September 2016
Post 13 Trivia – Remember When?
John Young, Patrolman
Remember your first paycheck? Found my stub dated January 1, 1965. Gross amount earned for 21 days was $389.97 (pension contribution/$ 15.72, FICA/$14.14, Federal Tax/ $47.32, PBA dues/$1.06, State tax/$11.2). Take-home pay was $300.52. I was appointed to the department between pay periods on Friday, December 11, 1964.
City workers went to bi-weekly checks in the late 1950’s, with checks coming to the precincts every other Thursday afternoon. They were distributed after 3:00 PM by Ptl. Iry Begner. I believe most banks closed on Tremont Avenue by 3:00 PM.
Remember paying the house tax at least once a month? A buck and a quarter covered Spring 3100, shoe polish and a bed tax that gave a police widow something for making the bed in the Captain’s office. Note: Bathgate Avenue Precinct only had beds in the 48 Detective Squad’s office.
Remember U.F. 240 that became PD 439-144 in March 1971? For you students, it was a Patrolman’s Activity Report that was submitted no later than the 3rd day of each month. Cops recorded their assignments and absences for each day of the month, i.e. R.M.P. (radio car), P.P. # (patrol post), T.S. (telephone switchboard), sick, vacation, R.D.O. and number of arrests (felony, misdemeanor, violation or J.D.), warrants (assigned/executed), summonses (moving, parking or other), Public Morals (reports/arrests) and Juvenile Reports (other than arrests).
Every now and then, Sergeant Broughton reminded me that I was late with my activity report. My response was usually, “I put it in Sergeant Biddiscombe’s box.” They were our sergeants in the Neighbor Police Team assigned to Sector C in the Bathgate Avenue (48th) precinct.
Note: Some cops would gather local truants and turn them over to school authorities rather than issue Alternate Parking (buff) summons. The green tag summonses were for double-parking or parking within 15 feet of a fire hydrant. Speaking of fire hydrants, remember turning off the hydrants during the summer months?
Remember Form Misc 356 E that had to be filled out every six months on which you recorded night differential for work performed between 1600 hours and 0800 hours for members assigned to work a chart covered by T.O.P. 337-7 c.s. It was prepared by the patrolman and signed by the Commanding Officer.
Note: 5% Night shift differential became effective January 1, 1969.
Remember the walk-in examination (Exam #6083) that started on Saturday, January 21, 1967? It was held at four schools — Taft High School in the Bronx, Thomas Jefferson High School in Brooklyn, Brandeis High School in Manhattan and Jamaica High School in Queens.
Remember the Police Trainee Program that started in July 1964? 100 candidates were sworn in to begin their new careers as police trainees. Starting with a yearly salary of $4,000, with increments of $240 for each year of service. Trainees received many health & welfare benefits, 20 paid vacation days, 12 sick days and 11 paid holidays.
The first phase of training for 17 and 18 year old trainees was assignment to Division, Borough or Headquarters. There they performed various clerical duties and assisted in a number of administrative duties. They operated computers and classified finger-prints at the Identification Section. The 19 and 20 year old trainees assumed the duties that were previously performed by patrolmen within local precinct station houses throughout the city. The duties included typing daily roll calls, department records and switchboard duty, where they received their first real contact with the public.
Remember telephone switchboard duty where the standard greeting for the outside wire was, “48th Precinct,” identifying oneself and the standard, “How may I help you?” Besides an outside line, each telephone switchboard had a line for the precinct call boxes.
Remember making those hourly rings (Post 13, Box 26, Ring 57)? The call box on Post 13 was located on E. 174 Street & Fulton Avenue, and the ring was made on the 57th minute of each hour. Sometimes rings were made before/after a post change for assignment to school and/or church crossings.
At the Police Academy Recruit Training School, trainees who were within 4 to 6 months of their 21st birthday would receive the same formal training as probationary patrolmen, with the exception of firearms training. Their firearms training would occur in an intensive course after their appointment to the force.
Note: Admin. Code (section 434) states that police trainees were eligible for automatic appointment to the force on or about their 21st birthday, upon meeting medical and proficiency standards set by the department.
Recruit training for trainees (4 months) included 313 hours of academic study (criminal law, department rules & procedures, human relations and police ethics). Their 196 hours of physical training included unarmed self-defense, boxing, crowd control, use of baton, first aid and search, frisk, and arrest techniques.
Trainees were the new breed, as they were offered educational opportunities afforded at John Jay College of Criminal Justice, where they could be enrolled as matriculated students. Tuition was free (except for the normal registration fees) if their high school average was 82% or higher and College Board exams exceeded 164 points. Trainees with a high school average of 80% to 82% could enroll in the 64 credit Associate degree program where tuition was $10.00 a credit. Those with lower high school averages could become non-matriculated students and were charged $18.00 a credit.
Source: Police of Tomorrow, Spring 3100, June 1968