The First 48

[steveno]

The First 48 is one my few favorite tv programs. I like the Tulsa , Dallas and Harris county departments the best. they seem to be the most professional of the departments although doesn’t mean the other department aren’t.

a couple things I don’t understand:

1. why does it take so long to get a search warrant for cell phone records? to me it shouldn’t take more than a day for all of this. once the warrant is issued all it should take is typing in the phone number and print it. that should be able to be done in an hour instead of days. I’m sure they aren’t using some cheap computer for all of this.

2. how is it possible for somebody that they are looking for all of a sudden is found by the marshals 1,000 miles and 5 states away? did the bad guy start driving right away and drive all night to get that far? what data did the marshals use to find him stay at a distant cousins house when the find him?

3. it seems like it isn’t until the end of the program that they start looking for evidence in a car. why is that being done first thing?

 

[Ivan the Butcher]

Cell phone companies think they are part of the press and refuse to cooperate in any way.

A friend was retired from the FBI and went to work for ITT in the late 70's. The management basically didn't want to do anything that involved warrant execution. I think they were feeling guilty about something!

Ivan

 

[Bullet Bob]

I like Detective Maggie Darling.

The thing I really don't like is how many families "honor" their departed by littering and endangering animals when they release helium ballons.

 

[forindooruseonly]

Cell phone companies think they are part of the press and refuse to cooperate in any way.

A friend was retired from the FBI and went to work for ITT in the late 70's. The management basically didn't want to do anything that involved warrant execution. I think they were feeling guilty about something!

Ivan

ITT in the 70s? Shady activities? Never!

Now if he had worked for the CIA I'd be pressing him for the details or what he was doing in some place, say, like Chile for example?

I like the First 48 because it is the antithesis of all the awful, awful NCIS style shows. Detective work is almost always pounding the streets and digging up leads of the most non-technical type. People talk, which leads to people being arrested. Furthermore, the murders are not extravagant or even particularly interesting, they're just sad and depressing run of the mill murders that you hear about all the time, unlike most crime shows, even the true crime ones, that stick to the most elaborate or demented for sensational purposes.

 

[mckenney99]

I like Detective Maggie Darling.

The thing I really don't like is how many families "honor" their departed by littering and endangering animals when they release helium ballons.

I can't believe this is still allowed to continue. There seems to be some sort of vigil every evening in this area for another homicide victim. While I do sympathize with the friends and families, there have been a couple of these mylar balloon launches that have gone badly with the balloons blowing into power lines and transformers and knocking out the power.

We all know who winds up paying for the costs of the repairs. Not to mention what goes up must come down somewhere and then they become a nuisance to the environment and wildlife.

I realize the odds are infinitesimal, but what about these large clutches of balloons interacting with aircraft. Our area is surrounded by a huge AF base and commercial and non-commercial local airports.

 

[mdf9183]

I like 48 Hours also it reminds me of my time in Homicide.

 

[Ματθιας]

The First 48 is one my few favorite tv programs. I like the Tulsa , Dallas and Harris county departments the best. they seem to be the most professional of the departments although doesn’t mean the other department aren’t.

a couple things I don’t understand:

1. why does it take so long to get a search warrant for cell phone records? to me it shouldn’t take more than a day for all of this. once the warrant is issued all it should take is typing in the phone number and print it. that should be able to be done in an hour instead of days. I’m sure they aren’t using some cheap computer for all of this.

2. how is it possible for somebody that they are looking for all of a sudden is found by the marshals 1,000 miles and 5 states away? did the bad guy start driving right away and drive all night to get that far? what data did the marshals use to find him stay at a distant cousins house when the find him?

3. it seems like it isn’t until the end of the program that they start looking for evidence in a car. why is that being done first thing?

It all the depends on how the show gets edited. They have to edit a lot of footage into one hour - commercials included!

 

[Jack Flash]

I like the show too. When the show is about a Detroit homicide, it's particularly interesting to me since I used to live there and know the streets and neighborhoods.

What really floors me is how many homicides there are in our major cities and how so many of them are for no reason. (Or should I say, no reason that makes any sense.)

 

[pharmer]

.....A friend was retired from the FBI and went to work for ITT in the late 70's. The management basically didn't want to do anything that involved warrant execution. I think they were feeling guilty about something! Ivan

My dad worked for ITT from 1953 to 1980. To say they "operated" the phone systems of most of South America, ahem, Chile, would be an understatement. When I was 5 or 6 my dad took me to the plant in Nutley on a Saturday. As we walked past the guard he made it plain I wasn't going back there, joked he'd have to shoot me. I still don't think he was joking. They also seemed to have an unlimited budget. Joe

 

[soFlaNative]

Joe Schillaci was a school bud for years but I never watched a full episode while he was featured. Just another guy we hung with who went with a career in law enforcement... always found it impressive at the number of departments that were staffed by so many from just a few square blocks where I was raised.
Bless them All.

 

[GaryS]

I like the show too. My daughter told me about it. She likes that kind of stuff.

A friend of mine who passed away about a month ago loved the show. He was a lawyer for about 50 years and a paramedic for about 40.

His first job out of law school was with the US Attorney. Over his career he did a lot of criminal and civil work.

He said that the show was the only reality show that he'd ever seen that was actually a reality show.

It gives great insight into how the police conduct interrogations. Which I guess they call "interviews" now because that sounds more user friendly.

I laugh when I see people talk themselves into prison for the rest of their lives because they actually think if they confess, they'll be able to go right home.

 

[ContinentalOp]

It's been a while, and I certainly haven't seen every episode, but I have liked what I've seen.

2. how is it possible for somebody that they are looking for all of a sudden is found by the marshals 1,000 miles and 5 states away? did the bad guy start driving right away and drive all night to get that far? what data did the marshals use to find him stay at a distant cousins house when the find him?

3. it seems like it isn’t until the end of the program that they start looking for evidence in a car. why is that being done first thing?

It all the depends on how the show gets edited. They have to edit a lot of footage into one hour - commercials included!

I think 2 and 3 are related, in that the way it's edited can make it appear different than how it is.

It's also possible the USMS has a better intelligence network. I know they have an entire division devoted to technical surveillance and that might factor in. I also know some of their methods related to cell phone surveillance are considered classified. Don't know if either, or both, of those might have been a factor.

Just some speculation on my part.

 

[vigil617]

I'm a big fan too.

This season has been unusually good. The recent one about the lowlife shot in his SUV after hassling the staff at a fast food restaurant -- and the identity of the shooter, which I won't reveal so I won't spoil the show for others -- was exceptional. Very sad as well, as are many of the situations depicted in the show, but (unfortunately) all too realistic.

 

[jughed440]

Really miss "The First 48"...watched many episodes, and I don't recall any NRA member being arrested for murder
As for everything else on TV, I decided 6 years ago that I could no longer pay the monthly cable bill to support the politicized one-sided garbage.

 

[GaryS]

Yes, that was a good one. The Tulsa ones have been pretty good, but I have to say the Tulsa Tourism Council (if there is one), is probably NOT a fan.

I'm a big fan too.

This season has been unusually good. The recent one about the lowlife shot in his SUV after hassling the staff at a fast food restaurant -- and the identity of the shooter, which I won't reveal so I won't spoil the show for others -- was exceptional. Very sad as well, as are many of the situations depicted in the show, but (unfortunately) all too realistic.

 

[steveno]

I think the reason they don't show any new episodes for the Memphis Police Department was because it was showing Memphis in a bad light. not that it needed any help