Keogh, Thomas P. Keogh. I'm captain in command of the 21st Precinct. I was doing my duty 4pm to 8am I come into the station house at 3:25 in order to give myself enough time before the turnout of the platoon to change the uniform, read reports and communications and confer with the desk officers, Lt. Gorman and Lt. Snyder, who were coming on and going off duty, respectively. When I turned out the platoon. The most important instructions I gave the men concerned a series of armed robberies of liquor stores which had plagued detectives and the patrol force of every precinct on the east side of Manhattan uptown from 34th street during the last three weeks. The two armed men had hardly missed the night. Sometimes they hit twice or three times in the same night. The victim was always a package store, the time always between 7 and 10pm the score was 19 robberies and $3,300. And it didn't look like they were ready to quit. Of the 19 robberies, six were in the 21st Precinct. And Lt. King, commander of the 21st Detective Squad hadn't been home in a week. Neither had most of his men. After the 62 men who would patrol the precinct until midnight marched out the front door of the station house to take over their posts. I returned to my office, closed the door and walked over to my desk to more thoroughly read the report waiting for my signature. 21st Precinct. Captain Keel. Sergeant Warner's on TS. Captain. Yes, Sergeant? Lieutenant King is down at the desk. He wants to know if he can see you for a minute. Yeah, sure. Tell him to come in. Yes, sir. Okay, Lieutenant. Go on in, Sergeant. Yes, sir. Have a car come by the house for me at 4:35. I want to go out on patrol. Yes, sir. Come in. Come in, Matt. Oh, Captain. Saw the door closed. I thought you might have someone in here. Sit down, Matt. Yes. No, I've been keeping it closed when I'm in here. Some psycho has been wandering into the station house and heading right for my office before anyone could stop him. He's got some story about the flying saucers being after him. Oh, him. We had him up in the squad too. How are you doing on those liquor store robbers, man? Get any line on them? That's what I want to talk to you about, Captain. Yeah? The borough chief called all the squad commanders concerned to a meeting this afternoon. What did he have to say? He had plenty to say for a half hour straight. 19 armed robberies, he says. Same two guys always in liquor stores. Always between 7 and 10pm Nobody's been able to get a line on them. He said nobody's been able to get the first base. Well, he can't say you haven't been working? No, sir, he can't say that. We've been running down every angle we get. We've been planning a few stories we thought they might hit. They've been doing the same thing in the other squad. 19 robberies and no shooting. Yes. Yeah. He said to stretch it to the 20th, be going too far. But if we don't get them right now, they're gonna kill some victim. Well, I don't think he's far wrong about that. No, sir. Neither do I. I've been worrying about it all along. Well, what are you gonna do? We're gonna put almost a 100% plant on package stores between 34th street and 96th Street. Plant every one of them? There's a couple of hundred. Well, we're narrowing it down some. In the first place, these guys haven't hit a store where there's been more than one clerk. Always only one clerk on the job. Well, that takes it down a lot. Yes, sir. Out of the 19 jobs, only two of them were on cross streets. The rest were on Avenues. Why do you figure that is? Must be something in their mind. I guess that takes it down some more. Eliminating all the stores on the cross street. Yeah, they haven't yet hit a store that's been on a corner. Oh, haven't they? Out there? Every One of the 19 has been in the middle of the block or at least away from the corner. Well, I guess they figure it's too easy for someone coming from either direction to see inside the store. If it's on the corner, that might be it. Got it down to within reason. Are you going to plant two men in each? Yeah, there's been two stick up men in every case, both of them armed. We'll need two to handle them. Well, that'll take a lot of men. Well, everybody from the five squads is working. Yeah, the chief is putting half the men from the Manhattan East Homicide squad and half the men from the youth squad on the job. The chief of detectives is sending up as many men as he can spare. Five here, six there, 10 there. Yeah, central office bureaus are giving us about 12 men. Got a couple each from the safe and Loft and narcotics squad. The chief got hold of every division commander in Manhattan East. They're giving us about 20 plain clothesmen. We're asking the precincts concerned to furnish four, or preferably six patrolmen to work in plain clothes. Well, you caught me on a night when I'm kind of short, Matthew. Well, I won't ask you for six, Captain, but how about four? All right, I'll get you four men. Each of them will be assigned on a plant with an experienced detective. Yeah, that's the way it should be. When does this go into effect? Tonight. We got the surveys made. We know the stores we're going to plant so set for tonight. And how long do you expect it to continue? I don't know, Captain. Depends on when we get them. Immediately after conferring with Lieutenant King, I went out into the muster room and around behind the desk to apprise Lieutenant Gorman, the desk officer, of the situation. At the considerable discussion, we determined the names of four of the patrolmen to be assigned to work with the detectives on this case. They were called in off their posts, told to change the civilian clothes and report to Lt. King forthwith. Lt. King furnished to Lt. Gorman a complete list of 31 package stores in the precinct that would be planted in the hope of catching the stick up men in the act of committing robbery. As patrolmen on post rang in at their stated times, they were informed by the desk officer of the stores on their posts in which detectives would be on duty. Torman Fallon, the 124 man, typed up complete lists for the men, inspector cars and the Sergeants at 6:45pm Detective William Novak of the 21st Squad and Patrolman Paul Vaccaro, who had been assigned to work with him in plain clothes, were on Lexington Avenue walking toward the Yorkland Liquor Store, which they were under instructions to plant. Plants are worth still in the book. Said it in walking post. Yeah, but you tell me that three hours from now and you're a liar. And that's it, isn't it? Yeah, well, let me talk to the guy. Over. Carol. Yeah, yeah, sure. Okay, go ahead. What do you say? What? What you have in mind? We got a special on rum. We're detectives. Oh, my name's Novak. This is a cow. Hi. How are you? RUY Jack. Ruy. Rui. Like Dewey, only with an R. Oh, glad to know you, Jack. You know, for a minute I was worried when you came in. I've been hearing all this about watch out for two men together. Those hold ups, you know. Yeah, that's what we're here to see about. What do you mean? Are you the boss? You own the place? No, I'm not the boss. I'm just a clerk. The boss went home. He works days, I work nights. Yeah, well, we want to stick around here a while tonight. What do you mean, stick around? Why? I'll tell you, Jack. It's not that we're expecting anything, but just in case these two guys do walk in, we want to give you some protection. Okay? Listen, you sure? Sure about what? That you don't expect them here. We don't expect them here any more than we do anyplace else. We're covering a lot of places tonight. Hey, listen, what is this? A special on champagne here? Yeah, specialist wheat. It's pretty cheap. French champagne, huh? Lay off. It's a lousy year. That's why it's cheap. The connoisseurs won't touch it. And this neighborhood is lousy with connoisseurs. I wonder why it was so cheap. These guys have held up a lot of package stores, huh? Yeah, 19. I've been working here eight years. Nobody's ever stuck me up here. Knock on wood. Well, you can never tell when your number's up. Now what we'd like to do is stay in back there in the stock room while you just go about your business, okay? So all right with me. Let's take a look back there. Yeah, sure. Not much. Go ahead. After you. Thanks. I'll get the light. It's not much back here. You said it. But if this is where you want to stay, I guess it's up to you. Now, I'll tell you what we'll do. We'll move a couple of these cases around so we can sit on them. Is that all right? Yeah. Wait a minute. I'll give you a hand. Get that one over there for the counter. Okay. Make it a little more comfortable. Yeah. All right. Where do you want. Right here. All right. Now, let's see how this is going to be. I shut that door about halfway for Carol. Okay. Now turn out the light, huh? All right. Yeah. Yeah, this is going to be all right. And we can sit back here and see everything that goes on out in the store. With a bird's eye view. You want the light on now? Yeah, yeah, for a minute. Now, that's generally where you stand at the counter, isn't it? That's where all the customers come into you. Yeah, that's right. Right there. Good. Now, where can we put our coats? I don't think I've got any more hangers back there. Oh, never mind. We'll just throw them over the cases. All right, if you want to. Okay. Vaquero, take your coat off. Yeah. Now, before we get settled down, let's go out in front again a minute. All right. You don't think they'll come, but just in case they do, what happens? Well, that's what I was gonna tell you. Now, one of these guys always comes up to the counter. The other one stands near the door. Now, we can see both the counter and the door from back there. So we can see both of them. Here comes the customer. Okay. Good evening, madam. Good evening. I'd like a fifth of Scotch, please. Did you have any particular kind of mine? Well, this is very nice. Selkirk and Peebles. Selkirk and Peebles. Very fine brand of Scotch whiskey. I have to admit, I never heard of it. Wow. Look at that label. Selkirk and peebles, established in 1778. It must be good if they stayed in business that long. Must be. Look, don't you think I. Lady, I'll sell you anything you want, but you take my word for it. You take this Selkirk and Peebles and you'll be back for more. Hey, let me put this gentleman here. Now, what do you think of S and P? Well, to tell you the truth, I'm not a Scotch drinker. I don't know one Scotch from the other. Yeah, well, my husband is and he does. You take this bottle of Selkirk and Peebles home to your husband, and if he's not satisfied with it, I'll miss my guess. You'll be back for more. All right. What did you say? Two fifths? One. Just one fifth. Here. $10. 6, 7, 8, 9 and 1. Is 10. All right. Thank you very much. Call again, ma'. Am. Good night. And you'll be back for more? I hope so. Selkirk and Peebles, huh? The boss says push it, so I push it. Salesman sold him, so I gotta sell the customers. It's good. It's as good as any of them. I never heard of it. I got news for you. Neither did I. Well, let's get set here. Now, I'll tell you. You just go about your business the way you would normally. You forget we're even back there. All right. Now, we'll see everything that goes on out here. If these two guys come in, don't try to signal us. Don't try to attract our attention. Don't look to the back. Just do what they tell you. Get your hands up in the air. Open the cash register. Do whatever they tell you. All right? Now, when we yell at them, they won't pay any more attention to you. They turn around toward us, you hit the floor and stay there. All right? Okay. You got me a little shaky. Don't be shaky. Jack. Let me ask you a question. If they come in here, are you better off alone or are you better off with us and back? You sold me. Come on. The cow. Stay with him. Just a normal operation. Okay? Okay. Get that light for Cal. Right. All right, now, settle down. You got a long wait. Yeah. You think we ought to smoke back then? I don't see why not. Just keep it covered. I know that. All right. I see them. Sit tight. Two of them, and they fit. There'll be four. Oh, no. Easy enough. Yeah. Gentlemen, call again. Good night. Oh, brother. Yeah. Jack, you're a real pooper. What do you mean, I'm a real pooper? Why, those two guys look right. You acted as natural as all get out. Why shouldn't I? They're from the shoe store around the corner. I've known them for years. All right, just keep up the good work. It's not going to be like that every time the door opens, I'll tell you. That depends who opens the door. While Detective Novak and patrolman of the Carroll. Waited on a plant in the stock room of the Auction liquor store on Lexington Avenue. Officers were concealed in other package stores in the 15th, the 17th, 19th, 21st and 23rd precincts. Where the rash of armed robberies had broken out. Other detectives and plain clothesmen were on patrol in department cars. And in their private automobiles checking in the vicinity of those stores that hadn't been planted. In addition, detectives and other precincts throughout the city were notified to be on the alert in the event the sick up men changed the locale of their operations. Meanwhile, the entire patrol force in the precincts concerned, which together comprise of six divisions, was on the alert for the stick up men who had committed 19 robberies in three weeks. As part of this alert, I remained on patrol for a longer period than usual and was still out at 9:40pm nearly three hours after Detective Novak and Patrolman Vaccaro first went on the plant. During that time, the front door to the shop had opened nearly 30 times. Each time the officers tensed. Then they relaxed. Well, tell me, Vaquero, what's better? Walking a post or sitting on a plant? Well, there sure isn't any pleasure. You said it isn't, Jack. Yes. When's closing time? 10 o'. Clock. Good. What? I said good. You want another cigarette? No. No thanks. You pulled down this kind of a job often, sitting on a plant? Not too often. That's good. Now stop complaining. You've only been here three hours. Wait till you've been on one for 16 hours straight. On your feet, out in the cold, waiting for some guy to show up. Was never coming. Then you complain. You fellas going to be back tomorrow night? We don't know yet. Well, you make nice company. Thanks. Oh, my aching back. Stand up for a while. No, I tried that. Nothing helped. Hold it. Customers, gentlemen. Stay down. Quiet. Ought to be gunless when you get shot in the Variety. Easy, easy. Over here. Never mind, dad. Just put those hands on the counter. Yeah. All right, hold it now. Hold it. Just be a good boy. We both got the difference here. You could get your head blown off. All right, all right. Come on. Easy. Hold a second. Wait till I get the door open. Yeah. Wanna move out of the way? All right, I just said. Yeah. Pretty good here now. Police officers. Crap. Get him up. Shoot, Picado. Watch out. Get away from there. All right, you got him. Hold up there. Hold up. All right. All right. Get your hands up. All right, all right. Drop that. The Carroll? Take a look at the one that's down there. Yeah. All right. All right. You kick the gun over here. Go on, kick it. All right. I think it's when it's dead. He caught one right between the eyes. Jack, Are you all right? Yes. Where are you? On the floor. All right, you can get up now. I got the other one's gun. All right, hold on to It. All right, you lean up against that counter. Go on. Go on, lean up again. All right, take it easy. See what's on of this. Carol. Yeah, take it easy. Shuttle boy, what a mess. You better get over there out of the way. Jack. Yeah, they'll be here. All right. Yeah, that's fine. Money's in his pocket. I got it. All right, hold on. I heard the cop on the beat. What's going on there? What do you got? The liquor store bandits. We're okay. Post yourself out front. Keep the people out. Okay. All right, let's get the cuffs on him. Put your hands behind you. How am I gonna lean? Lean with your head. Get your hand behind. Okay. All right, he's fed. All right, mister. Straighten up. What do you want from me? I want plenty from you. Sit down on the floor there. Go. I'm better. Keep your eye on him. I'll ring him. Yeah, all right. Let me use your phone, Jack. Boy, that was close. That was pretty close. That sure was. Hello, CB Detective Novak, 21st Squad. I sent an ambulance to 3302 Lexington Avenue. Yeah, 3000, 302. We were sitting on a plant at a liquor store. Two men attempted to commit an armed robbery. One shot were holding another. No, No. I think he's dead. Yeah. All right. Will you connect me with a 21st? Yeah, thanks. How many shots were fired around here anyway? I didn't have time to count them. John. Hello, Sergeant Detective Novak. We're on a plant at 3302 Lexington. Yeah, but Caro and I. Yeah, that's right. They came in, one dead. I think we got the other one. All right. All right, good. Will you ring upstairs? Okay. Thanks. Don't. Was good work. That was good work. Oh, thanks, Dan. I knew you were back there. I knew everything was going to be all right, but I was still scared to death. I don't blame you. I know how you feel. Where do you live? Well, what's the slob got to say for himself? Nothing yet. Just that his name is Ed Skagan. Ed Skagan, huh? Where do you live? Downtown, New Village. Well, you've been living up here on the east side lately, haven't you? What do you mean? 19 pickups in three weeks. That's what I mean. You're out of your mind. Don't tell me I'm out of my mind. What's your friend's name? Cheney. Richard Cheney. Where does he live? In a village, too. How old are you? 24. How old is he? I don't know. Same Age, I guess, anymore. You been in trouble before? Yeah. Yeah, I've been in trouble before. How many times were you arrested? I don't know. Four, five, six, something like that. I. You ever do any big time? Yeah, I did some big time. What for? Brain life. How much did you do? 27 months. I got news for you, mister. You're gonna do some more. Yeah. Yes, I am. Listen, Is he dead? Yeah, it looks that way. That's too bad. He was a nice guy. Yeah, a sweetheart. Mr. Novak. I better call my boss, don't you. Oh, wait a while. I like to keep this phone open, Jack. Well, he's entitled to. No. Well, it won't hurt him if he knows. Five minutes later, got some of the money out of the cash register. One put it in his pocket. We got it off him. Started stuffing his pocket. I don't even know how much was in there altogether. Till I total it up, I've got to let my boss know how much it was. Well, whatever it is, you'll get it back. It wasn't much. It was enough. You better go stand over there, Jack. Brother, what a mess around here. Who is it? Here. Vaquero? Yeah, Sergeant Vaquero and Novak. Well, looks like you hit the jackpot. I guess we did, Sergeant. This is a lucky one, huh? Yeah, lucky. I'm the luckiest man in the world. You sure are. Are you sure the other one's dead? Yeah, you got one right between the eyes. Wow. 20 was your magic number, huh, mister? What do you mean, 20? You guys sure get dumb in a hurry, don't you? What happened? Well, we got on a plant here at 6:45. We sat in back there. These two guys walked in about 9:30. We didn't think too much of them at first. They're not very close to the description. What description? You just sit there and keep your mouth shut. We kept our eyes on them. Anyway, they asked for a bottle of rye and walked over to the counter. That one there stayed by the door and this one talked to the clerk. And this one pulled a gun out and started threatening around. We got set and came out after them. We told them we were cops and they turned on us. This is how it wound up. I don't see how it could have wound up any other way. You guys just pressed your luck too much. Did the call come over? Ambulance responding. Sergeant. Yeah, Vaquero. There's an ambulance on the way. Let's go over and take a look at the other one. What do you mean, press my luck? Yeah, I think he's had it. Who's a good marksman, you or Novak? Well, to tell you the truth, Sergeant, I don't know. I was shooting at both of them. First one, then the other. How many shots you fire? Well, I got off four, I think. I don't know. Minimum. Yeah, four. What's this one's name? You know. Well, the other one says this one is Richard Teen. Poor Richard, huh? Yeah, poor Richard. Well, he looks white and he got it. Let's talk to the flex. That's the truth. It's honest to goodness truth. You wouldn't know the truth if it had a neon sign on. Hello, Jack. Oh, hi, Sergeant. Well, you hit the jackpot tonight. Yeah, I guess I did. And I want to quit while I'm ahead. Well, there's a captain. Hello, Skipper. Good work for Taro. Thanks, Captain. This ends a lot of trouble for us. I know. They gave you a rough time, huh? Well, we weren't sure at first that it was them. They weren't too close to the descriptions we had. I know it was them. I was looking at their guns. Well, I want to see what that one has to say for himself. Don't forget, you fellas have your jackets back there. We will. Hello, Nevaque. Captain, this is the sorriest thief he ever met. He gets hooked hard on the job, his partner gets killed. He's still got nerve enough to insist that this is the first deal he's been in on. What's your name? How many times do I have to say, Ah, look, mister, get straightened out and get straightened out fast. Tell the captain your name. Chris Gaggin. That's Kagan. You and your partner have been pretty busy boys, haven't you? I just met him today. What do you want from me? Oh, you just met him today and you dreamt up about those 19 other stick ups, huh? I don't know anything about any other 19 stick ups. He hasn't given us a hard enough time. Already wants to make it harder. Where did you meet him? I told you you wouldn't believe me anyway, so what's the use of telling you? You tell me and let me make up my own mind. Now, where did you meet him? In a bar down in a village. What bar was that? I don't know. Some bar in 7th Avenue. When? Today. Saturday. And you got to be such good friends that you just decided to go out together and stick up a liquor store, huh? It's not exactly the way we decided, but it'll do. Why don't you tell us the Truth. I am telling you the truth. What, do I gotta hold back? Why do you think you're falling? Not us? I'm not trying to fool anybody. You passed that thing. Hello, Captain. Good work, Novak. Thank you, Lieutenant. This is Ed Skagin. The other one's Richard Taney. Ed doesn't believe in telling the truth. He says this is the first liquor store he ever heisted. He said he had nothing to do with the 19 others. He's right. He didn't. He didn't. You got yourself a good pair of heisters, Novak. But the ones we were looking for just hit down on the 15th Precinct. That's five minutes ago. No kidding. You see? I told you. Did they hit a store that was planted next? No, they got away clean, captain. Number 20. I get dropped on number one and they hit number 20. Some luck I got. Well, you're better off than they are, Eddie. You're through. They're still asking for what your friend got. 21st Precinct. Sergeant Waters. Yeah, yeah. How many women? What is it, a bargain sale there? What do they want? Yeah, yeah. Hasn't he opened the store? Well, get them back away from the glass there. Yeah, yeah. Oh, is that so? All right, I'll send the car around there. Right away. Yeah, right away. Okay. And so it goes around the clock through the week, every day, every year, the police precinct in the city of New York. There's a flesh and blood merry go round. Anyone can catch the brass ring or the brass ring can catch anyone. 21st Precinct transcribed a factual account of the way police work in the world's greatest 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. Les Damon in the role of Captain Keogh. Ken lynch as Lieutenant King. Harold Stone as Sergeant Waters. Featured in tonight's cast were John Sylvester, Bob Redick, Rhino Rayburn, Mason Adams and Lawson Zerbe. 21st Precinct is written, produced and directed by Stanley Nist. Art Hannah speaking.