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Ma ss Transit Unit. Continued car and spread out, one man pretending to doze or be drunk. The intent of the decoy is to make himself vulnerable so that he is the victim instead of a citizen. The others will back him up and go in after he has been robbed. They have to allow the offenders to actually make the robbery so they can be charged with the crime. The other maneuver is on the subway or el platforms where one man pretending to be drunk or asleep will sprawl face down on the ground or lean against a post or wall, especially if the spot is rather secluded. His back-up men will be concealed, but close at hand. Teams are used to provide adequate manpower to avoid resistance in an arrest. When persons let two or three trains pass by and just hang around the subway or el platform, they come under the watchful eye of the undercover tactical team. These are the potential offenders, who may be looking for an oppor· tunity to steal money or property. Often they circle round their "victim," trying to ascertain that he is alone and helpless. The officers also make use of natural situations where a citizen really is drunk or asleep and they watch him to make sure he is not harmed or robbed and if he is, they apprehend and arrest those responsible. The undercover officers take turns acting as decoy. Sgt. McCann, who was in charge of both teams that Friday night, explained that some men are naturally better than others as a decoy. For example, there are several men who can pre· tend to be drunk or asleep for over an hour and have hundreds of people pass them by and never bother them. Other men can be out there and are attacked and robbed within 15 minutes. The best decoy in the world would be no good without his back-up men. The decoy, after all, is usually rather vulnerable there on the ground. His back-up men, concealed close by, must be ready to move instantly not only to make the arrest, but also to protect their colleague. "It is a team effort," said Sgt. McCann, who is very proud of his men and their record thus far. "Potential strong arm robbers are going to think twice now before robbing someone on an el platform, in the subway or on a train. Our men are everywhere." Photos by Tom Tatum, of Graphic Arts Underground passageways connect the va1'ious train lines.
The men working under Sgt. McCann have a high morale, which is reflected in their records. During the chase in the subway that Friday night, Officer O'Connor was surprised to hear Sgt. McCann tell him to move over as he tapped the younger officer on the shoulder and passed him up. O'Connor was overheard saying he would begin new physical fitness exercise that evening. Men of the team must be in good physical condition and are, including the sergeants. The men display a fine spirit of cooperation and all share in the sense of accomplishment when good arrests are made. The undercover operation itself is fairly new and several men on the tactical teams have been transferred in only three or four months ago. It is no wonder that these men were anxious to be part of such an active group. It was clear to the Chicago Police Star, who rode along with the undercover teams that particular Friday night, that citizens are protected not only by the plainclothes officers but uniformed officers as well. Uniformed men from the Mass Transit Unit of the Special Operations Group were also in the subway that night. A Undercover policemen watch e've1'yone p1'otectively when they ?'ide the trains. traffic officer happened by at Jackson and State and even two officers from the Canine Unit were patrolling in the subway with huge German shepherds. Citizens can certainly feel secure in the presence of this sort of police protection. The Mass Transit Unit is supervised by Lt. Donald Kelly and Lt. Charles Garry. The Unit is part of the Special Operations Group, commanded by Deputy Chief Thomas Lyons. Although this article has highlighted the maneuvers of the tactical teams, the men are quick to point out that this is only a portion of the duties handled by men of the Unit. Most of the men are in uniform and are assigned to specific posts. Uniformed men make the highest percentage of all arrests credited to the Unit. It is their presence and their conspicuous patrol that sets a citizen's mind at ease. They often provide a secondary back-up for the tactical teams after the arrests are made. The primary purpose of the Unit is to protect the public on the Rapid Transit System of the CTA. This covers a lot of territory as the system is extensive-north to Howard St., (Turn to Page 8) 7
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Page 5: An el plat/ann can be a desolate pl
Page 9 and 10: ------- THE BLUE LIGHT 001: Yours t
Page 12 and 13: . Dorothy Curtin attended a family
Page 17 and 18: Crossing Guard Theresa Annerino is
Page 19: L TTERS Dear Sir: Officer Arthur J.

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