Stumbled upon a looseleaf book today that I had put together for a bunch of old thoughts and happenings during my 29 years with the Detroit PD. I kind of surprised myself, because I found myself chuckling over them, and the writing is not all that bad.

Using this thread, I'll post them here from time to time. Hope you enjoy them and get a laugh or two. Here's No. One!
-----------------

The first citation.
During the summer of 1962, I was finally assigned to a car after walking a beat for over two years. I worked as the third man on scout 2-1 with Bob Aben and Allen Blondale. If all three of us were working the same day, I'd walk a beat being the junior man, but that was usually only a couple days a month.

Low seniority? Boy, was it. Both Bob and Allen had over twenty years on the job, and there was I with just three. They were the oldest two on the shift, and our car was called "the two old geezers and the kid". But despite being long in the tooth, Bob and Allen were just super police officers, hard working up until their last day. Both have long met their reward in Heaven.

Scout 2-1 was located in the quietest, most deserted part of the precinct. It was from the Detroit River to Vernor, between 3rd and 14th streets. The area was mostly warehouses and vacant buildings. Drumming up a few vagrants was usually our biggest arrest. We'd go through the vacant buildings and round up whatever bums we could, call for the paddy wagon, and take them to court the next morning. They'd get a couple of days in DEHOCO, a shower, some good meals, and turned loose. One judge used to suggest they move to Chicago, but I doubt if they ever did.

On this particular August morning, Bob was driving past a Standard gas station at Lafayette and 14th when something caught my eye. I don't know, maybe a light or a motion of some kind. I told Bob to back up into the gas station. As he did we both spotted the shattered glass overhead door of the closed station. Called for backup, but no one got there until we had already entered the station and arrested the burglar.

For the life of me, I can't remember what the disposition was on the case. I think he made a plea bargain for attempted B&E later and we didn't even have to appear in court, but I'm not certain.

Whatever, it was my first citation, one that a police officer never forgets. And it was a good piece of work, too, especially at 4:30 in the morning for the old guy and the kid.

On the other hand, it was probably about Bob's 50th citation.