21st precinct, Sergeant Byrne. Shooting? Where? Well, who shot? And how do you know there's a shooting? Yeah. Yeah. I see. Well, who told you to call the police? You are in the master 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 call. 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. All right. Wait there for the officers. Yeah, right there where you are. No, you don't have to call for an ambulance. I'll take care of it. You just wait there for the officers. Okay. Yeah. 41st precinct. It's just lines on a map of the city of New York. Most of the 173,000 people waged into the 9th tenth of a square mile between Fifth Avenue and the East River. Wouldn't know if you asked them if they lived or worked there. Wouldn't know if you asked them if they lived or worked there. Whether they know it or not, the security of their home, 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 Kennelly, Frank Kennelly. I'm captain in command of the 21st. I was working my night tour at 4 p.m. to 8 a.m. At 1115, I returned to the station house from patrol, and after signing the block I went directly to my office to read and approve a file folder of reports that had accumulated during the tour. I had also instructed the 124 men to post on the bulletin board the names of two patrolmen working the 12 to 8, informing them to see me on their arrival at the station house. Yes, come in. Do you want to see me, captain? Oh, come in, Hanuman. Yes, sir. Close the door. Yes, sir. Yes, sir, captain. Hanuman, I got a 49 from the chief clerk concerning you today. Yes, sir. And after I got the 49, I asked to see the payroll sheet. Yes, sir. I just want to know how you do it. Do what, captain? After deductions for federal withholding tax, the pension fund, the uniform loan account, health insurance, and the garnishment the chief clerk's office sent the 49 up about, the city will give you exactly $52.20 for half a month's pay. I'd like to know how you're going to live on that. I'd like to know too, captain. What's this garnishment about? Who'd you owe? Nobody, captain. Well, you must have owed somebody, or they wouldn't have garnished each of your wages. I went co-signer on an old captain for my brother-in-law, my sister's husband. And he defaulted? Yes, sir. Why did you let him get to court? When I got served with the complaint, I called him up and he said, don't worry about it, he'll take care of it. He'd get it straightened out. I didn't worry about it. You ought to see what a man's class takes on before you go on your note. My sister married him, captain. I figured that was good enough. Excuse me, captain. 21st briefing, Captain Cannelli. Sergeant Burns, this is the engine. The Captain King, what the hell is your answer? Yes, put him on, Sergeant. I told him to worry. He said he was coming downstairs. Oh, all right. Tell him to come right in. A $62.20 paycheck. You'll have to do better than that, Hanuman. Yes, sir, but don't worry about me, Captain. You see, I'm single and living at home with my folks, so I'm not in too bad shape. You'll still have to do better. I expect to, Captain. This is my last month as a probationer, so I get more money there. Plus the fact I lost two days when I went sick in the seat, and my brother-in-law says he'll get the whole thing straightened out by next week. At least I'm glad you're optimistic. There's nothing else I can do, Captain. This check couldn't get any lower, only higher. I can see that it does. Get rid of that garnishing. Yes, sir. All right, get on the job. I've got to talk to the detective commander. Yes, sir. Thank you, Captain. Hello, Lieutenant King. Hanuman. Go ahead, Russ. Oh, yeah, thanks. Oh, coming, Matt. Shut the door, Hanuman. Yes, sir. Captain, you know Acting Captain Orchard Larkin was a favorite of Orchard Larkin. Oh, yeah, sure, isn't that? How are you, Larkin? Fine, Captain. Good on. Pull that chair over, man. Yes, sir. Well, what have you got, man? We think we've got a deal on 84th Street, Captain. Can you give us about six minutes? Right now? I hope soon, Captain. What is it, man? It's a safe and lost squad case, Captain. We just got in on it ourselves. Russ? Well, we've had these three box men under surveillance for more than two weeks, Captain. Two of my detectives made this one boy. His name is Eddie Dorkin. As he was walking on the street, the garment just took a week to go through to. I see. Well, they recognized him as a safe burglar and took out after him to see where he'd lead them. They kept him under surveillance all that day. Nothing. After he went home that night, I sent two more men to relieve them and instructed them to keep up the surveillance. Captain, this is Eddie Dorkin. He's a pretty good boy. Just finished a bit and things thing. Been up there since 1946. How many deals would he write in when you got him then, Russ? Well, we caught him in the action of burglary and he admitted to three more. So this time I figured we had something. I told them to stay with him. They did. All last week. Nothing. Last night he went to a bar down in Greenwich Village, Sullivan Street. He walked into the place and went right to a booth. There were two boys waiting in there. One of them we made right away. Phillip Frigiel. We handled him before. The other one we don't have a complete line on yet. They call him Matt. And that's all we know about him until now. Three of them had a couple of beers apiece and sat and talked for nearly two hours. Well, this Phillip Frigiel, was he whipped Dorkin on these deals in the forties? No, no, Captain. There were two boys who were with him then and still up there. But Frigiel was in while Dorkin was and that's where they probably got together. And what's this deal on 84th Street? This afternoon, about five o'clock, they all three met again. This time in a bar on 86th Street. They had a beer and talked. Then they all left together. They walked around the corner and down to 84th. They stood across the street from this seven story loft building. Must be Frigiel's job. He was talking, the others were listening. Everything seemed to be okay. So they walked toward Lexington Avenue and went down to the subway. On the train, one of the detectives got right up close to them. All they were talking was baseball. Dorkin got off at 14th Street, Frigiel and Mack were out of Brooklyn. When Dorkin got off, he said, I'll see you tonight. Tonight up on 84th Street, you say? Yes, sir. Got the building planted now. Four of my men and four of them in a cage. All they got to do is show up. Well, it's getting kind of late. It's only a quarter to twelve. They'll be there, I think. All right, what do you need from us, ma'am? We'd like about eight patrolmen and sergeants, sir. Are you anticipating a lot of trouble in them? We want to be ready for it, Captain. I want those boys, Captain. I want to let them go into the building. Get in whenever they're going and start working on the strait. I want a good case against them. We grab them at the front door in the hall before they break into the offices. They're allowed to squeeze out of it with unlawful entry. I want them to be active committing burglary. So we need the street well covered and we need men on the roof for rejoining the building. All right, you can get the men. Yes, sir. 21st, we're seeing Captain Kanami. Sergeant Mark, this is the S-Captain. Is Captain Larkin at the station on the 21st? Yes, he is. One of the detectives is waiting at the outpost. Oh, all right. Good luck to you. Oh, thank you. Captain Larkin, you'll be turning out the door. Yes, sir. In a few minutes. Where's Sawyer? Why? Have you ever seen her before? Where are they now? Yeah, yeah, all right. We'll be right over. Yeah, yeah, that's right. Okay. Well, we got there. All three of them are? Yep, all three of them parked another. A girl. Yeah, they drove up in Spriggio's car. They parked her down the block. Spriggio, Dorkin, and Mack took the tools and walked down to the building. They left the girl sitting in the car. They went around to the side and started to work on the door to the loading dock. They drifted that in. What floor did they go to? I don't know yet, Captain. We'll go and find out. Before I left the station house, I told the desk officer, Lieutenant Snyder, to replace Sergeant Burns on telephone switchboard duty. Sergeant Burns was then instructed to select eight men from among those who were reporting for the 12-8th door. He was told to take these men to a point around the corner, out of sight from the loft building, until he received further instructions. Then, with the two detective commanders, I rode to the opposite end of the block where it had been arranged that we need to detect Morton Little of the safe and loft spot. There he is. Go ahead, Captain. Thanks, Matt. Morton, come. Morton. Captain Larkin. This is Lieutenant King, Captain Kennelly. Thank you, little. Where's the car that came in, Morton? Starts the street here, about 45, 60 feet down the block. Oh, yes. Still a two-door. I don't see the girl in there. Oh, she isn't in there, Captain. As soon as they got inside the building, she left the car and went into the bar and grill there. She's been sitting in there at the bar ever since. Alone? Well, she may think she's alone, sir, but there's one of the men from the squad here sitting right next to her. Kenny, is that right? Oh, yeah. We were four men in cars in front of the building. Oh, good. There's two men on foot, close to the loading dock, two men in the doorway down the street. Are they still there, Morton? Yes, sir. You don't know what floor they went to? No, sir, not yet. We haven't seen any lights last time in the building. They might still be working on the floor from the hall to the opposite stairs. That's what they're about to do. Can the girl see the front of the building from where she's sitting in the bar? Yes, sir. I get the idea. We're going in the bar. She can see everything. Well, what do you say we talk to her, Matt? She can tell us what floor they're heading. Captain? Well, you better leave me out of it, Matt. If I walk in there with the uniform on, it'll tip where cops ride away. He might not want to do that. Yes, sir, he might not. Morton, you stay here. Yes, sir. Okay, Matt. All right, I'll see you. You've got a good skipper, this precinct, Matt. He knows what the score is. Well, he came up with a detective division. Yeah? He was a squad commander before the war. Oh. Now let's see what we can get out of this girl before we tip over the law. We're the law, huh? Okay? Okay with me. I'll have to assume Matt and Clarence are loading truck ones. Yeah. Those boys come out, they won't know what hit them. I've been expecting this mark for a while, I got to do it. Not that safe. You're a man skinny in the bar, he won't tip anything when he walks. He won't even know it. Good. Well, you got a string of about 11 safety yards, I hope it's clear. I hope so too. Thanks a lot. It's all right with me. Okay. That's her I guess. Yeah. Maybe the lady would move over once if we could sit together? Would you, lady? Would I what? Would you move over to so my friend and I could sit together? Yeah, I think. Funny you wouldn't drop that in. Thanks, thanks. I'd just like to be near the door. I've got a hold of you. I'll be safe. Oh. I'll be right back. I'll be right back. I've got a hold of you. I'll be safe. Well, I'll be, gentlemen. Got any beer on draft? Just some bottles. Okay. What time? Anytime. Okay, anytime. I, uh, I didn't mean to be a nuisance and put you out, lady. That's all. So I told him I don't care if it's triple time. I don't want to work Saturdays. Five days is enough for me. Yeah. Won't be overtime during the week. Oh, yeah, a second there, will you? And miss? Miss? Yes, um, you're not waiting for anyone, are you? What's it to you? Well, I just figured if you've got nothing to do, neither will we. I've got something to do. You know, I'm an assy. How's this? All right. That's fine. Hmm. Fixed me out. Well, uh, how about a little conversation until you're something to do shows up? What's the money think I am? Nobody has to be for conversation. I'm busy, I told you. I realize it. If I told you I'm busy, you'd just let me alone. Hey, that kind of stuff don't go in here, fellas. What kind of stuff? You don't know the lady, don't talk to her. You'll talk to her, will you? Thank you. Talk to me? Talk to him. What do you want with me? What floor are they talking in their monocortex, please? I don't know. What floor are they on? I don't know anybody across the street. Look, we're not kidding you. Why don't you get up? I don't know anybody on over there. Uh, listen, let me see that badge again, will you? Here you are, mister. Real. Don't stand over at that end of the bar and be quiet. You'll do. I'll be quiet. Where are they? What floor? I don't know what floor they're talking about. Pringes, that's all I know. There are two printing shops, one on the fifth, one on the seventh. Which one? I don't know, honey. Who's girl are you, ladies? Yeah, honey. I don't know who's doing me now, will you? Well, I'll put it this way. But they won't have much time for you. You are listening to 21st Precinct. A fact will account for the way police work in the world's largest city. The young woman friend of the safe burglar, Eddie Dawking, identified herself as June Keaton. She gave her address as 334 Perry Street, Granny Village. While Acting Captain Russell Larkin of the Safe and Law Squad moved her to a booth in the bar and grill for further questioning, Lieutenant Matt King, commander of the 21st Squad, instructed Detective Kinney, who had been in the place, to inform me and the Safe and Law Detective Mort Middle that the girl was in custody. The detectives and uniformed officers on the job were to move in closer as planned while all the information available was obtained from the girls. All right, sit down there in the booth. Where? Which side? This side, take a picture. Now, you're not going to waste any of our time, are you, June? No, I don't want to waste any time. What are you doing here? Why'd you come along? Because Eddie asked me. He asked you to submit burglary and you're just doing it? You must like him a lot. I don't know what he's doing here. Come out, will you? You know why they're here and you know why you're here. You're not paid. I'm not committing burglary. Am I? What are you getting out of it? I don't know. He's been promising me, I think. What'd you get last time? How'd you know I did it before? I guess. Okay, Rosalind, he's on his way. Don't get stressed. Good. Did Eddie tell you to wait in the car or in here? In here. Listen, how'd that thing start up? I put a nickel in it. Oh, that's a plunge. Yeah? Why in here? He thought if I was sitting in the car, a cop or something might pass by and start asking questions. If I was in here having a drink, nobody would ask me questions. And you could see the front of the building across the street in the loading dock, couldn't you? Yeah, I could see it. You were supposed to watch them, weren't you? Yeah. What were you supposed to do to throw the cops come up? Nothing. Now look, I told you to stop kidding around. There's no time to play. What were you supposed to do? Oh, I was supposed to sit in the car while they were working on the door. Behind the wheel. I saw a cop car down the street. I was supposed to turn on the headlights and start the motor. I saw a cop walking down the street. Yeah? Then what? After they got inside, I was supposed to get out of the car and come in here and see if the barn had a drink. And watch the building? And watch the building. The top? For anything that didn't go right, somebody was going inside for anything. What were you supposed to do? Well, fellas, you got your beer sitting there. Want me to bring it over? No, just get over there behind the bar, will you? Hey, whose place of business is this, anyway? It ain't them. We appreciate the favor. Now, what were you supposed to do, kid? What was I supposed to do when? If you saw the police coming up to the building. Oh, well... I'm sure it's true. Yeah. Because I saw the cop, there's somebody I was supposed to go to the phone booth and call the number. What number? The number of the day, isn't it? What number is it? I'll give that a fox or a nine. All set outside. Wait a minute, Morton. Yes, sir. You were supposed to call that number, and what? I was supposed to call that ring from Tom's and hang up, you know, to warn him. That's the phone number up in the place they're making a safe. Oh, I guess it is, don't you think? Morton. Yes, sir. They're making one of the printing shops. Either the fifth floor or the seventh floor. The number up there is El Dorado 5-209-8. Check it out and see which floor the phone is on with him. Yes, sir. He's going to be mad. He's going to be awfully mad. No, I wouldn't be surprised. He's going to blame me. He always does. He wouldn't ever dislike them. I think I've got guns. Eddie and Mammy, you mean? That's what I mean. Well, I don't know about the others, but Eddie has, I think. Don't you know? Yeah, he's got one. What kind? A gun, a pistol. Like this one? Yeah, something like that. With the thing that spins around where the bullets go in like that. He always wants me to learn how to shoot it, but I'm scared of guns. I don't like them. Well, what about Mac and the Phil? You don't know whether they have guns? Well, I'm not very well acquainted with them. Eddie is my friend. I wouldn't know if they had guns. They don't go around showing them to me, you know. Yeah, we know. But you don't have to worry about Eddie. All he wanted out of there was the money from the state. He don't want to hurt anybody. He wouldn't hurt anybody. Not Eddie. Now, take it from me, Joan. There's only one reason a man carries a gun. That's to use it. Burglary, defined as breaking and entering with intention to commit a felony, is one of the most difficult crimes to prove. The big time burglars, the safe-crackers, are so law-wise that the conviction against them is seldom possible unless they're unlucky enough to be caught in the act of committing a crime. They are often caught in the act, but it's seldom due to chance. The Safe Laws and Truck Squad, a group of specialists in the Detective Division of the New York City Police Department, charged with the supervision and investigation of this type of crime, have developed the techniques of catching burglars in the act. The girl, Joan Keesham, already in custody, was taken to the station house. The telephone number was checked, and it turned out to be that of the concern on the seventh floor. Officers were posted on the roofs of the two adjoining buildings, both only four stories high. All doors and exits from the lost building were covered. We waited until 1230, then one o'clock, 1.15. At 1.20 a.m., Acting Captain Russell Larkin of the Safe and Laws Squad, Lieutenant Matt King, commander of the 21st Squad, and I, held a conference in a doorway across the street from the lost building. Well, what do you think, Matt? I don't know. They're having an awful time getting this safe, or if they spotted the activity on the street, they're not going to come out if they know we're down there waiting for them. Got them? Well, they could be taking this long with the safe, couldn't they, Mark? Yes, sir, they could. These boys know their business. They wouldn't tackle anything if they threw stuff in the pocket. They want something they can rip fast, rip it fast, and get out. Well, you think we ought to go get them? Yes, sir, I think it's about time we did. Okay. There's no elevator. We've got to walk up. We turn on the power for the elevator, they'll know we're coming. They don't know it already? They don't know. There's no chance of telling them that. Agreed. Now, we've got to cover the inside fire stairs. The heroes coming up the main stairs are liable to head down the others. We'll detail four men to start up the fire stairs the same time we start up the main stairs. Fire stair doors are locked on the stair side all up and down the building. So are the main stairs. Well, how do we know we're going to be able to get on the seventh floor from the stairs? That's the way they went up. They gave me the door. If they're nowhere down here, they might have left the seventh floor and gone to some other. Yeah, possible, Captain. We'll examine all the locks and try the doors on the way up. Okay. Matt, you need to detail up the firewalls. All right. Well, okay. You take one of my men, one of yours, and two uniformed officers. You'll instruct somebody to open up and let us on the floor the first thing. As soon as we get up. Okay. I'll take two of my men, two of yours, Matt, and two patrols and up the main stairs. What about me, Rock? Do I go with you? Well, sure, Captain. You want to. I want to? That's the building manager who's got to get you, Captain Larkin. Oh, good. What does he say about the layout? Pretty much as we understand it. Yes, sir. He's got the sixth floor. It's not occupied all right, but there's a lot of shipping crates on the floor. Okay. Has he got the keys to the doors all up and down on the main stairs? Yes, sir. He's got a master key. Good. Tell him I'll be with him in a minute, huh? Yes, sir. I'll tell him. All right. I guess that's it. Except... Except what? Oh, one of us ought to stay in charge down on the street. Who do you suggest, Rock? Well, I know what's on your mind. If there's any fireworks up there, you don't want the ranking officer to get hit. Well, if there's any fireworks, the ranking officers look awfully silly waiting down on the street, wouldn't they? I'm sorry, Captain. Forget it. I would have tried the same thing if there were an inspector on the job. And it wouldn't have worked either. The men were given their assignments and told of their duties. At 1.28 a.m., we crossed the street and entered the building via the main door. Lieutenant King, in his detail, went to the rear and started up the fire well. Acting Captain Larkin, Detectives Mort Little and Richard Schreiber of the Safe and Lost Squad, Detectives James Kinney and Daniel Goldman of the 21st Squad, Patrolman Haneman, Sergeant Burns, and I started up the main stairs toward the seventh floor. En route, we examined the doors and locks on each floor. The second and third floor doors had not been tampered with. Neither had the fourth. Nor the fifth. With guns drawn, we continued up to the sixth. Hold it. Okay. Well, sixth floor. Quiet. Let's take a look at that door. It worked out. Yep. That's the fourth building, Captain. You want to take a look on the floor? Yes, sir. There's one on the left stairs. Watch him. Police. Stop that. Police. He's down. Watch out. Stay off the stairs. I can see to the top. He was the only one. All right, Mort, go ahead. Yes, sir. I'm going. Burns, Kinney. Yes, sir. Go up with him. Take a look around on the floor. Yes, sir. Okay, Captain. Let's try the door here. All right. He's through. Let's go around. Open it. Watch it. Come on. Quick. Hey, Craig, stop behind him. You think they're here? They're here. Look, I want to get behind that color. You cover me from here, huh? Okay. Here, go. That's right. Let's go, let's go. Okay, look. Okay. Over in that corner. Over there. To your left. Yeah. Okay. What do you say? You want to walk away from here or not? We'll walk away. Look. Yeah? I can't get a shot at him from here. Cover me. I'm coming over. Okay. Ready? Yeah. Come here. Come here. Okay. Yeah, okay. All right. Now what do you say? This is what we say. You hit one of them. Matt. Matt, you all right? Matt. Stop calling. He's not going to answer you. I don't know. I'm not so good anymore. All right. Stand up where we can see him. Yeah, yeah, okay. Just don't shoot anymore. I'm standing. See? Throw that gun out here. Where? Over here, over this way. Yeah, here it comes. All right. Get those hands way up over your head. Yeah. See? Step over there in front of that window. Yeah. That's right. Now lean up against the window. Come on. Both hands against the window. Yeah. There's the other one. He's not going to bother us, Captain. No. There's the gun. I'm going to get him. All right. Now just stay like that. I got that note. All right. Sit on the floor. Against the wall. Yes, sir. Now sit there. Everything okay here, Captain? Yeah. Give Captain Larkin a hand with him, Captain. All right. Just fill there. That's Matt King at the fire department. I better let him in. Yes, sir. It'll be a good idea. Now look, I'm not going to tell you again. All right. Just a minute. Everything all right, Captain? Yeah. I think we've got a couple of dead burglars, man. Oh. All right. Come on down this way. All right. I sure wound up on the wrong side of the door, didn't I? Have patience, man. You're moving up higher on the captain's list all the time. When you get made, you can be on whichever side of the door you want. 21st Precinct, Sergeant Burns. Beating up a girl? Where? On the street? Between 82nd and 83rd. 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-go-round. Anyone can catch the brass ring. Or the brass ring can catch anyone.
