Man, threads like this one don't come along often enough. I came on a 14 Officer department in the Central San Joaquin Valley of California in 1977 as a 21 year old kid fresh out of the academy. I had the choice of carrying a department-issued SW Model 15 4" in a Border Patrol holster, or I could carry my personally owned S&W M28 4". I carried the 28 with some of the fancy new speed loaders and a Bianchi "Berns and Martin" style front break holster. We were allowed to carry .357 mag. if our guns permitted, being a rural area and often backing either Kings or Tulare County S.O. as we were on the county line. Little town with lots of action and little backup. Generally, two officers per watch, sometimes with a Sergeant. One hand-held radio (usually carried by the sergeant), a two frequency radio in the car that shared one channel between three of the county's five total agencies (counting CHP), and a single bullet-resistant vest owned by the department that no one would wear for fear of being label a chicken***t. I remember searching high and low to find a Model 19 or 66 and couldn't believe it when I got lucky enough to locate and buy one.

Looking back, I miss that time in law enforcement, the way we did business, how we were perceived by the public and the general wonder of it all. Growing up, the Onion Field was a familiar story as I lived about 65 miles north of Bakersfield and ended up working for two departments in the area over my career, the last one being my home town.

__________________
Dave Frost