officers - The Black Vault

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I . . . .. Tina Gerson/Daily News
Officers on patrol in Watts stop a S!JSpect walking down the
street after a burglary in the neighborhood on Saturday night.
-~ ' ~-'
"But that don't change my was dumped from drawers and
'perspective on black and mattresses turned over in nearly
whites, because not all of them every room.
are like that~" he said. "Some of The burglars had pried open
-them are like that, though.". - a grate. Maillet was angered by
Earlier Saturday night, Mail- · what he saw.
let's cruiser swept past a group · "To be safe, they have to
visfon station parking lot. "And ·of young girls on a dark .side - make themselves prisoners in
I can show· you policemen out street. At least one waved, but their own home," he said .
. here that, you know- an 18- Maillet was moving too fast to - The neighborhood is noyear
policeman - that nobody wave back. ·good, the woman said, as two
can remember when the last "Shame, shame, shame," he 'more officers arrived to take thetime
they were in a fight." said, scolding himself. "That -report.
Maillet said he refuses to be- kid could remember that forev- . "Well," Maillet said, "it was
lieve people fear the police, er." · ·a neighbor who called, though,
especially in Watts and South · Maillet, once a combat infan-·- so you still have good neigh-
Central. . tryman in Vietnam, rides with bors." ·
"Afraid of us? No. Not down his window down and the heat Back on the streets, another
here," he said. "They need us on. His ears, he said, are as im- woman flagged Maillet from her
and they know it. They appreci- portant as his eyes. : _ car. 'She had seen some young
ate us. Believe me." With a crackle of static, the men, dressed like gang mem-
Even people who risk being dispatcher reported that some- bers, near her house.
arrested depend on the police one had seen three men jump a "Why don't I follow you
for protection. · fence. It was· a possible burgla- home now, OK?" he asked.
"I like to see black and whites ry. "Yes. Thank you, 70 she re-
(squad cars) out here," said When Maillet arrived, a wo- · plied.
Dina, a .transvestite prostitute man and her family were at the Pulling into the driveway,
who was trolling for custc;>mers doorway. "Their house was sur- Maillet took out his gun. An oron
Figueroa Street shot:fly be- rounded with a fence. The door ange cat ran past, but nothing
fore 11 p.m. was covered with a metal grate, else moved. No one was there.
"I like to see them out here as were all the windows. Driving away, Maillet's mind
because there are a lot of people The woman had her hand on wandered from the woman to
r who come around robbing girJs, ·her 'forehead. ·~somebody got ~"the King beating.
and girls robbing guys and peo- ·into the house arid they ·took a _ "When she sees the King tape_
ple coming out here with guns," lot of things," she said. on TV," he said, 'she'll rememhe
said. · She pointed to where a video- ber this - 'Hey man, I met one
Dina, who refused to give his cassette recorder, video camera and he was real nice; followed
full name, said the King beating and stereo speakers had been me home, made sure I was
was inexcusable. .. . only two hours earlier. Clothing_ safe.' :·