October 1959 - San Francisco Police Officers Association

More documents

Recommendations

Info

[ike can save your life Proper care and feeding of Mike and his brother, Little Mike, is important - they're your closest friends in the radio car. OCTOBER, 1959 The P.A. switch should be placed in the down position when you wish to broadcast Police Communications. This may be desired when you have to leave the car but want to hear the broadcasts coming over the air. With the switch in this position, both mikes are dead. Mike's frequency arrangement is such that it may be compared to a telephone party line having 75 or more subscribers. Obviously only one person can talk over the circuit at a time and he understood by the operator. Often when the officer fails to get acknowledgement the first time, it is simply because the circuit is already in use. The transmission is being covered. With this in mind, then, there is one big DO NOT that should be pointed out. DO NOT USE THE MICRO- PHONE FOR UNNECESSARY CONVERSATION. Tragic Consequences Have you ever thought of what the results might be for using the mike unnecessarily? This incident could happen. How would you feel if you caused this tragedy: A Taraval car is on patrol in the area of Fleishacker's. It is a fairly quiet night in that time of year known as Indian Summer. "Nothin's doin'" as the saying goes. Joe, a nice guy, just came into the business, is assigned to Taraval 4. He is cruising down Sloat Blvd. when he views a suspicious man lurking in the bushes at the side of the road near a bus stop. There have been a number of strong-arm robberies at bus stops in this area so Joe flips the P.A. switch into the down position and jumps out of the car to investigate. "Come out of those bushes, NOW!" says Joe. Police Personality of the month One of the last of the real two-fisted "San Francisco" cops is a veteran Inspector George Dyer, Sr. One of nine children, George was born at Twenty-first and A 1 a b a in Streets. His father was Chief of the Southern Pacific Railroad Police Force. George entered the Police Department in 1925 and, during the next twenty fabulous years, served well in every phase of the job: radio cars and heats in the Richmond and Southern; Special Duty Man at the Southern; Chinatown Detail; Flying Squad; Bureau of Inspectors. Old timers tell stories of Dyer's courage. The time he leaped through a skylight in the Richmond Dist. to disarm a crazed, shotgun wielding murderer: the numerous gun battles with bandits and killers. Three Meritorious Conduct Awards and scores of commendations fill his personnel file. The general strike of 1934 had erupted into violence. Dyer, coupled with Al Torre (now inspector,) to form a two man police force on the Embarcadero. Troublemakers who were willing to tangle with a platoon of policemen turned tail and fled when the word was passed: "Look out, here come Dyer and Torre 0' The only response is the loud report of a gun. Joe staggers backward and falls over the front seat of the radio car. Everything is hazy to him, it is getting dimmer and dimmer and his senses are reeling. He has only enough strength to reach for the mike and make one appeal. "Taraval ... 4 ...I'm shot Sloat and Great Highway" ... 406 406." Joe is bleeding to death from a gunshot wound in the stomach. At the same time as Joe's one and only transmission, Pete says to Ed: "Did you take the orders?" "Yah," says Ed, "I'm hack already." "You hear a 406." "No, I didn't hear anything." The transmission was covered. Joe died before anyone ever discovered him missing. He might have lived if he were found in time. Pete, realizing what had happened, says: "What can I say? What can you say." Say nothing! Unless it is important to police business and then make it: CLEAR, BRIEF, TO THE POINT. In World War II, a vicious hoodlum element had sprung up. Dyer was chosen to head a special flying squad to fight fire with fire. Sweeping through the Mission, Tenderloin and Fillmore, the squad broke the backs of the mobs. Many an ill-mannered ruffian underestimated the 5'9" Dyer and nursed a broken jaw in his jail cell. During his twenty years in the Bureau he has worked the Bunco, Auto and General Work's Details. He now serves as a right hand man to Lieut. Donald Scott in General Works. It is a luckless culprit whose case is assigned to Dyer. The gates of San Quentin have closed on many who would match wits with this master detective. George's brother, Jack, long a Sergeant in the B. S. S. Gambling Detail, died in 1952. Inspector Dyer resides, with his wife, May, in the Sunset. His son, George, Jr., ten years in the business, is assigned to the Burglary Detail. A model for young police officers is George Dyer. Soft-spoken, mild mannered and gentle; but a fearless fighter when called upon to defend law and order.
91st Division medal - 30 years of tradition Officer Bill Fritz of Potrero Station become the 30th winner of the 91st Division Medal of Honor this year. The medal, first awarded in 1929, goes to the policeman selected as the bravest man of the past year. When they have their annual gettogether they have a banquet and at this dinner the medal of honor is awarded to a San Francisco policeman and firemen of their choice. In Shotgun Fracas Fritz was awarded the medal for disarming an 800 who attempted to put large holes in himself and the officer with a shotgun. This act was in the finest traditions of the award. All San Francisco policemen and members of the 91st Division can be justifiably proud of the 30 years standing of the award and of the holders of the medal. The men to whom the medal was given over the past years are 1929—Fran McCann 1930—Eugene Egan* 1931—Edward Greene 1932—Fred Butz' 1933—Walter Harrington* 1934—Peter Hughes* 1935—James J. Johnson 1936—Alfred Brune 1937—Robert Winters 1938—Harry Hustcd° 1939—Martin Richlin 1940—John Long° 1941 Jack Cruickshank 1942--Clarence Brynes° 1943—John Hunt 1944—Emmett Cottrell 1945—Emil Dutil* 1946—James Brown 1947—Bernard Shea 1948—James Erickson 1949—William Betger 1950—Eugene Messerschmidt 1951—Alfred Thorington 1952—John Maring 1953—Robert Walters° 1954—Edward Curtis 1955—Charles Long 1956—Frank Wilson 1957—William P. Sammon 1958—Carl Anderson Deceased On Wednesday, September 16. the Police Athletic League sponsored the first annual P.A.L. Sports Night. In attendance were the heads of the Police Department, civic officials, many sports-minded citizens and quite a few parents of the boys participating in the P.A.L. activities. The purpose of the night was to let people know what P.A.L. stands for and how far we can go with boys if given a chance by the boys and by the people from whom we must solicit support. Wrestling The P.A.L. wrestlers under the coaching of Don Cavanaugh of Northern Station put on a terrific show. The two feature matches were a tag team match which was as good as any seen in California Hall and a "pee-wee bout" between two 65 pounders. Men like Cavanaugh do not get half enough credit for the great job they are doing. Boxing Coach Earl Gonsolin of the Three Wheel Motorcycle Detail promoted a three bout match with the Golden Gate Y.M.C.A. which was the highlight of the evening. The P.A.L. boxers won all three for a clean sweep. There were two preliminary bouts between P.A.L. boys which were also very entertaining. Coach Outstanding It was obvious to all who attended the sports night with the wrestlers and boxers were extremely well coached. These two P.A.L. activities have fared better in the win column than other Opp F a PAL sports night 4 a teams have done but have managed to keep the P.A.L. spirit, better to have played and lost than never to have played at all, imbued in the boys. Bob Kane And Vie Macia handled the M.C. chores. This in itself was it tough job what with protocol and the fear of missing someone, but they did it well and theirs was it real contribution to the program. Thanks Rendered Referees Bob Mitchell and Bobby Andrews volunteered as officials for the boxng matches. Along with Al Sandell of the State Athletic Commission they too made the evening successful. The P.A.L. idea was explained to the people in attendance and it was felt by the committee that the idea got home to the greatest percentage. The P.A.L. made four hundred new friends. The evening was closed with the showing of some old fight movies and the serving of beer, hot dogs and coke by the Welch Catering Company, who cater the Civic Auditorium. Basketball Coming Up It is to be hoped that another offshoot of the affair will he that some additional interest was created among policemen whose services are badly needed in P.A.L. as coaches and assistants. The field is still wide open for all who are interested. You can contact Gus Bruneman or Ray White at Northern Station. Basketball is coming up and there will be a chance for you te help. San Francisco's 'Bravest Police Officer of the Year" Officer Bill Fritz, Potrero Station, was recently named winner of the 91st Division Association's Medal of Honor. Fritz disarmed an 800. SAN FRANCISCO POLICE
Page 1 and 2: OFFICIAL PUBLICATION SAN FRANCISCO
Page 3 and 4: Minutes of the Police Association m
Page 5 and 6: The 1959 State Legislature made pro
Page 7 and 8: c-z- WAYBACK 211L) MACHINE k St 1-
Page 9: EVENTS 0 Writer and filmmaker Tariq
Page 13 and 14: THE POTRERO - policing a potpourri
Page 15: Mr. Peter C. Garth4ier 683 Miramar

October 1959 - San Francisco Police Officers Association

Create successful ePaper yourself

Delete template?

Save as template?