One-Adam-12, One-Adam 12, see the man...

pawncop said:
Adam-12, Police Story, Dragnet all had a real impact on my desire to become a police officer.
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I have to admit to humming the theme from Police Story way more than once when I was on patrol. Still have a CD of the various versions of the Police Story theme music. I would play it in my 1999 Marquis but it only has a cassette palyer. ;=}
 
I saw a couple of episodes recently. What struck me was the lack of all the front-seat gear compared to today's road cars. All Adam-12 had was that little radio mounted under the dash.
 
I remember watching Adam 12 with my grandfather, so this thread reminded me of him. But by far my favorite "cop" show was the short- lived "Crime Story" in the mid-80s.
 
Adam 12 Overload.

Just watched one hour on the local retro TV station here in Sacto. Dragnet, where Friday lectured on the evils of porn. Then Adam 12, a 1974 episode IIRC. Four-door AMC Matador cruiser, two red beacons and a coaster siren on top of the car, one dinky little radio mounted on the tranny hump.

My 27 year old son, who never knew me in the day when I was on the streets, was watching with me. He observed "dad, you're just watching the gear, aren't you?" Yup, guilty as charged. He did not understand my laughter when they showed Reed re-holstering his M15 in a clamshell holster, or Malloy walking around a site with his clamshell popped open and flapping on his leg. Fun stuff. And how empty their belts were. I interact with the local gendarmerie with some regularity, I would not want to be hauling that load around.,

I think I will start searching the online ads for a used Matador. ;=}
 
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sac-gunslinger said:
Buford, extensive research has uncovered a hitherto unknown scientific fact. Velcro shrinks with age. Yes, with nothing more than age. I found my old velcro rig wasn't fitting any more either so I started researching it. Yessir, that's it, plain truth that velcro shrinks with age and takes the leather with it.

That's my story and I'ma stickin' to it.
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You have no idea what a relief that is. I was beginning to think I wasn't the man I was in '81. (Sadly, I'm about half-again the man I was in '81)
 
I loved the looks of the Fuzzy Farrant grips that Reed and Maloy had on their K-38s. They looked much smaller and more comfortable at the bottom than the Smith factory target grips and they were slightly rounded at the butt instead of having the sharp edge that S&W puts on their factory wood grips.

I also remember one Adam 12 episode where it showed the Ithaca 12 gauge in a quick release floor mount in front of the bench seat. Made me think why the heck don't cars still have bench seats and column shifters? It made the front seat so much more roomy and comfortable and most cars now have floor shifters and huge consoles so even the larger cars make you really cramped in the front seat.
 
Awesome display and revolver!

When I'm working nights I often find myself passing the time on my nights off with episodes of Adam-12 and Dragnet. Fantastic shows!

A few months ago I met some coppers from CA. Several in the group commented that my badge read "patrolman" and that political correctness had long forced their agencies to change to "officer". We still wear a Class A uniform and hi gloss leather here as well. I'm a fan of tradition and will go to a "soft" uniform kicking and screaming.


Sent from my iPhone 4s using Tapatalk
 
Did Gary Crosby ever have another roll besides "the other cop" on Adam-12/Dragnet?..:rolleyes:


Sgt Lumpy[/QUOTE]

I saw him on several episodes of Emergency!
 
gtoppcop said:
Just need the Hoyt breakfronts. GREAT thread. The Model 14 and 15 were wonderful revolvers. The LAPD, like the Navy and the Marine Corps keeps up the tradition of their uniforms. Neat to see!
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Actually, I believe they used the Safety Speed Holsters.

Model68holsteropen_zpse8587216.jpg
SafetySpeedHolstermarking_zpsf4f6e7eb.jpg


Very unique design. I really wanted to wear one back in the mid 70's when I was a young and impressionable cop, but my department wasn't very receptive to "gimmicks". :rolleyes: Very effective way to get you gun out quickly, yet still retaining the weapon efficiently. But, hang on tight, when it activates you better have a good hold. It totally releases the gun instantly! :eek:
 
I'm a youngin (born in 1984) so Adam 12 done stopped filming by the time I came around, although I do remember watching plenty of reruns of it Adam 12 and Dragnet. One thing I'm curious of is was Reed & Malloy actual LAPD officers, or just actors playing officers? I always wanted to be a police officer myself, and although I don't see that happening, as I'm now on permanent disability with severe and permanent back injuries from a car accident I was in 6 years ago. However before becoming disabled I was working as a private police officer or also known as a security officer (I was licensed both IL & MO and both states does have arrest powers, both armed & unarmed officers, and in MO actually has full police authority while on their property they work). At the time I was working which was 2003-2007, Illinois armed officers were only allowed to carry either a full size frame 4"-6" barrel .38 or full size 9mm semi-auto and in Missouri it was strictly .38 Revolvers and only Armed Couriers could carry a semi-auto. Since the area of IL where I live & worked is right across the Mississippi River from St. Louis, MO, a lot officers worked both sides of the river, and their choice was a .38 for they could be in compliance and carry the same weapon regardless which side of the river they were working on. I only ever worked unarmed myself, however I was trained & licensed for as an Armed Officer in Illinois. During my training I trained with a .38 special (sorry don't recall the model of gun it was). I do know now that it seems like the majority of armed security i see know is carrying semi-auto's, not sure what caliber any are carrying, so I'm thinking the law might have changed a little since I last had my armed officer license. I want to get me an older full size frame S&W wheel gun later, to go with my J frame .32 Long. One final question, what caliber of wheel guns did most officers carry back in the late 60's early 70's like when this show was aired.
 
bikerlbf406 said:
I'm a youngin (born in 1984) so Adam 12 done stopped filming by the time I came around, although I do remember watching plenty of reruns of it Adam 12 and Dragnet. One thing I'm curious of is was Reed & Malloy actual LAPD officers, or just actors playing officers? I always wanted to be a police officer myself, and although I don't see that happening, as I'm now on permanent disability with severe and permanent back injuries from a car accident I was in 6 years ago. However before becoming disabled I was working as a private police officer or also known as a security officer (I was licensed both IL & MO and both states does have arrest powers, both armed & unarmed officers, and in MO actually has full police authority while on their property they work). At the time I was working which was 2003-2007, Illinois armed officers were only allowed to carry either a full size frame 4"-6" barrel .38 or full size 9mm semi-auto and in Missouri it was strictly .38 Revolvers and only Armed Couriers could carry a semi-auto. Since the area of IL where I live & worked is right across the Mississippi River from St. Louis, MO, a lot officers worked both sides of the river, and their choice was a .38 for they could be in compliance and carry the same weapon regardless which side of the river they were working on. I only ever worked unarmed myself, however I was trained & licensed for as an Armed Officer in Illinois. During my training I trained with a .38 special (sorry don't recall the model of gun it was). I do know now that it seems like the majority of armed security i see know is carrying semi-auto's, not sure what caliber any are carrying, so I'm thinking the law might have changed a little since I last had my armed officer license. I want to get me an older full size frame S&W wheel gun later, to go with my J frame .32 Long. One final question, what caliber of wheel guns did most officers carry back in the late 60's early 70's like when this show was aired.
Click to expand...

To answer your questions, they were actors.

Secondly, .38 Special was still king although by the early 70's the .357 Mag was gaining territory.


Sent from my iPhone 4s using Tapatalk
 
Seeing this thread brought back memories as a kid watching Adam-12 on TV.

And the Model 15 Combat Masterpiece that my Dad gave me back in the 1970's as my first pistol. :)
 
Hi:
When "Adam 12" began Reed and Malloy carried S&W K-38s (M14) 6" barrels in "Clam Shell Holsters". As the show progressed the K-38s were replaced by Combat Masterpiece 4" (M15) in Break Front Holsters. I think
the shotguns were always Ithaca Model 37s.
I was impressed by the beginning of the show when at every call they were headed in the wrong direction and had to make a "U Turn" and respond "Code 3".
 
CapnHawk said:
My Dad joined the LAPD in 1946 and retired in 1971. He initially carried a 4" Colt New Service in .38 Special. In 1954 or so, he switched to a 6" S&W Outdoorsman. I joined in 1974 and retired in 2008. My academy class was the last to be issued "Policeman" badges. I was given my Dad's badge - POLICEMAN #140. I carried his Outdoorsman from start to finish.

Over the years, I got to meet Jack Webb, Harry Morgan, Martin Milner and Kent McCord. Four great gentlemen and HUGE supporters of the LAPD.
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What a wondeful life!
 
Up until probably the early 1990s, all American cars had the rear seats held in place by a spring latch and hook system. At least that's what I call it. To release the rear seat, you grabbed the very bottom of the seat cushion and pulled back and up. They could be a PITA to release and more so to get back in place correctly. From what you wrote, I'd guess that someone just gave up on them at some point. That could have been anytime from when the radio shop installed the radios, lights, and siren, to just some random midnight shift where a tired officer said, "F*** it, I'm never going to sit back there."

There is a great line from The New Centurions where the on coming shift is complaining about the off going shift not checking the behind the rear seat cushion after a transport. The commented that one day they are going to find a dead midget under one of those seats and the previous shift wouldn't know that he was even there.

I often felt that way during my EMS career when the previous crew had failed to clean up the truck after a late trip.


SgtLumpy said:
CPR on an old thread...

Those old Plymouth Fury copper cars -

All the one's I knew had the bottom seat portion of the rear seat loose, not bolted to the floor. You could really simply lift the entire seat up and forward to check for hidden dope and weapons. The loose seat also made it really convenient when prisoners started going bananas in the back. The seat would slide forward, prisoner would be on his butt, he had no leverage to force himself into the front seat.

Prisoner screens? Some special prisoner transport cars had them. If you didn't have such a luxury, you could use a Bianchi ballistic clipboard wedged behind your back as a "hocker stopper".


Sgt Lumpy
Click to expand...
 
I think the clam shell holsters were introduced in the 1970 or '71 season at the same time they went to four inch barrels and Velcro belt fasteners. I recall reading that LAPD was a late and short duration adopter of the clam shell holsters. They were much more popular in the smaller suburbs. I'm not even sure that they used the Safety Speed version, it might have been a knock off.

At least that's how I recall it.

Thanks to this forum, I watch Dragnet and Adam 12 with a completely different eye now. I focus far more on the equipment than the plots.



jimmyj said:
Hi:
When "Adam 12" began Reed and Malloy carried S&W K-38s (M14) 6" barrels in "Clam Shell Holsters". As the show progressed the K-38s were replaced by Combat Masterpiece 4" (M15) in Break Front Holsters. I think
the shotguns were always Ithaca Model 37s.
I was impressed by the beginning of the show when at every call they were headed in the wrong direction and had to make a "U Turn" and respond "Code 3".
Click to expand...
 
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