My Detroit, 1936 to date........

[Ray1936]

Just trying to catch your attention for a thread I want to start. Comments invited, by all means.

Born and raised in Detroit from 1936 - ? Went to Monnier School [[no longer there) and Mackenzie High [[1050-1954), which is no longer there [[the original, anyway.)

In high school I had a wonderful p/t job at Fromm's Hardware, 8670 Grand River. Swear to God, I learned more in that job that was PRACTICAL in real life than any schooling I ever took. Anyway, went to Wayne State in the fall of 1954 and attended for a year. Was bored out of my mind. During the summer of 1955, I applied for a position of Police Cadet with the DPD, and was hired on August 1, 1955. Never returned to Wayne State. Never returned to Caesar's Commentaries on the Gallic Wars. Sigh. [[not!)

Four years in clerical positions in the DPD, and on July 13, 1959, was appointed to the Detroit Police Academy. After which I spent 25 of the finest, most enjoyable years anyone could possibly have in an occupation.

Jeez. 1959. Sixty years ago. Sixty years ago this July 13, 2019. How did it fly by so friggin' fast?

Anyway, worked at the Vernor [[2nd) Precinct for six years, then six years on Motorcycles on traffic [[best six years of my life!), then two years as detective at the 10th Precinct [[Yes, I loved answering the phone there by "Number Ten Downing". Only once did I receive a pause, followed by, "Winston Churchill, please.")

Thence to Sergeant and a myriad of administrative functions working for Chief of Police Bill Hart. And on to retirement after 25 years on October 18, 1984. Moved on to Las Vegas, Nevada, upon retirement, and took a position as Security Chief at Desert Springs Hospital in LV for 17 years. Retired for good in 2001. Wife and I are in our early 80's, and both in decent health.

Pension keeps coming in, but due to Detroit's bankruptcy, we lost our health care. So the Medicare supplement premiums take a bite, but that's life, ain't it?

Anyway, just wanted to share a few thoughts with you great DetroitYes'ers as my 60th anniversary date of July 13, 2019, approaches. And, yes, Marge and I have been married for over 60 years.

God bless her for putting up with me!

[gnome]

We are blessed to be included as your virtual friends.

[Jimaz]

Good synopsis.

... then two years as detective at the 10th Precinct [[Yes, I loved answering the phone there by "Number Ten Downing". Only once did I receive a pause, followed by, "Winston Churchill, please.")

That joke might need some explaining to newer members. Your surname is Downing and "Number Ten Downing" was the residence of Prime Minister Winston Churchill. It's clever that anyone at all got the pun.

Please don't hold back any stories. Motorcycle duty must have been exciting at times.

[Zacha341]

^^^ For certain. Keep your contributions coming ---- !

[Honky Tonk]

And, yes, Marge and I have been married for over 60 years.

God bless her for putting up with me!

You may have been a cop, Ray, but Marge has been a trooper! Congratulations and God bless you both!

[Lowell]

You have had a blessed and interesting life with hopefully many more chapters to be written. You have also added a lot of eye-witness historical perspective and color to this forum. But you have opened yourself to questions too.

So what were the funniest and scariest events in that long life?

[Ray1936]

So what were the funniest and scariest events in that long life?

Oh, Lord, funny happened all the time. It was healthy to keep looking for the humor in most situations. I remember going through a grocery store in the wee hours when we saw a prowler inside and the back door kicked in. Finally found the kid on a shelf above the hot-water heater. Kinda surprised, I shouted "What are you doing up there?" The response had us howling. "Everybody gotta be some place", he said.

Dozens of stories like that. We had a ping-pong table in the squad room that got heavy use before and after roll call. Most officers kept a ping-pong ball in their handcuff case. Never failed that when and arrest was made and the handcuffs were pulled out in a hurry, a ping pong ball bounced merrily down the street.......

Pistol inspections were routine during roll call. Had a Lieutenant named Ralph Eskuri who called it. Pistols were drawn, emptied, and held toward the ceiling of the squad room. Ralph walked down the ranks and took a revolver at random from an officer named Ray Cislo. Eskuri slammed the cylinder shut, pointed it to the ceiling, and click, click, BANG. And poor Cislo is looking at his hand counting bullets....one, two, three, four, five.......oh, shit......one, two, three, four, five............

Probably still a hole in the ceiling in that building, which is still there.

I guess the 1967 riot was the only thing I could call scary. Not for my personal safety, for I was cautious, but for my city. After a couple of days of it, I just knew the C of D would never be the same. I was right.

Don't mean to ramble, but you asked.

[Hermod]

Ray, in your pic, the Sam Browne belts don't seem to be uniform. Some support the left side and some the right side of the belt.

[preserve]

I remember in an old post, you mentioned working at Michigan Mutual. In case you haven't followed Detroit News lately, the building on Elizabeth that held the parking garage for the execs is coming down for a new Chemical Bank. Guess the frontage on Adams will stay the same, only saw the pix of what Woodward and Elizabeth will look like when done. Us peons had to park underground beneath Grand Circus Park and that was a
very scary experience.

[msamslex]

Love your stories Ray, Happy Anniversary!

I also went to “the Big Mack”, 1973-1976. As you mentioned, the old school building was torn down years ago. The “new” Mackenzie was built closer to the corner of Chicago @ Wyoming, & is K-8. I’m not sure if preschool is offered. As a matter of fact, my next door neighbor teaches at the new building.

Because it was the Bicentennial year for the United States, our class was also called “the Spirit of 76” & we had 2 tassels, a red, white, & blue one, in addition to the tassel with the traditional school colors of blue & gray. Talk about proud!

Mackenzie, Class, [[Spirit) of 1976

[Ray1936]

Ray, in your pic, the Sam Browne belts don't seem to be uniform. Some support the left side and some the right side of the belt.

Depends on if you're right handed or left handed. Holsters were cross-draw, so if you were right handed your holster was on the left side and the cross strap went across your right shoulder. Vice-versa for lefties.

[jiminnm]

Great story Ray. My wife is also a Mackenzie grad, Jan 1966.

[stromberg2]

That was a great bit of info, Ray. Thanks!!

Stromberg2

[LongGone06]

Us peons had to park underground beneath Grand Circus Park and that was a very scary experience.

I used to park in the Grand Circus garage in the late 80's and walk down to the Dime/One Kennedy Square building n/k/a Chrysler House. It was cheaper than the Kennedy Square garage across the street on Griswold. Don't remember if I thought it was scary, but I certainly remember it being dark and in need of major renovation, even back then.

[Smirnoff]

Hey Ray, any idea why the City had some many different nameplate vehicles [[Ford, Buick, Plymouth, etc) on the streets in the late 1960's?

[Ray1936]

Hey Ray, any idea why the City had some many different nameplate vehicles [[Ford, Buick, Plymouth, etc) on the streets in the late 1960's?]

Lowest bidder usually among Ford, Plymouth, and Chevy on a few occasions. The larger cars that were for the four-man cruisers were also lowest bid, but required heavier capacity. Like most things, follow the money.

[Dumpling]

Something like about half of the police cars I notice today
are unmarked but quite a few have telltale front bumpers
meant to push cars.

So you probably took care of that for a few people, and did
the bumpers hold up then?

[Meddle]

Dodge was in there too for a while with the Monaco and the Diplomat. They furnished smaller cars for some other locations around the country and may have for unmarked cars in town. Now they're back to being the primary provider in many areas with the Charger.

[Ray1936]

Something like about half of the police cars I notice today
are unmarked but quite a few have telltale front bumpers
meant to push cars.

So you probably took care of that for a few people, and did
the bumpers hold up then?

As I recall, yeah, no problems. I remember pulling up to a wrecked car T-bone fashion and pushing it sideways on to the shoulder of the freeway just to clear traffic. Whatever works.

[Zacha341]

Hah. The irony! Charger squad cars chasing reckless Charger drivers... someone may need some of that nos for that extra boost!

Dodge was in there too for a while with the Monaco and the Diplomat. They furnished smaller cars for some other locations around the country and may have for unmarked cars in town. Now they're back to being the primary provider in many areas with the Charger.

[Meddle]

Did Detroit ever use AMC Ambassadors? I can't recall ever seeing any.

[Ray1936]

Meddle, the C of D never bought any AMC vehicles, but I recall them loaning two to the DPD in the early seventies for them to try out as police vehicles. They took them back without further comment as memory serves.

[Smirnoff]

Ray,

Another question.....when the Nat Guard arrived in '67, were they communicating with Central Dispatch? It appears they were segmented w/DPD & patrolled by themselves/rec'vd orders from a different source?

[Meddle]

There were several command posts set up across the City. One was at Engine 42 at Chicago and Livernois. NG, PD, FD and other units assembled at the command posts and moved out together.


Radio Communications in the 60s weren't all that great, so much of it was still done by telephone. Radio worked OK under normal conditions, but when it got busy, they had trouble keeping up. Without computers to log runs, it was all done on paper in log books. That could be handled easier at the CP level than it could be by citywide DPD Radio or DFD Central.

NG units weren't equipped with or issued radios on DPD or DFD frequencies, so they usually teamed with at least one city unit to be able to stay in touch. Once NG was deployed, FD units didn't go anywhere without armed NG members on board the rigs.

[Cincinnati_Kid]

Hey Ray, any idea why the City had some many different nameplate vehicles [[Ford, Buick, Plymouth, etc) on the streets in the late 1960's?

I must of missed something coming up. I never saw a Buick LeSabre police car !! Great story Ray, you've seem to have had a great life, and seen a lot. May it continue gracefully....