The Beat Cop

In the 1930’s my Dad was a “beat cop” in the Bronx, a policeman who walked foot patrol in an assigned section of the city, alone and unassisted. I recall his equipment consisted of a 38 special revolver, 12 spare rounds in leather loops on his belt, a black jack, “nipper chains”, (a highly effective come along device,) a large brass key which gave him access to a call box, a box containing a telephone attached to a lamppost on the corner and a wooden 26 inch nightstick which was attacked to a long thong. An accomplished patrolman could twirl the nightstick in a fashion which would make a baton twirler envious. They could also be thrown in a fashion to bring down a fleeing suspect.

What was missing in my father’s array of duty equipment was pepper spray, tazers or other electric shocking devises and two way radio equipment.

In short, policeman in those days were expected to subdue ordinary miscreants barehanded; without blinding them with pepper spray or shocking them into a near stupor with the much favored tazer of today’s officers. Two hands were usually adequate to effect an arrest.

Resort to the night stick or “billy” as the blackjack was called only in extreme circumstances. But then cops in those days were expected to be self reliant, tough, if necessary.

Punks, then as now were treacherous dangerous and frequently armed, but the police were charges with the responsibility to subdue them while effecting an arrest, not kill them by accident. But then, back in those days policemen were cops.