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Dragnet: The Big Fake (EP4448) · The Great Detectives Present Dragnet (Old Time Radio)

0:28
Welcome to the Great Detectives of Old Time Radio from Boise, Idaho. This
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is your host, Adam Graham. If you have a comment, email it
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eight three seven one five. You can also become one of our ongoing Patreon
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supporters for as little last two dollars per month by going to Patreon dot Great
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Detectives dot net. Well, now it is time for this week's episode of
1:38
Dragnet. The original air day June one, nineteen fifty and the title is
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The Big Fake. Ladies and gentlemen, we suggest that you pay particular attention
1:49
to an important announcement which will be given at the end of tonight's program.
2:01
The story you're about to hear is true, only the names have been changed
2:07
to protect the innocent. You're a detective sergeant. You're assigned to Personnel Division.
2:22
A resident of your city files a report of robbery and assault the suspect
2:28
of rookie police officers. Your job arresting dragnet the documented drama of an actual
2:45
crime. For the next thirty minutes, transcribed in cooperation with the Los Angeles
2:50
Police Department, you will travel step by step on the side of the law
2:53
through an actual case from official police files, from beginning to end, from
2:59
crime to punish. Dragging Net is the story of your police force in action.
3:07
It was Wednesday, April ninth, was foggy in Los Angeles. We
3:09
were working a day watch out of personnel. My partner's Ben Romero, the
3:13
boss's deputy Chief Home and Commander b I A. My name is Friday.
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We're on the way over from the City Hall and it was five twenty five
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pm when we got the Central Division the Assembly room. Yeah, why Sam
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Joe, Yeah, it looks like him over there. I let you hang
3:30
out. Were high now you Russell Clark? Yeah, that's right. Friday
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and Romero personnel all right. End of Drummond over, b I'd like to
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talk to you all right, when'd you wanna see me? Right now?
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Okay, we're go look at the captain. I just saw about that letter?
3:45
You like it? Okay, let's go there. Well, they want
3:50
to see me about Yeah, Drummond will tell you. What are you?
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Okay? How long you been on a job? Pluh? About two and
4:00
a half months? How do you like it? Oh? I like it
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fine? Wife doesn't think much of it. She wanted me to stay at
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my own job. What was that selling insurance? Likes to be home nice,
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doesn't like to be Alan, especially now. Yeah, she's expecting a
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couple of months, you know how yet? Yeah, that's cross here.
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Hey, I uh put in a request for day works. You think that's
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why personnel wants to see me? I don't know. I don't think so.
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Why should like to get that day watch? Yeah? Is that the
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way you full of started? I did? Yeah? You started the traffic,
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didn't you been? Yeah? Uh? I had nine months? Alan?
4:34
Go ahead, Clark, no thanks. I have to be on the
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job at six. I think it's gonna take right long. I don't know.
4:43
Hi Friday, Hi Friday and lifting waiting listen now, Coleman. Lieutenant,
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Yeah, commit, this is offic a Clark. Lieutenant Drummond, how
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did you say, oh hey, Clark, sit out? Thanks? A
5:00
couple of questions for you, Yes, sir, you were on special duty
5:04
at the Olympic Auditorium last night there, right? Yes? Or for the
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fights? Anything unusual happened out there last night? Well it wasn't very important,
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Lieutenant. After the fight's drunk fell down the stairs on the way out
5:15
of the auditorium, broke his arm and took him to Georgia Street and they
5:19
took care of the arm, and I drove him home. He's pretty drunk.
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Why didn't you book the man? I didn't think it was necessary.
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How long you been with the department, Clark, two and a half months
5:30
there? Did you know he should have been booked for violation of forty one
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to twenty seven a LAMC. Wow, the man was in a pretty bad
5:34
shape, Lieutenant, broke an armor. I guess I didn't think the law
5:40
was that straight. Law was there for a purpose. He decided to forget
5:43
it. Now you're in a mess right up to your neck. I don't
5:45
understand you remember the name of that drunk He took care of last night.
5:47
Yes, her name of Stacey, lives out in West LA. What's the
5:50
matter of that drunk mister Stacey wants to find a complaint against you. What
5:56
for? He claims you took him back at the auditorium, beat him up,
5:58
broke his arm and robbed him of a hut twenty eight dollars. Crazy,
6:00
he's lying. I didn't do that. Got his word against George Clark.
6:03
The fact seemed to favor him. But I can prove it. Well,
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there was at least a couple of dozen people around it. There,
6:10
there was a doctor. He can tell you. Maybe you better take it
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from the beginning clarent exactly how did it happen? I was right after the
6:15
fight, so I was on duty in the lobby and I saw a bunch
6:16
of people crowing around the foot of the stairs. Yeah. I went over
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to see what the troubles and they were looking at this man lying on the
6:21
pavement, Stacy. A doctor was examining his doctor. Did he identify him
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yet? Yeah? I asked her his identification. He showed it to me,
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gave me carry he's doctor, all right, yeah, go ahead.
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Well, he told me that he'd seen Stacy fall down the stairs coming out
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of the auditorium, said that Stacy had broken his left time. What'd you
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do then? Well, the doctor said'd be okay to move him, So
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I helped him into my car and take him down to Georgia Street. He's
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so drunk, hardly stand up. The attendants at Georgia Street took care of
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his arm. Well, they can tell you all about this, maybe,
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but they can't help you out his witnesses. You could have beaten up Stacy,
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robbed him, then take him into Georgia Street, but I didn't.
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Lieutenant Attendant, is Stacy's lying? What'd you do when you left Georgia Street?
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Oh? I drove into Central and told him what happened. I told
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the watch commander I was gonna drive this Stacy home, and he warned me
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about it. I guess I should have known him better, But well,
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I swear to you that Stacy's lying. You should have known him better.
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Where'd you go after you left Central? I drove him home. On the
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way he said he was hungry, so I stopped. I brought him a
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sandwich and some black coffee. Kept telling me what a nag his wife was,
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said he was afraid to go home. Go on. Well, when
7:27
I got into his place, his wife started chewing me out. I just
7:29
said, good night. That's it. Huh, that's it, So help
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me. That's exactly what happened. Now. How about the doctor at the
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auditorium, the one who saw Stacy full Did you get his name in the
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dress? Well, no, no, Lieutenant, I didn't. I don't
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think it was necessary. How about the crowd that was standing around just bout
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anybody you know? No, no, no, I didn't. There just
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a bunch of people coming out of the fights. And you haven't got anyone
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to corroborate your story. But all those people saw it. There must have
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been a couple of dozen of me. What are their names? I don't
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know. All I know is I didn't beat him and I didn't take his
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money. I'll tell you the Stacey's lying. You could be lying. We
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got no proof either. I'm not lying, Lieutenant, I didn't do it.
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We might believe you, Clark, and that doesn't make any difference.
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If this man files at two eleven against he's got to be settled in the
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court. But I didn't do it. I tell you, I swear I
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did it. In just a minute I send him. Mister, miss Stacy,
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would you can hear the story the way we get it from Stacey and
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his wife. I'd like to hear it. I don't know why he's doing
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this. Tell me I helped him all I could. Look. Jerry Barriers,
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that's the one. Yeah, that's him. Chief. Wait a minute,
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mister Stacy, what's this all about, old Clark? Mister Stacy,
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would you repeat the same story I told us this morning? Please? You
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know what I told you? Chief? You had the stenographer take it all
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down. It's the same thing. Like to have you repeat it in front
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Officer Clark. Here, he's entitled. I know what you're charging with man
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like that's entitled to nothing. You want to luck, Lady, your husband's
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lying. Don't call my husband a liar. You're not a policeman. You'll
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hold him all right. Wait a minute, I don't know what the city's
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coming to. COT's going around beating up private citizens. Who do we trust
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if we can't trust a policeman? Just a minute? Please, no,
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Captain, you should have seen my husband when that officer brought him home last
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night. I'm all bandage, his face all cut up. He was hurt
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so bad he could hardly stand up. He was too drunk to stand up.
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Don't you get fresh with me? All right, that's enough. This
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cop got hold of me as I was coming out of the fights, took
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me in back of the auditorium, told me if I didn't hand over my
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wallet, he'd booked me on a drunk charge. Were you drunk, Stacy?
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I was not. I had a couple of peers, that's all.
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And I wouldn't give my money and beat me up, broke my arm and
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took my wallet. Had a man like you ever get on the police force.
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He figured he'd cover up, so he took me and had my arm
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fixed at the emergency hospital, and he drove me home, threatened me all
9:35
away. He said, you tell anybody about this and I'll get you.
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That's just what he said. I don't get it, Stacy. You know
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that story is a pack of lies. Why are you doing this to me?
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It's the truth, and I'm gonna press charges and get my money back
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one hundred and twenty eight dollars. What have you done with it? We
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can take care of the question, missus. Stacy, don't see you're doing
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it? Make him tell it. I'm money. I haven't got it.
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Don't talk that to me. Mister Stacy, You and your wife want to
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file a crime report at this time. You want to press charges Romero,
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Yeah, take mister missus. Stacey's down the record Bureau have to make out
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a report for two eleven in the sol right the way. Please now listen,
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we're going to get action if we have to take this to the district
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attorney. We're not afraid of the publicity. We'll go to the newspaper if
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we don't get action. Yes, ma'am, what's it, Clark, they're
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lying. I can't prove it, but they're lying. Well, you can
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see the position that puts us in. If you're innocent, will do all
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we can. If you're guilty, we'll see you get everything that's coming to
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you. But they're lying. You know that not up to us. The
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court's going to have to decide. That's it. That's it. Well,
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there's no other way, Clarke. We got forty five hundred men in the
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department. We don't claim they're all saints. Once in a while the bad
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cop comes along and pulls a caper and all of us get a black eye.
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This book of rules is the only protection. We got against that by
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failing to enforce the law. You have violated your duty as a police officer.
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Make yourself in a real mess. Clark, like anybody else, should
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get a fair trial. I mean, I'm dropping from the force and those
11:05
people have filed a crime report grow suspension pending the outcome in the case after
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that. If you're cleared, and'll be your hearing before the boarder rites right
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through right now. You'll be booked for robbery and assault in Hilton County Jail.
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Case will be presented the District Attorney tomorrow. What can I do.
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I'll have to have you a badge on the desk. You're done, ID
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card, Yeah on the desk. Yeah, all right, Joe, that's
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it, Okay, take them. Six pm Ben returned to the office and
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together we took rookie police officer Russell Clark across the street to the Hall of
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Justice at the County Jail booking desk on the twelfth floor. Was booked on
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suspicion of two eleven PC and assault with intent to do great bodily harm.
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Was lodged in the cell block. Investigating charges against a police officer involves exactly
12:09
the same procedures cases where private citizens are concerned, proved the suspect innocent or
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guilty. That's the job. If Clark was innocent, looked like there was
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only one way of proving that was somehow to find the unnamed doctor who was
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supposed to have seen Stacy fall down the auditorium stairs and then examined him afterwards.
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If Clark was guilty, we had to find proof that his story about
12:31
Stacy falling downstairs was a lie. Besides that, we had to find evidence
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that he beat up Stacy at the rear of the auditorium that night, and
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then he robbed him of one hundred and twenty eight dollars. Thursday, April
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tenth, Ben and I checked in for work at seven forty five am and
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found a message from the jailer on the phone board. Clark wanted to see
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us right away. We met with him in the county jail, the interview
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room. How are you doing? Not too bad? Don't let it sour
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you. Huh you really think I rolled that character? I want to in
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the truth. We checked you out, good family, got a fine army
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record. No, we don't think you did it. I just can't understand
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why he picked me. I tried to help him all I could. Then
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he walks in the next day with a frame story like that. You've got
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any idea why Stacey would pull something like this on, I don't know.
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I'm worried, Chergeant, Believe me. I can't afford to sit here missing
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my pay. We lived pretty close to the budget with a baby coming.
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I'm worried about the wife. I just don't know what to do. Are
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you sure you told us everything about this that you remember. Well, that's
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the one reason I wanted to see. I didn't sleep much last night.
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I kept trying to remember the name of that doctor. Yeah, well,
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I remember once he did mention his name, and then when I asked for
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his identification, he showed me one of his cards. Any idea what his
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name was? Well, I'm not sure, but as I remembered, it
13:48
was some kind of a Swedish or Norwegian name, or something like Johnson Tollison,
13:52
you know, something with a son on the end of it. It's
13:54
on that card, and that doesn't errate down too much. Where is it
13:58
card? Well? I think I put his card in one of the pockets
14:00
of my other uniform shirt. That's why I called you. I wonder if
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you could check that for me. It's at home. Sure, Where do
14:05
you live out on Norwich Road four eleven. It's right near the coliseum or
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eleven. Yeah, all right, we'll check it out for just ask the
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wife. Card should be in one of the pockets, Yeah, if you
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put it there. Ben and I left the interview room at the county jail
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and drove out to the home of Officer Clark on Norwich Road. We introduced
14:28
ourselves to his wife and told her what we were after her eyes were red
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and looked like she'd been crying. She asked about her husband. We told
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her he was all right. They're making a terrible mistake. Sergeant Russ never
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did anything crooked in his life. He didn't do it. I know he
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didn't. We'll do everything began to straightening it out. Miss his life.
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Of course he'll have the final say. I knew Russ shouldn't have left his
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insurance job. I just knew it all this trouble. How about that shirt
14:48
that your husband told us about the when he wore that night at the auditorium.
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Oh, yes, he's ow the uniform shirt. Can we see it
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please? Yes, certainly it's right this way back. What's so important about
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the shirt? Sergeant? Your husband told us that there might be a card
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in one of the pockets. My help clear up? Things should be hanging
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up here in the closet. I always like to keep Russ's shirts on hangers.
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She keeps them much nicer looking. What's the matter this morning? I
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sent it to the cleaners. Clark's wife, Ben and I drove down to
15:28
a dry cleaning shop a few blocks away where Missus Clark had left the shirt.
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The counter girl there told us that the truck had already been by that
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morning and picked up the day's cleaning. Was a store rule to check all
15:37
garments for contents. She had found nothing. We got the address of the
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main plant, the Great Northern Dry Cleaners, a place down on Factory Street.
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Ten fifteen am. We checked in at the main plant and explained to
15:48
the manager what we were after we gave him the tag number of her cleaning,
15:52
and Missus Clark gave him the description of the shirt. We waited in
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the manager's office while he made a search for the dark blue wool police shirt.
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This one, lady, it's the only blue little shirt picked up at
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your opinions this morning. Yes, that's Russ's shirt pockets out there. I'll
16:07
check the pockets for you. I had to pull it out of the tank,
16:10
so in this pocket by the other one. Yeah, look for yourself.
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Nothing you are listening to drag net. The case history of a police
16:36
investigation, Thursday, April tenth, Shortly after noon, the daily newspapers were
16:48
on the streets, and the head on one of the top front page stories
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read rookie cop slugs rob citizen. Ben and I went back to the county
16:56
jail and told Clark to be failed to find the card, he could give
16:59
us no other lead that might help in clearing the case. During the next
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two days that followed, Ben and I ran down every possible lead, no
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matter how remote it was. I made a thorough check on mister and missus
17:08
Stacey. We double checked back on Clark's record. For one full day.
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We did nothing but phone doctors in and around the city of Los Angeles.
17:15
From a list of hundreds, we came across three doctors who had been present
17:18
at the fights and Olympic Auditorium on the night Stacey claimed he was beaten up
17:22
and robbed by Officer Clark. None of the three had seen a man tumble
17:26
down the stairway leading from the balcony to the lobby. None of them had
17:30
seen any accident or had been called on to help anyone professionally. Monday,
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April fourteenth, we met with Lieutenant Ralph Rummond. Oh go h thanks good
17:37
us, Ralph. We can't figure it. It's almost to fact Stacy's line.
17:41
Clark, what about him? Well, there's still nothing to show that
17:44
he didn't do it. He had the opportunity, maybe he had a motive.
17:47
He needs money, you though, who doesn't. How much you get
17:48
on Stacy? He and his wife run a second hand furniture store in South
17:52
Flower. It's a small business. Stacy's quite a gamber. He bets in
17:55
the fights. Yeah, we checked around with some of the gang down the
17:57
auditorium. Stacy's well known down there. He laid some pretty heavy bets the
18:00
night he claims Clark rolled him. How much you got the dope there,
18:03
Ben? How's his figure out? Uh? He lost over seventy five dollars
18:07
in small amounts. Add to that the fact that he was doing some partying
18:10
that might have count for the one hundred and twenty eighthies Masic Stacey blew the
18:14
role, was afraid to tell his wife, so he cooked up the story
18:15
against Clark. Yeah, sure, maybe that could have been the way it
18:18
happened. What do he got on the other side? Not much. Well,
18:21
couldn't dig up anything against Clark. I don't know. He doesn't seem
18:23
like the type to pull something like that. Maybe not. He still can't
18:27
prove he didn't do it. How about the papers you're plugging for witnesses.
18:32
Yeah, here's the ad, had it running in personals for four days now.
18:36
Nice. Well that's there for Stairway U Toorium. They please call Michigan
18:41
five two dred one seventy five. No his also no, all the possible
18:47
doctors in town have been checked out too. How about the local medical magazines
18:49
kind of add in there, raff, nothing's happened. Well, one thing
18:55
is sure, something's gotta happen. News papers are scorching the kid in the
18:57
department along with him. Victim without a trial makes good reading in the tabloids.
19:02
It's one thing I can't understand that Clark's leveling. There was a doctor
19:04
at the fights that might have looked at Stacy didn where's the doctor we've had
19:08
this thing noised all around down. Well, give it a little more time,
19:12
he might turn up. I kind of like the Stacy angle. What
19:15
do you mean suppose we get him in here? I think we could break
19:18
him down into question. No, I doubt that we can't even get close
19:21
to him. That wife of his and that a lawyer there with him all
19:22
the time. He's afraid to talk to us. Maybe if we passed the
19:26
word to his wife had been gambling. How far can we go on that?
19:29
Well, she might believe us, she might not. You've seen what
19:30
she's like. Yeah, I got an idea. He sold her on his
19:34
story and she's tagging along to get the one hundred and twenty eight dollars back.
19:37
And it gives me an idea, Joe, one thing we might have
19:40
missed. Yeah, what's that? We found out that Stacy did a little
19:41
partying before he went to the fights at the Auditorium, and I didn't we
19:45
Yeah, go ahead. We checked out a couple of the bars he was
19:48
drinking at, but we figured he must have parted away at least fifty out
19:51
of one hundred and twenty eight dollars. He didn't spend that much at the
19:53
bars. Oh well, sure, he probably hit a few other places too.
19:56
That's what I mean. There's still a lot of money to drink up
19:59
alone. You figure a woman, Maybe you got any reason to think Stacy
20:03
plays around? Just one? Yeah, is what Monday, one pm,
20:15
Ben and I started the canvas of bars and small nightclubs in the general area
20:18
around the Olympic Auditorium. We started with those where Stacy was a regular customer.
20:23
We failed to turn up any leads. Either of the bartenders refused to
20:26
tell us that they had no knowledge of Stacy's running around with other women.
20:30
We kept at him. Another day passed, two days nothing. One of
20:36
the newspapers started a campaign against the brutality of police officers. On Thursday,
20:41
we got a tip from a bartender to place out on Washington Street, the
20:42
Brown Cow. He told us that he thought he saw a man answering Stacy's
20:47
description in his bar a few nights before, with a flashy blonde in the
20:49
late twenties. He said he didn't know Stacy too well, but he knew
20:52
the girl and he knew the hotel where she stayed. Her name was Sandra
20:56
Gay, an acrobatic specialty dancer. The Cheap knight club We checked out her
21:00
hotel, but she wasn't in. We left word for her to get in
21:03
touch with us, and then we picked up a hamburger and some potato salad
21:07
for lunch and checked back in at the office. How you doing call her
21:11
not as good as you two? How do you mean? Can't you smell
21:15
of her? Fuel? H huh's off of blonde named Sandra Gate. She's
21:18
waiting in the next room. Won't talk to anybody but you. Thanks cland
21:23
didn't waste much time, did she Perfeme George prong s? Your name Sandra
21:33
Gay? Yeah? Sure, I you the fella's been looking for me.
21:37
Drop by your hotel. We'd like to ask you a few questions. Yes,
21:41
sorry, it's my partner. Starts with maryl. My name is Friday.
21:44
I do well, the Marion can cute, prick? What can I
21:48
help you with? Do you know anybody but the name of Gerald Stacy,
21:52
Miss Gay Geral's Yeah, I hate that name. Do you know any man
21:55
who calls himself that? No? I think that's a terrible name for man.
21:57
Joe the man and we haven't mind his pretty short, stocky bill,
22:02
dark hair, and he wears steel rimmed glasses. Yeah, where'd they hang
22:04
out? Place out in Washington? The Brown Cow. Supposed to have been
22:07
seen with you, General Stacey. Oh yeah, I think I know.
22:11
We have mean furniture businesses runs a place near the Brown Cow. That's right.
22:15
You know him? Oh Pop, Sure, I know him. I
22:18
got together once in a while. He's a kick, pretty big spender.
22:22
Oh he's god. Yeah, last time we went out, he was fine.
22:26
He can kick it around when he wants to. Oh Pop, when's
22:29
the last time you were out with miss Game? Uh? Maybe a week
22:33
two weeks ago, the Tuesday night, I think, Yeah, Tuesday the
22:37
eighth. Is that about right? I must have been it. Why was
22:41
it all about? Did you spend most of the evening wedding? No?
22:44
I had to get back to the club. Do I act? He went
22:45
onto the fights over to luncheon? I got it person? No on Friday?
22:52
Is this Sergeant Friday? Yes, that's right, this is doctor Samuelson
22:56
talking sergeant. I've been out of town. I just got back this morning.
22:59
Huh saw the ad in the paper? Yes, sir, I was
23:02
at the fights at night side. And what is Joanna know? Would you
23:04
mind telling us doctor? Did you see a man fall down? One of
23:07
the stairways to the lobby. Certainly I was the one who examined him.
23:15
Five pm, mister and missus Stacey were called to Lieutenant Drummond's office. Arrangements
23:19
were made to have Officer Russell Clark brought over from his cell in County Jail.
23:22
At five point fifteen, Ben and I checked into the Lieutenant's office.
23:26
Stacy and his wife were already there. Certainly proud of our police department.
23:30
Chief, no whitewashing this time. You gave that fellow exactly what he had
23:33
coming. Thanks, you're sure you didn't make a mistake. I'm sure,
23:36
Chief, that's the right man. You got him, Jerry, don't make
23:38
mistakes on things like this, Inspector. How about our money one hundred and
23:41
twenty eighty. Tell you where he hit it? No, he hasn't.
23:44
We'll bring Officer Clark in from County jail. Figure we try to crack it.
23:47
That's right. Make him tell what he did with our money, Joe,
23:48
Will you have officer Clark brought in by the way, All right,
23:56
there he is. Where's our money? What have you done with it?
24:00
The minute? Please? Stacy? You sure off, Sir Clark. Here
24:02
is the man who beat you up and robbed you. Of course he is.
24:04
Dragged me behind the auditorium and almost beat me to death, broke my
24:08
arm and took all my money twenty eight dollars. Where is it? I
24:11
haven't got your money, Joe, bring the doctor in. Get here.
24:15
That all right, mister Stacy, you're a liar. This officer didn't break
24:22
your arm. I saw your fall down a flight of stairs at that auditorium,
24:26
break your own arm. I examined that. Who is this man?
24:30
What about it? Stacy? He doesn't know what he's talking about. I
24:32
never saw him before in my life. No, but I've seen you,
24:34
Stacy. You were drunk. I saw you fall down those stairs. You're
24:37
crazy. Joe said, this gay in who is going perfume? You recognize
24:48
any of these people? Miss gay? Hello, Pops, I don't know
24:52
you. Don't you remember the perfume? You give it to me? Who
24:55
is this woman? Just a friend? Honey? All right, Stacy,
24:57
Now let's have it straight. It was all a mistake. I don't want
25:02
to make trouble for anybody. It wasn't this copsport. I don't want to
25:04
make any trouble about this woman. There was all a mistake. Believe you
25:07
took that money, Gerald, you spend it on her. Now, wait
25:10
a minute, causing all this trouble, squandering our money after all I did
25:14
for you. You're no good this time. I'm true. All right,
25:17
Clark, let's go. It's okay. Well, that's it. I don't
25:25
know how to thank you, fellas, and doctor's the best friend you've then,
25:27
Yeah, I better call a wife. You want to know Friday phone
25:32
message for you here? Oh, thank you from your wife, Clark.
25:37
Yeah, she found that Doctor's kind The story you have just heard was true,
25:51
only the names were changed to protect the innocent. On September, second
25:55
trial was held in Municipal Court Division seven, City and County of Los Angeles,
25:59
State of Caliber. In a moment the results of that trial, Gerald
26:11
Stacy was tried on charges of filing a false crime report. He was convicted
26:17
under section fifty two fifty LA MC and served his term as prescribed by law.
26:22
Officer Russell Clark was returned to duty with full back pay. Ladies and
26:27
gentlemen. In response to thousands of letters asking us to broadcast Dragnet at an
26:33
earlier hour so that the entire family might hear it we wish to announce that
26:38
summer scheduling enables us to fulfill these requests. Beginning next Thursday, June eighth,
26:45
will bring you Dragnet one half hour earlier over most of these stations.
26:49
Consult your local newspaper for exact time you have just heard dragnet. There is
27:00
of authentic cases from official fails. Technical advice for Dragnet comes from the Office
27:04
of Chief of Police W. A. Wharton, Los Angeles Police Department.
27:21
Here your favorite Jack Birch tomorrow on NBC Welcome Back. I think that the
27:40
fact that what got the officer into so much trouble was not booking the gentleman
27:47
who ended up accusing him on a drunk charge illustrates the risk that police officers
27:53
take in letting someone go for some minor charge. It can lead to problems
28:03
later on, and it can even cost them their job or their career or
28:08
end up or even their liberty, depending on how things go. So it's
28:15
easy to be really annoyed at police officers who are sticklers for certain rules,
28:19
but the risk that they take in not enforcing a particular law can be quite
28:27
significant. Now some later, Jack Webb produce series including Adam twelve acknowledge that
28:37
police officers often run into situations that do call for an amount of discretion.
28:45
One episode of the series actually had the junior partner, Officer Read making a
28:53
decision on whether to take action that could lead to someone's role officer being notified
29:03
of a technical violation when something really quite innocent had happened and there was no
29:08
negative outcome from that. There was another episode where Officer Malloy, the senior
29:17
officer, made a decision to let someone go from a traffic stop because he
29:25
was a funny guy, and it turned out that there was actually a warrant,
29:30
which he would have found out if he had called in. So it
29:34
can be a really risky proposition. I think in this guy's case, he
29:40
was a rookie police officer, and probably the best thing you can do if
29:45
you're a rookie and you're out there on your own is just go strictly by
29:51
the book, because you don't have the experience or the judgment to know when
29:57
something is kind of a gray ara that you might be able to make an
30:02
exception with, and where it would make sense to make an exception. Probably
30:07
the biggest missed opportunity for the police is that they probably should have offered to
30:15
do a search of the officer's home for the business cards. Business cards are
30:19
notoriously easy to lose, and you know, falling out of a pocket.
30:25
I mean, that's practically what business cards are designed for. I find random
30:32
ones that have fallen out here and there. Trained investigators who frequently conduct searches
30:38
could probably find arrant business cards faster than a pregnant woman searching her home alone.
30:48
I just hope that my liberty never depends on me being able to hold
30:52
on to a business card, because then I would be in trouble. All
30:57
right, Well, now it is time to thank our Patreon supporter of the
31:02
day, and I want to thank Jim. Jim's been one of our Patreon
31:04
supporters since January twenty nineteen, currently supporting the podcast at the Detective Sergeant level
31:11
of seven dollars and fourteen cents or more per month. Thanks so much for
31:15
your support, Jim, and that will actually do it for today. If
31:18
you're enjoying the podcast, please follow us using your favorite podcast software, and
31:25
if you're listening on YouTube, be sure to lock the video subscribe to the
31:27
channel in mark the notification bell all those great things that help YouTube channels to
31:33
grow. We will be back next Saturday with another episode of Dragnet, but
31:40
join us back here on Monday for the adventures of the fall can wear Bety
31:47
Katty having trouble Katty? Maybe I can give you a lift. My car's
31:52
right here. Look, if you don't get out of here, call it
31:55
cop. Yes, just prove a small world is what are you talking about?
31:59
I'm car but New York Homers side so so I wonder if I can
32:02
impose upon you to take a little ride with me down to headquarters. Start
32:07
her up? Kelly, how you mad? Have you heard of a man
32:09
named Mickey Slater? No man, he was finally done in some three hours
32:15
and four bullets ago. No. Yeah, I'd love to, but I
32:17
hate loitering on street corners this way till we get downtown. I hope you'll
32:24
be with us then in the meantime. Send your comments to Box thirteen at
32:30
Great Detectives dot net, follow us on Twitter at Radio Detectives, and check
32:36
us out on Instagram, Instagram, dot com slash Great Detectives from Boise,
32:42
Idaho. This is your host, Adam Graham signing off