LITTLE HISTORY, LITTLE HUMOR

[lazy-b]

In 1960 there was 26 separate municipalities within Dade County Fl.
Each had their own Court House, Fire Dept. Police Dept. causing lots
of duplication and inefficiency, yet all the little Mayors, etc did not want to
relinquish their opportunity to be a big fish in a little pond, finally as my days
as a policeman wound down Dade County developed into a Metropolitan plan
and most of the municipalities was scooped within.

Following graduation from the Dade County Police Academy I was on
the West Miami Police Dept, also placed years on Miami Springs PD ( opposite
side of Miami International Airport from West Miami ) then an exclusive, rich
little Island between Miami and Miami Beach named Bay Harbor Island.

All the foregoing information to state the Downtown " City of Miami " had very
ridged uniform policies and had to wear what was standard issue.
The surrounding municipalities separated by the line painted in the middle of the
street was more lax in their uniform code and allowed some discretion in
holsters and guns.
While on the Miami Springs Police Dept. in the uniform division I kept switching
my holsters, one morning the Chief looked at me and said, " If you are involved
in an emergency you will need to shake yourself down to locate your gun ".

I barely made the height and weight requirement to become a policeman,
consequently The same Chief stated to me at a later date " If you forget to
load your gun you won't have enough weight to kick over your motorcycle starter " ( this was in the days just prior to Harley's having electric starters
and hand clutches )

The Chief got his comeuppance one morning in a cafe across from the PD, the
Chief in front of some of his officers said to the salty old waitress, " Sally, I
would sure like to get in your pants, she immediately twirled around and replied,
" What's happened Chief, Did you poop in yours ?"

The Chief was a top notch guy that came up from being a motorcycle Sergeant.

Check out the year of my first patrol car, if you think I resemble
Barney Fife from Mayberry RFD, I will not be offended.

 

[PatriotX]

Thanks for sharing some interesting memories and the photo !

Were you happy to go from two wheels to four ?

What was everyone carrying back then ?

 

[lazy-b]

Thanks for sharing some interesting memories and the photo !

Were you happy to go from two wheels to four ?

What was everyone carrying back then ?

Question #1

Not really, I have always loved motorcycles, but riding for pleasure compared to working in traffic for eight hours or
being in a precision motorcycle drill team when you must
maneuver on unfamiliar narrow streets with 6 riders on each
side crossing within one another upon command of the leader
is a different ballgame.
My favorite was using two motorcycles to lead funeral processions through the city, you hopscotched one another to the next traffic light to hold up all traffic, you had to turn it on to
get to the next light ahead of the procession.

Question #2

As previously stated the City of Miami( Downtown ) was stuck
with the .38's that was issued but the surrounding Police Depts
cleaned off the shelves in the gun stores of .357 Magnums after
a particular incident.

A City PD car was patrolling by a Mom & Pop store, looked
inside and saw it was being robbed, he advised the station and
exited his car.
The black male holding up the place didn't have a gun, can't
recall if it was a knife or a club he was using.
The Officer entered the store with his .38 Special drawn and ordered the B/M down on the floor but the B/M kept approaching
the officer, the B/M was shot repeatedly and yet he took the officers
.38 put it against the officers head and pulled the trigger but it clicked
due to being empty.
Other backup officers arrived, beat him down with night sticks,
he died on the way to the hospital.
When the autopsy was performed they found all 6 Thirty eights
grouped in the B/M's chest.
That information cleaned out the gun dealers supply of .357's.

That is one of several incidents that causes me to favor a .45 Caliber.

 

[M E Morrison]

In 1960 there was 26 separate municipalities within Dade County Fl.
Each had their own Court House, Fire Dept. Police Dept. causing lots
of duplication and inefficiency, yet all the little Mayors, etc did not want to
relinquish their opportunity to be a big fish in a little pond, finally as my days
as a policeman wound down Dade County developed into a Metropolitan plan
and most of the municipalities was scooped within.

Following graduation from the Dade County Police Academy I was on
the West Miami Police Dept, also placed years on Miami Springs PD ( opposite
side of Miami International Airport from West Miami ) then an exclusive, rich
little Island between Miami and Miami Beach named Bay Harbor Island.

All the foregoing information to state the Downtown " City of Miami " had very
ridged uniform policies and had to wear what was standard issue.
The surrounding municipalities separated by the line painted in the middle of the
street was more lax in their uniform code and allowed some discretion in
holsters and guns.
While on the Miami Springs Police Dept. in the uniform division I kept switching
my holsters, one morning the Chief looked at me and said, " If you are involved
in an emergency you will need to shake yourself down to locate your gun ".

I barely made the height and weight requirement to become a policeman,
consequently The same Chief stated to me at a later date " If you forget to
load your gun you won't have enough weight to kick over your motorcycle starter " ( this was in the days just prior to Harley's having electric starters
and hand clutches )

The Chief got his comeuppance one morning in a cafe across from the PD, the
Chief in front of some of his officers said to the salty old waitress, " Sally, I
would sure like to get in your pants, she immediately twirled around and replied,
" What's happened Chief, Did you poop in yours ?"

The Chief was a top notch guy that came up from being a motorcycle Sergeant.

Check out the year of my first patrol car, if you think I resemble
Barney Fife from Mayberry RFD, I will not be offended.

Looks like a 1957 Ford to me - am I right?

 

[lazy-b]

My old memory thinks you are correct, or maybe a 1958 ?
I can't recall the changes made between those years.

I do recall I had a mother and child in the rear seat running a 3 signal to the hospital ( Baby fell out of chair on head and remained completely
silent) The City held off relining the brakes because we were due new
cars and brake fade at high speed almost put the three of us in a corner drug store.
The minute a Doctor stuck a needle in the baby she started crying, then
everything was fine.

 

[jimmyj]

Question #1

Not really, I have always loved motorcycles, but riding for pleasure compared to working in traffic for eight hours or
being in a precision motorcycle drill team when you must
maneuver on unfamiliar narrow streets with 6 riders on each
side crossing within one another upon command of the leader
is a different ballgame.
My favorite was using two motorcycles to lead funeral processions through the city, you hopscotched one another to the next traffic light to hold up all traffic, you had to turn it on to
get to the next light ahead of the procession.

Question #2

As previously stated the City of Miami( Downtown ) was stuck
with the .38's that was issued but the surrounding Police Depts
cleaned off the shelves in the gun stores of .357 Magnums after
a particular incident.

A City PD car was patrolling by a Mom & Pop store, looked
inside and saw it was being robbed, he advised the station and
exited his car.
The black male holding up the place didn't have a gun, can't
recall if it was a knife or a club he was using.
The Officer entered the store with his .38 Special drawn and ordered the B/M down on the floor but the B/M kept approaching
the officer, the B/M was shot repeatedly and yet he took the officers
.38 put it against the officers head and pulled the trigger but it clicked
due to being empty.
Other backup officers arrived, beat him down with night sticks,
he died on the way to the hospital.
When the autopsy was performed they found all 6 Thirty eights
grouped in the B/M's chest.
That information cleaned out the gun dealers supply of .357's.

That is one of several incidents that causes me to favor a .45 Caliber.

In the early 1960s a similar incident happened in Bartow, Florida in which a Africian-American Male charged two Officers with a butcher knife . Both Officers fired their issue .38 revolvers empty into the suspect chest and abdomen. The suspect still reached the Officers and stabbed one Officer in the thigh.
The City then issued .45 revolvers.