DEC 2020 Blues Vol 36 No. 12 - 36TH ANNIVERSARY EDITION

BLUES Founder & Editor

BLUES Founder & Editor Remember Ray Simper MICHAEL BARRON, BLUES FOUNDER REX EVANS, BLUES EDITOR In CHIEF In 1984, I was just a rookie at Harris County, but I was about to embark on a mission that would continue for the next 36 years. I had this idea of starting a police newspaper and in order to make it work, I needed advertisers. At the time, I really only new one guy that was in the police business – Raymond Simper, the owner of Central Police Supply. I had been a frequent customer of Ray’s Police Emporium and had become fairly good friends with Ray. So, on a cold rainy day in October of 1984, I waltzed into Central and announced to Ray I was starting a police newspaper and what did he think of the idea. And he says, there already is a Police Newspaper in town, it’s called the Badge & Gun. So, you might want to think of something else to occupy your time Mikey. But Ray, I know about the Badge & Gun and it’s an association newspaper and the County Blues will be for everyone. “That’s the name ----County Blues---like as in Harris County? That’s the name you picked out?” says Ray in his somewhat sarcastic voice of his. No, as in Hill Street Blues. This conversation went on for a while and I could tell it was going to take some convincing to get Ray to advertise. But by the time I got ready to actually publish an issue in December, his interest began to grow as did his daily suggestions. You should add this or made write a story about so and so. You want me to proof this rag before you actually print the darn thing. No Ray I’m good. The truth is that it wasn’t until the fourth issue in April of 1985 that I sold the first paid ad. Oh there were ads in the first three issues, but they were all my businesses or friends that owned businesses. But the FIRST paid ad was Central Police Supply and Ray insisted that it be in the center of the newspaper and in COLOR. “Now what color blue do you use for your logo? Because we have a certain color blue we use” says Ray. *NEXT PAGE You’d have to go a mighty long building. “whatchamacallit”. ways back to find the origins of There were multiple owners, all There were a few times some Central Police Supply Store, located Houston Police Officers, and they snap broke, some light stopped at the corner of Houston and Washington Avenues. Conveniently locat- ‘F15’ business. Well time and fate it and it was always easier to just had gone in together on the original working or a jacket had a hole in Retired HPD Officer Raymond ‘Ray’ Simper, ed, right across from the old Central dwindled the number of ‘partners’ stop in at Central and get what I Founder of Central Police Supply Headquarters of the Houston Police in the business until the longest needed fixed, repaired, serviced AUGUST 16, 1945 – AUGUST 28, 2020 Department. running partner, Officer Ray Simper, or replaced! A few times, the folks Now to be fair, it wasn’t always was the sole survivor of the original there proved to be a “lifesaver” of called Central Police Supply. It’s group. sorts when you work evenings or original name was “F-15”. And it Over the years, a LOT of Officers, nights and your SL-20 stopped wasn’t always located in the red Deputies, Troopers, State and Federal charging or working. They would brick building it has been housed in Agents have all made a stop always repair it right then and there. for the last 20 years either. Though into Central Police Supply. I can’t I’ll even admit, there was a time it’s always been located at that intersection, possibly remember all the times or two, I had gone in with holes in it was once housed in the I have been there over the last 30 my boots, uniform, or jacket and smaller gray stone and brick building plus years. I always had to have TRIBUTE TO RAY/PLAY THE HISTORY OF CENTRAL POLICE SUPPLY/PLAY immediately adjacent to the current the latest and greatest “thing” or *NEXT PAGE 18 The BLUES POLICE MAGAZINE The BLUES POLICE MAGAZINE 19