CHICAGO POLICE s R - Chicago Cop.com

CHICAGO POLICE s R
T H E OFFICIAL P U B L ICATION OF THE CHICAGO POLICE DEPARTMENT DECEMB E R. 1964

A
s WE APPROACH this Holy Season,
we are mindful of the great spiritual
event this beautiful day portraysthe
commemoration of the birth of our
Blessed Saviour. He comes to us in the
form of the Infant of Bethlehem with
outstretched hands to extend peace on
earth to men of good will. I should like
to say these words to all the men of our
Chicago Police Department and to ask
them as men in law enforcement to be
ever mindful of their great responsibility
in carrying these feelings of good will
throughout their daily lives as they perform
their duties.
Let it be our Christmas prayer that
strength and courage be given to all who
work for a world of reason and lawfulness
that the good that lives in every
man's heart may day by day be magnified
; that men will come to see more
clearl y not that which divides them,
but that which unites them ; that each
hour may bring us closer to a fin al victory
of man over his own evils and
weaknesses ; and that the true spirit of
this Blessed Season-its joys, its beauty,
its hope, and above all its abiding faith
-may live among us . May the Saviour's
Blessing of peace be ours to build and
grow and to live in harmony and sym.
pathy with others.
This is my prayerful wish and my
Christmas Greeting to all our police
officers and their families and to my
co-workers in the office of Police Chaplain.
May the joys of this Season fill
all their homes now and throughout the
new Year.
-Father Patrick J. McPolin
M y
PERSONAL GREETINGS to Superintendent
Wil son, the men and
women of the Chicago Police Department,
and my beloved colleagues, Father
Pat McPolin and Rabbi Bernard Perlow.
May the Grace and Peace of God
be with you all this season and may the
New Year be an experience of fulfillment
for your most noble desires.
God has given us a gift, his Son, our
Lord Jesus Christ. It is in this season
that we who are Christi ans should
pause to contemplate God's gift, for we
are assured in Scriptures that our Lord
came to bring Peace among men.
Although we are offered the gift of
peace, there is no peace, because we are
too obdurate to accept it. We are indifferent
in our efforts to bring about peace
because it demands of us an attitude of
responsibility. We say, let him offer first
what deep down we feel we ought to
offer.
God has revealed himself as a patient,
wise, loving God. These displays
of concern are God's legacy for us. We
are obliged as the inheritors to employ
our gifts wisely-that is, to share ourselves
with others, for this is the most
noble gift a man may offer to another.
The most noble of all vocations is
that of service. We who are identified
with the Chicago Police Department
are involved in such a vocation. Can
we - may we - will we - make our
vocation more purposeful and more
meaningful by our adopting an even
more generous attitude towards those
whom we serve?
The measure to which we try to
faithfully serve others, as our God has
served us, is the measure to which we
shall be rewarded by a deep feeling of
personal fulfillment. God be with us
and bless our endeavors.
-Rev. Robert A. Holderby
ON BEHALF OF THE office of the Jewish
Chaplain and Jewish law enforcement
officers of the Chicago Police
Department I wish to extend heartiest
greetings to Superintendent Orlando W .
Wilson, Chaplains Reverend Patrick
McPolin, Reverend Robert Holderby
and all the members of the Chicago
Police Department, upon the forthcoming
Christmas holiday.
We join with you in this age of insecurity
and world turmoil, in prayer
for peace. May it be the word of G od
in Heaven to grant us strength of body
and tranquillity of mind so that we
might pursue our lives with contentment.
May it be the Will of our God in
Heaven to inspire us in the course of
righteous living, with brotherhood
among all men and fraternity among all
nations. We extend to our Jew ish coreligionists
in the Department joyous
greetings on the current festival of
H anukkah. May our hearts ever rejoice
with faith in humankind nourished
by faith in God.
-Rabbi Bernard D. Perlow
DECE MBER . 196 4 3

4 CHICAGO POLICE STAR
ROBBERY:
- the crime
in which violence
or threat of violence
always plays a part
I T
WAS SIX O'CLOCK in the morning,
22 September 1963. Leon
Krempec, watchman at the Polish
Roman Catholic Union, was closing
the door of the building, leaving
for early Mass. Suddenly four men,
one pressing a gun against him,
crowded around him, pushed him
back inside and into one of the
offices.
The building was ransacked. Priceless
objects, some from the National
Museum of Ignace Paderewski, were
taken : an irreplaceable stamp collection,
paintings, a gold chalice, personal
mementos, some of the hero's
original manuscripts and many other
items. The total take was estimated
at one and a half million dollars.
T HE
P.R.C.U. ROBBERY, though not
typical, was one example of the
thousands of felonies handled month
after month by the Robbery section.
Its solution points up some of the
problems, the techniques, the "tools"
used by the men in the Robbery Section
of the Detective Division.
First, there is the following up of
leads. "Ordinarily," says Commander
Earl Johnson, "there are a great number
of investigative leads in a robbery
of this kind. The victim usually sees
who robs him. He knows and can
describe what is taken. There may be
other witnesses; if a car is used,
someone may have gotten the license
plate number or description of the
car."
In this case, however, there were
few leads. The detectives assigned to
the case made an immediate thorough
search of the building and area.
They talked to P.R .C.U. employees
for clues, descriptions of the offenders.
They canvassed the area, talking
to residents-but no one remembered
seeing anything out of the ordinary.
One spark of hope, a call to a Chicago
newspaper suggesting that the paper
do something in the way of a ransom,
fizzled when the man never called
back. For almost a month they
checked - and rechecked - and
checked again, to no avail. The loot
could not be located. The watchman's
car, used by the robbers, was recovered
after three weeks but could
furnish no clues.

With the crime analysis maps as a background, Comr. Johnson
talks over some problems with his area commanding officers (lett
to right): Lt. Walter Vallee, Area # 5; Lt. John Kenney, Area #4;
Sgt. Lee O'Rourke, acting commanding officer, Area # 3; Lt.
Robert Osmondson, Area # 6; Lt. George T. Sims, Jr., Area # 2
and Lt. Emil Smicklas, Area # 1.
"HAVE GUN,
WILL travel," is
the way Robbery Commander
Earl Johnson
jokingly sums up his career with the
Police Department.
Johnson says he's worked in many
units and locations during his 10
years with the Department. He started
at Town Hall (the old 38th). On
making detective, he went to the Narcotics
Unit of the old Bureau. From
there, it was the Sex Unit, the Vice
Unit, the Prostitution Unit in B.I.S.;
and the old 32nd D istrict (Shakespeare)
after his promotion to sergeant.
then back to the Prostitution
Unit. As a lieutenant, he was head of
the Syndicate Bomb and Crime Unit
in B.I.S., was in the Gambling Unit,
and then served in the 11 th District.
In J963, he was named head of Area
#4-Robbery and, in December of
1963, promoted to his present position.
Johnson didn't set his feet on the
police path until 1955. Prior to this
he served in the 82nd Airborne Division
for over three years. After
returning to civilian life, he held a
job that dissatisfied him-mainly be­
6 CH I CAGO POLICE STA R
cause every Christmas the work fell
off and he wanted something steadier.
JOHNSON GOT his wish for steady
work when he joined the Police
Department. He jokes that his wife,
Jeanne, in fact, considers it a little
too "steady" when he puts in long
hours. But he still finds time to relax
with his family. Last summer, he took
his son, Mike, age 13, canoeing and
portaging in Canada, 80 miles north
of the nearest white settlement, and
he is already planning another trip
even farther north next summer.
Another of his hobbies is skindiving
(although he doesn't do much
of this as he once did) . While working
as a patrolman in the Town Hall
District, he was one of the many volunteer
skin divers who searched
Montrose Harbor for the dismembered
body of Judith Mae Anderson.
JOH SO N IS a big man "with a deceptively
easy-going air," according
to one of his former partners.
"He's always been an efficient, persistent,
aggressive detective, with a
head for record keeping and for the
Meet
Earl R. Johnson,
Robbery
Commander
use of crime analysis for follow-up
investigations," he added.
These characteristics are now serving
him in good stead in his position
as Commander of the Division's Robbery
Section. *
The family portrait not only in ·
cludes Earl, Mrs. Johnson and
the three children : Michael (13) ,
Deborah (6) and Karen (10); but
Tina, the 3·year- old beagle as
well.

N AMES IN T HE NEW S
Commander John Hartnett (left), of the 12th District,
was awarded the 2nd Annual Police Merit Award of
the Chicago Crime Commission. This year, as last,
the award went to the District Commander "who had
performed with the greatest devotion and competence
among officers with comparable assignments."
Thomas R. Mulroy (right), past president of the Commission,
and Stuart M. Campbell, incumbent president,
presented the plaque to Commander Hartnett
at the Commission's October 15th luncheon.
8 CHICAGO POLICE STAR
Coffee break time at a
graduate seminar of the
Northwestern University
Traffic Institute, 22-24 Oc·
tober, finds Chief of Traffic
Terrence T. Doherty
comparing problems with
Alan H. Rossiter, head of Two task force officers, Sergeant George Boone,
Traffic, Vancouver, B.C.,Po­ *466 (center), and Officer Paul Newell, * 9099
lice Department. Such (left), from Area #2, received the Traffic Award of the
meetings are held annually Month on 4 November. The award, given each month
to let the graduates know by the Citizens Traffic Safety Board to the officer or
of new developments and officers who solve crimes as the result of stops for
techniques in police ad­ traffic violations, is presented to the men by Franklin
ministration. D. Sturdy, director of the Board.
Sixty-two newly promoted officers (12 lieutenants and 50 sergeants) who received their shields
and badges on 16 October, at a ceremony at the Museum of Science and Industry, pose for their
official photo in the Museum's exhibit room.

Youth Division: On 30 Nov. the Youth Division
had its semi-annual Youth Officers' Club
dinner at St. Jude's Hall. Director Michael 1
Delaney was honored by the membership and
friends on his 10th anniversary as director of
the Youth Division. A gala time was had by
all. Congratu lations, Director; may you have
many more such anniversaries . . . Congratulations
are in order to School ptlmn.
Luke, Area #4, and Bellizzi, Area #5, on
the ir new baby girl and boy, respectively,
and Y. O. Vass on his th ird baby girl. What's
the matter, Stehlick? We hear you sent a
check to the Stork Club . .. Congratulations
to Mary Roach on the wedding of her son,
Robert, 28 Nov . . . . We wish to extend best
wishes to our newly-appointed Sergeants
Ernest Siler and Sven Johnson . . . Our condolences
to Y. O. DelGenio and School Ptlmn.
Ray Smiejek on the deaths of their mothers.
May th ey rest in peace . . . Plwmn. Margaret
Besser, Area #2, is collaborating in writing
a book on policewomen .. . Retirement party
for Stu Buletty on 28 October at Beverly
Woods was a huge success. Good luck, Stu
. . . Speedy recovery to Plwmn. Rosemary
Barrett and Vlasta Greene, Y. O. Bob Starzynski,
William Whirity and School ptlmn. Mike
Conforti, now on medical roll .. . Y. O. Donald
Thomas, Area # 4, must be proud having his
sister participating in Olympic Games in
Tokyo on the U. S. Volley Ball Team.
-Ptlmn. James loc"
Bureau of Staff Services: Firearms Tech·
nician Burt Neilson of the Crime lab rece
ived a compliment from the State's Attorney
of Winnebago County (Rockford) for his
expert testimony which helped convict a
murderer . . . Congratulations to proud fathers:
ptlmn. Jim Ryan of Central Detention,
ptlmn. Jim Noto of Equipment and Supplies,
and Polygraph Examiner Tom Walsh of the
Crime Lab . .. We are pleased to report that
Police Matron Mary Davis' daughter is currently
appearing in the Lyric Opera with such
luminaries as Richard Tucker and Renata
Tebaldi . . . The Auto Pounds Section is awaiting
a full report from Lt. Ray McCann-Subject:
"A Bachelor's Vacation in Florida" .. .
Lt. Bill Marschall of Recovered Property is in
Arizona digging for the remains of Goldwater
supporters . .. ptlmn. Dan Kelly of Central
Detention is supposedly the baloney tester in
the men's lockup. They say he can tell who
made it by hearing it drop .. . Get well wishes
are in order for ptlmn. Ludwig Morey and
Ptlmn. Dick Lindgren of Recovered Property
. . . Many are awaiting the 2nd Annual Christ­
mas and Retirement Party of the Central
Services Division on 13 December. Wayne
King's orchestra has another engagement, but
the committee has lined up other outstanding
entertainment.
- Steve Lloyd
Office of the Superintendent: M.A.D.; Looks
like wedding be lls are going to be ringing
for Fred Currier and his Eva .. . Ray Powell
is back from his honeymoon and to no one's
surpri se, is still smi li ng . . . We have a
complaint from the southsiders. With that new
expressway, they get to work too early . . .
Gene Small tells me that he is enjoying every
payment of his new house. Ditto for th is
reporter . I never realized how many things
I didn't know how to do. A homeowner's tip:
to drive a nail without smashing your thumb,
hold the hammer with BOTH hands . . . P.P.D.;
Welcome aboard to Lts. Kenny and Vitek ...
Rumor has it that LBJ may rule Florida a
"disaster area". Seems Ginnie Council may
visit there . . . Congrats to Mary McGough on
her recent marriage . .. Ptlmn. J. McNulty
has a new slogan: "I'll look ali ve in 65"???? ?
... Did you know that this co lumn is becom·
ing most difficult to prepare each month without
Your Help? So please give yourself and
me a break. Anyone belonging to the Office
of the Superintendent may submit news items
to me, Jim Modic, Rm. 401, M.A.D. Remember,
this col umn is what you want it to be. Well,
after that, so you won't
th ink I'm all bad, I'd like
to wish all of you and
yours a very Merry
Ch ri stm as and the best
of everything in the coming
year.
-Jim Modic
Communication Center: A cordial we lcome
and congratu lations to our new C.O. of Records
and Communications, Director Patrick
Needham, and a sad adieu to our fo rmer
C.O. , Director Carl K. Miller, who was made
District Commander of 5. Good luck to both
in their new pursuits . . . Congratulations are
also in order to Chester Kamuda on his promotion
to sergeant, an d to Ray Collins, Henry
Jelderka, Donald Miller, Patrick McCanney,
George Raess, Chester Stiegal and Leonard
Templeton on their appointment to rad io dispatchers
.. . Hospitalized were John Molnar
at Columbus Hospital and George Brenzing
at South Chicago Hospital. Speedy recovery,
men! . . . Sincere condolences to William
Vejnovic, whose mother passed away . . . Our
Chicago Pol ice Gold Team, consisting of Ted
Gabryszenski, Walter Kanik, Harry Kenerson
and John Krettler, took 3rd prize with 1,080
points in the rece nt Annual State Pol ice Invitationa
l Pistol Shoot held in Oak Brook .
Even on the job, these fellows hit the lights
as we ll as th ey shoot. A double threat team,
and all on Lt. William Nicholl's watch too! . ..
Anybody interested in kee pi ng trim is welcome
to jo in Tony Pul·
ciani, Paul Bajner and
William Vejnovic, who
bring the ir wives on a
week ly sojourn to the
Roller Bowl at Archer and
Harlem. Auf Wiedersehen '
- Sgt. Edward T. Haas
Detective Area #6: On 16 October, Oet.
Tom Drury, General Assignment, one of our
cutest crew-c ut aces, finally got his lucky
wish and made sergeant. All of the gang
offered prayers and novenas for his success.
Good luck, Tom! . . Oet. Jim Benson, Robbery,
another young fair-haired ace, left for
another important assignment as sergeant.
Jim, senior typist Rita Speer was so thrilled
and full of gleeful cheer for your promotion!
. On 12 October, Ptlmn. Chester Hulbert,
Genera l Assignment, passed away. Our banner
at G.A. was at attention for a brave soldier
who earned his way the hard way! Our deepest
condolences to his family . . . On 25 October,
Burglary Lt. Emmett Sheridan's father also
passed away. Lt. Sheridan, your staff all wish
you kindness and understanding hearts in
your darkest moment of sorrow . . . Det. Joe
Dileonardo, Hom icide/ Sex, leaves our shores
of Michigan Avenue for good old sunny shores
of Miami .. . The follow ing Auto Theft detec·
tives made sergeant 16 October: Det. John
Keehan, Det. Richard Joyce . . . Det. Henry
Kramer, Burglary, was also promoted to sergeant
on 16 October. Congratulations, men!
( C

The Blue L ight
(colltlnlled Irom page eleven)
man; and to Sil. Pat Ward on the passing
of his mother; and to Ray Howard on the
passing of his mother-in-law .. .The men detailed
to watch the President saved a float
that caught on fire after the President
passed. They were Tony Oddo, Don Krayer and
the Eagle, all of whom burned their white
gloves . .. Civilian Clerk Delores Joseph left
the service as was told to me by Civilian
Clerk Rita Jones . .. Congratulations to John
Bunyard on the capture of an armed robber.
While detailed at 38 E. Belleview, he noticed
three men taking one man into a hallway. He
announced his office and in the scuffle, shot
one of them.
- Ptlmn. John R. Dad olas
r7th District: By the time this issue reaches
you we should all be pretty well in the holiday
mood . . . This District received a commendable
letter from the Reverend Edward
Dubel, athletic director of Gordon Tech High
School, for the wonderful service extended
to them by Ptlmn. R. Weller, J. Pinski, and
Sgt. E. Katilus, at the school's homecoming
game. Father Dubel was especially impressed
with the courteous manner in wh ich the men
handled the situation . .. Ptlmn. Carl Enwell,
who usually brings us a sample of venison
steak, went to Montana on his furlough but
came back empty handed this year. We will
just have to wait another year ... Sincere
condolences to Ptlmn. Eugene Gall on the
loss of his father .. . A speedy recovery to
Clerk Cora Delaney, who is in Wesley
Memorial Hospital. Get well and come back
to work real soon, Cora. We miss you . . .
Ptlmn. Robert Nolin is expecting another ad·
dition to the Nolin family momentarily . . .
Welcome back to "1 7", Sgt. Walter Baginski
... Good luck to the patrolmen who were
transferred to other areas from "17"­
Ptlmn. Chowanski and
Pokuta to the 18th District,
Canzoneri to the
13th District and Zielin·
ski and Smythe to the
11 th District .. . A Merry
Christmas to all !
- Marge Hopps
16t" District: The men pictured below, having
retired from the Department after a com·
bined total of 230 years' service, are receiv­
12 CHICAGO POLICE STAR
ing congratulations from Commander Maurice
K. BefOer during our Annual Retirement Party
- Sit. C. Nothacker, Ptlmn. R. Blauert, Sit.
F. Magill, D. C. Begner, Sgt. V. O'Gara, Ptlmn.
E. Mclaughlin and R. Amend. Retirees not pictured
include F. Knutson and V. Kosloff. I am
very happy to announce that our 4th Annual
Retirement Party was a big success! It was a
S.R.O. crowd. If this keeps up we will have
to move our party to the Grand Ballroom
of the Palmer House. This party could not
have been a success without the "all out
effort" on the part of the committee-F.
Petersen, J. Callahan, J. McGillis, A. Troe,
L. DeFabio, W. McCann and J. Taylor. An additional
"pat on the back" should be given to
Frank Petersen who devoted much of his own
time in making preparat ions for the party.
I am very sorry, however, to report that not
many wives were in attendance.
Aren't they being
invited? Well, we will
correct that, because the
next time we will send a
personal invitation to
each officer's wife.
- Ptlmn. louis F. Brunini
15th District: Congratulations to Ptlmn. and
Mrs. Donald Kann on the arrival of their
new baby. Don said that evens it out-two
a piece . . . Ptlmn. John Perri and wife
Phyllis had an 8 lb. 15 oz. boy; his name is
John Anthony. John said he has to take his
boy to the barber shop soon. The baby was
born with more hair than John. He will know
now what sleepless nights are. This is their
first ... Well, I hate to brag about the deer,
an eight point buCk, 300 Ibs., that I bagged
on North Ave. and Austin, with the help of
Sgt. Phil Davis and Ptlmn J. Melody. But my
shots are the ones that counted(?) The men
now call me AI ("The Great Hunter") Krajeeke
. . . Ptlmn. Cangelosi was promoted to detective
. . . !'tlmn. Glen Demastus bagged a
black bear recently, but Glen will not di·
vulge his hunting grounds. He is afraid I
will outdo him . . . Sgt. George Nelson looks
better than ever; He told me he lost some
weight. Don't overdo it,
Sarge; you may have to
buy a new uniform ...
Merry Christmas and
Happy Year. See you
in 65 .. . 10-99, The
Polish Count.
- Ptlmn. AI Kra;ecke
14th District: Here it is, another month
gone by and we are still basking in the glory
of Indian summer; last chance to lose some
more golfballs . . . Ptlmn. Phillip White and
his lovely wife, Lillian, have become the
proud parents of Phillip, Jr., who was born
on 7 October; it's the first one but I'm bet·
ting they will catch up to the l ewkowicz's.
The cigar was late in coming but it was
enjoyed . .. Speaking of catching up, Ptlmn.
Robert King has just become engaged to a
doll, Judith Hartnett. They have set the date
for 26 June 1965. Always a chance for them
to catch up if they hurry ... Ptlmn. Richard
Hradisky, in company of Ptlmn. Henry Uszler
of this command who gave the moral support,
came back from Canada with a 325 lb. black
bear which "Quickdraw" shot. The bear was
no match for "Gunsmoke" and "Quickdraw."
Hradisky may have to use his uniform allowance
to have it stuffed and mounted.
After Ptlmn. Chester (Zorro) Soral heard about
it, he right away tried to compare it with
some of the fish he has landed. I personally
think it's sportsman jealousy ... We
have quite a few new men in the District and
they are all doing good police work. In
t he next column we will tell you all about it
. .. That's all for this month ... "BOW­
WOW".
- Ptlmn. Robert Wojtkiewicz
r 2t" District: Chris and Mae Ei leen Ahearn
welcomed the arrival of a baby girl, Mary
Beth, at little Company of Mary Hospital
on 18 October. Dave and Audrey Reardon
are also the proud parents of a new arrival,
a baby girl, Geralyn, born on 16 October in
Loretto Hospital ... Our congratulations to
Commander Hartnett on his selection as District
Commander of the year. In a speech at
the Annual Crime Commission Luncheon,
Commander Hartnett attributed the award
which he received at that time to the fine
work and accomplishments of all members of
the 12th District ... Joe Skerik is up and
about and expected back to work soon. Earl
Winters is still convalescing at home . . .
Our sincere sympathy is extended to the
family of Ptlmn. Francis Clark, who passed
away on the 10th of October. Frank will be
missed by all of us who knew and had a
deep affection for him ... Congratulations to
Capt. Needham on his promotion to Director
of Records and Communications .. . Review
Officer Ch iappetta is being enlightened- we
hope- by attending classes at the Police
Academy . .. Sgt. Swanson recent ly underwent
surgery, and is now in the Ravenswood
Hospital. We hope for his complete and
rapid recovery from a very delicate operation.
- Pt/mn. James 1. McKittrick
lit" District: Under the leadership of Felix
libera, our baseball team took the championship
of the Chicago Police Department and
2nd place in the Grant Park league. "Phil"
Libera was also the master of ceremonies at
the victory dinner that was held at Johnny's
Restaurant in LaGrange on 29 October.
Chicken or beef was the entree and a good
time was had by all. Among the guests were
our past district commander and his wife,
Commander and Mrs. McNulty, our present
district commander and his wife, Commander
and Mrs. Hackett, Capt. and Mrs. R. Ryan and
Capt. and Mrs. P. Moss and many more. Sorry
I can't name them all. Trophies were awarded
to the players for their great work during the
season ... FROM THE BOWLERS: Well, the
season's under way and there have been no
(Cf)TlIimt t!d 011 pOJ:l! fourtrrn)

SOMEONE ON CE said that "an editor
often has to edit by the seat of his
pants-but he still needs to have wellinformed
trousers."
There's only one wayan editor can
find out what the people who countthe
readers-think of a publication, and
that is to ask them.
In August we asked you to fill out a
Star Readership Survey to find out what
you liked and didn't like about your
magazine; what changes, improvements
and types of articles you would like to
see in it.
We got both orchids and onions, but
we were pleased at the generally favorabJe
comments about the magazine, and
at the many excellent suggestions for
making it better.
Here is a brief summary of the resuIts
:
WE GOT 406 returns, or a 2.9% response.
This compares favorably
with the 3-4% response considered
normal in this type of questionnaire.
Three hundred forty-six (3 46) returns
were from Department members.
Ninety-five (95) per cent (384) of
the Department personnel who answered
said they read the Star every month.
In answer to the question, "What
features do you read?" 72.5% (251)
said they read all the features. The most
popular si ngle feature is 'The Blue
Light" (unit and district news); 95%
(326) read thi s. Other popular features
are, in order, 1) tbe general interest
articles, 2) information articles, 3) Department
Commendations, and 4) Retirements
and Memorial Roll.
We also asked you to give yo ur opinion
about specific features, rating them
from "very good" to "poor" or "don't
read." We figured out the weighted
coverage of all the answers and got a
"scale of populari ty."
"Plain Talk," the rumor-dispelling
column, received top rating, followed,
in order, by 1) stories about the units,
2) "What's New" in the Department, 3)
Department Commendations, 4) District/
Unit News, 5) Retirements and
Memorial Roll and 6) discussions on a
police subject.
WE ALSO WANTED to know what
other information you'd like to see
in the Star and how you'd improve it.
The suggestions were so specific and
constructive that they are proving the
most useful information on the entire
survey. A sample of some of the suggestions
and comments are reprinted
below.
-Print all D epartment Commendations
(Ed.: We do print them all, but
because of lack of space and the great
number of Commendations. we're backlogged).
-More district and unit news; more
up-to-date news from every district or
unit every month ; add a reporter for
the Crossing Guards. (Ed.: We rely on
our reporters to send us news and they
rely on you to give them the news to
send) .
-Drop Blue Light; shorten it
-Articles on crossing guards; a
regular column on them.
-Article on Department working
conditions: promotional and pay in­
SOME R SULTS OF THE
crease opportunities; proposed changes
in regulations; grievance procedures;
problems In districts on beats and
patrols; new equipment, uniforms and
any future changes in same; fringe
benefits for Department personnel;
comparison of our Department with
other city, county or state police operations.
-More articles on the working police
officers, both on and off the job; human
interest stories; stories about people
with interesting hobbies; articles by
older officers with "tips" for rookies;
actual police cases to show how they
were handled; outstanding police officers,
past and present, and their work ;
articles on police operations, crime patterns,
common problems.
-Add a "gripe" page, a suggestion
box, a question-and-answer column, a
" roving reporter" column soliciting
ideas and opinions of working policemen.
-Articles on new city ordinances,
state and federal legislation and court
decisions which affect police operations.
A s
WE SAID, this is a sample of what
you want included in the Star.
You'll be seeing some features along the
lines you suggested very soon. We'll be
picking up many other ideas of yours
for 1965 issues of the Star.
And don't forget: we need your continuing
help in other ways. Tell your
di strict reporter any news you have;
pass on tips that yo u think would make
a good story; write something yourself
and send it in.
It is , after all, your magazine. *
DECEMBER , 1964 13

The Blue Light
(conr;llfleri from page f ourteen)
portable plastic garage in his pocket ...
Sylvester Kasprzyk is still driving to work in
that bomb shelter; his co·pilot is Officer
Galgan, who says that he's named the auto
" Polski Wrob" because it runs a bit sour . . .
Napoleon Hunter is going around the station
as if he were walking on eggs. He says
the reason is that he 's getting into sha pe for
next year 's basketball team . The te am last
year named him "H 10." He ran a full court
without spi lling a drop .. . Barney " I bought
last" Sherry was transferred to Auto Theft;
good luck, Barney ... Maury Oore has lost
his suntan; word is that he drinks Tavern
Pale ... lyle "Hot Car" Walker has recovered
quite a few stolen autos in the last
few months and also made several good
pinches. Keep up the good work, Lyle . . .
Sgt. Arthur is detailed back into the 4th District;
he says that it's
good to be back . .. Sgt.
Hubert Harnois was tran sferred
to the 3rd District.
Hope to see you back ·
in the 4th before too
long, sergeant.
-Pt/mn. Steve Schaefer
3rd District: Well , the 3rd District really hit
the jackpot in the new baby department. The
following line-up: F. Scott and wife, Harriet,
had a baby girl; Officer Rizzo's wife, Carol,
presented him with a future Olympic skater;
the l. Forberg's had another; what's that,
Larry, number 4 or 5? Al so G. Cambell's wife
made him happy with a baby girl ... Condolences
go out to A. Olson and his family
on the death of his wife. The 3rd District was
also saddened by the untimely death of
Officer B. lewis who died suddenly from a
serious illness. Our condolences to his family.
Our deepest sympathy to R. Frazier on the
death of h is father . Ptlmn. R. Walsh, retired,
formerly of the Grand Crossing Station, pa ssed
away recently and will be missed by all his
old buddies .. . Patty Ourkin, the best desk
man in the city, has finally returned to the
District, after a long period of sickness. Welcome
back, Pat . . . An outstanding arrest
was made by T. Oanaher and P. Grady in their
thorough investigation of an arson case,
which involved the death of a janitor of the
hotel where the fire occurred ... J. Ireland
and J. Morgan ca me up with a good arrest
when they observed a vehicle commit a traffic
violation and upon investigation found the
vehicle to be stolen and
the three occupants were
wanted by the F.B.I. ...
The basketba ll team is
practicing and hope to
fini sh with the title this
year . Good luck, fellows .
-Pt/mn. T. J. Shannon
16 CHICAGO POLICE STAR
2nd District: Honorable Mention: Since Probation
Ptlmn. Fred Brady began hi s career in
the highest tradition of the Department, I
feel it fitting and proper to tip my topper
to him. On 2 October just two days after
graduating from the Aca demy, Officer Brady,
with the aid of other units, was assigned to a
burglary-in -progress. While conducting a thorough
search, Officer Brady found the offender
concealed in a cold storage room, effected
the arrest, and recovered th e currency taken .
Congratu la tions and keep up the good work
· .. Our sincere condolences to Ptlmn. Harry
Gaines on the passing of his father, Harry, Sr.
· . . Congratul ation s to Sgt. John Fee on his
recent promotion to lieutenant . . . Alvin
Oaniels says that the bowling team is goin g
great guns, but misses the services of Joe
Volpentesta who bowled the perfect "300"
game last season ... Welcome back, Sgt.
John Pratapas. The sergea nt suffered a broken
hand while on furlough "doing-it-yourself"
· . . Get well wishes to Officer James Rider
who sustained a broken hand while on duty
· .. Hear tell that Terry (Fish) Mills has his
ax sharpened for a little ice fi shing. He never
gives up ... Heartiest congratulations to
Capt. Frank lynch on the splendid job of
filling in for the vacationing Commander
Harness ... And to lt. John Cronin for taking
over as watch commander, and doing an
admirable job ... Here 's wi shing all a Merry
Xmas and a Happy New Year.
-Pt/mn. Nathan W. Burton
1st District: A lot of good work is being
done by our patrolmen, as evidenced by the
Honorable Mentions given to · them by our
District Commander Riordan. ReCi pients are
listed as follows: Ptlmn. W. Woods, Wilton
Jones, N. Kukuk, C. Stampanato, F. Crawford,
W. Doherty, J. Smuda and J. Schmidt. A Department
Commendation was awarded to
Ptlmn. Norman Brozynski, who leaped into
the Chicago River at Madison Street to rescue
a man who was attempting sui cide. Ptlmn.
W. Woods and F. Crawford were recommended
for the "Traffic Man of the Month Award "
· . . Our condolences to Bob Yurovich and
family on the death of Robert Yurovich , Sr.,
on 30 October. Condolences also to Charles
Melinauskas and family in the death of mother,
Julia, on 2 November . . . A warm welcome
is extended to It. Joseph Meany, recently
transferred to the 1st District to replace It.
James Kenny, who wa s transferred to the
Planning Divi sion .. . Our District Commander
was well rece ived when he addressed the
Building Managers Association Convention at
French Lick, Indiana. His topic of disc ussion
was, "Security in Large Office Buildings. "
· .. On 15 October, this reporter, along with
other "Star" reporters from all units, attended
a meeting with Superintendent O. W. Wilson
at which various complaints, recommendations
and suggestions were discussed to the
enlightenment of all . . . More later . . .
Merry Xmas to AII.
-Pt/mn. George Thiese
by Rabbi Bernard D. Perlow, Ph.D.
OUR APPRECIATION of law enforcement
as a vocation grows
with an understanding of its historical
import and, especially, of its
roots, which are moored in the religious
strata of life. We gain this understanding
from a consideration of the Biblical
origins of the police vocation.
It is a moot question whether a professional
police force existed on an organized
basis during early Biblical times.
However, it is clearly evident that both
the sanction and the need for law enforcement
have their sources in Holy
Scripture.
The purpose of the law was to insure
against anarchy and immora lity, so
that it could not be said : "Every man
did what seemed right in his own eyes"
(Judg. XVII: 6) . Even the civilian law
dealing with the earthly conduct of
man had a divine character. T hus the
promulgation and the fulfillment of law
became inseparable in God's purpose.
To the extent, therefore, that obeying
the law is divinely inspired, its enforcement
is divinely endorsed. Hence, we
mi ght justifiably render to the police
vocation a measure of sanctity which
ought not to be overlooked.
THE BIBLE RECOGNIZED th at all law
enforcement rests upon a partnership
of two functions: namely, policing
a nd adjudication. This is indicated by
the instruction "Judges and officers shalt
thou make thee in all thy gates" (Deu!.
XVI: 18). However, the specific duties

of the "officers" are not outlined. They
must be gleaned and deducted from
references to the several categories of
officials mentioned in both the Old and
the New Testament.
The most usual designation of the
police officer in the Hebrew original
is shoter (pl. shoterim). This term, in
its verbal forms, means "to cut" or
"engrave," hence, "to write." The ancient
policeman was a literate person.
He had to be such a person in order
to be able to perform his duty of recording
the event or the job to which he was
assigned as overseer. Such officers, or
recorders, first appear in Egypt as
Hebrews appointed to supervise the
tasks of their brethren (Exod. V:6,
14-19) .
Later on, in the land of Canaan,
elders served as officers or shoterim
(Num. XI:16; Deut. XXIX : 18) . In the
book of Joshua, several categories of
supervlsmg officials are mentioned
(Josh. VIII: 33; XXIII :2; XXIV: I).
Apparently, their job was to police the
Israelite tribes on the way to the
Promised Land. They also served as the
media of communication between the
military chiefs and the rank-and-file.
King David employed such officers in
his court, and usually selected them
from among the Levites, the servants of
the Temple (I Chron. XXIII:4, XXVI:
29). King Jehoshephat established
judges and officers to carry out the law
(II Chron. XIX: I ); XXVI : II ) .
THERE ARE also references in the
Old Testament to the following
designations of officers of the law:
netziv, prefect or director of police (I
Kings IV:5-7, V :30) rav, master
(Esther 1:8; Daniel 1:3); and pakid,
overseer or magistrate of police (Judg.
IX:28; II Chron. XXIV: II).
The Temple in Jerusalem had a police
force of its own, consisting chiefly of
Lev ites. These were gatekeepers (shoarim)
who guarded the entrances to
the Temple mount. (1 Chron. IX:17,
24-27; XXVI : 12-) 8). There were several
watches or shifts, which reminds us
of our own daily scheduling system.
Each watch was caller a mishmar.
Later on, the term, shomer, meaning "a
watchman," came into use. Today, the
plural, shomrim, is used as a title for
Jewish police organizations in the
major communities of the United States.
In the New Testament, we find
officers whose duty it was to apprehend
offenders or to exact legal penalties
from those who were guilty (Matthew
V:25; John VII:32, 46; XVIII:3, compare
Luke XII :58). Of interest is the
term serjeants (sic) , used in the New
Testament with references to a staff of
lictors, or sentry escorts to the Roman
magistrate. We know that in Phillipi,
during the time of Paul, officers carried
out what we consider today to be normal
police duties (Acts XVI:35).
THE BIBLE, OR more specifically, the
Old Testament and the Mosaic
Code, contains police laws regulating
social life and embracing the care and
preservation of publ ic peace, health,
safety, morality and welfare. They are
too numerous to go into at length, but
it is interesting to note that many of
our modern day laws directly related
to police responsibilities and enforcement
can be traced back to Biblical
times.
One example is the law of public
safety. The commandment to build a
battlement around the roof of a house
"that thou bring not blood upon thine
house if any time man fall there from"
(Deu!. XXII: 8) was regarded by the
Sages of the Talmud as a general principle
from which were derived many
regulations governing public safety.
Thus, it was forbidden to harbor wild
animals or any object which might do
damage to other people. An unsafe wall
or a decayed tree was forbidden to stand
in a public place. Roads were to be
kept clear so that travel might proceed
unhampered. Out of this law came the
basis for traffic regulations in ancient
Judea.
Similarly, dangers to human health
by unclean waste lying in streets or
markets or the existence of other unsanitary
conditions were outlawed, and
thus placed under police supervision.
Such laws were based on the Biblical
prohibition: "Neither shall thou stand
against the blood of thy neighbor" (Lev.
XIX:) 6), because anything which might
potentially impair human health was
considered a matter contributing to the
spilling of blood.
Indeed, a complete code governing
public morality, human liberties and
etbical conduct in all relationships,
spiritual or mundane, was enacted on
the basis of Biblical commandments. In
Talmudic times, which covers the early
period of Christianity up until the end
of the 5th century, these laws were generally
classified as police laws because
they required enforcement as well as
execution.
I N
SUMMATION, law enforcement has
both a historical origin as well as a
spiritual sanction, going back to the
early times of man when the Word of
God became the standard for law and
conduct for human society. Viewed
from this perspective, our concepts of
the police career as a vocation gain in
depth and significance. *
DECEMBER . 1964 17

of car thefts when they interviewed a man
who said he believed his son was driving
a stolen car, and gave the name and address
of a companion of his son. After
repeated questioning of this suspect, the
youth admitted first one auto theft and
then others, naming his accomplices. The
accomplices also admitted their involvement.
Multiple clear-ups of 49 auto thefts,
plus two robbery cases were made.
On 1 March, Sgt. Victor Vrdolyak,
*1550, Dets. Thomas Abt, *8796, Carl
Edenfield, *9681, Joseph Spatz, *7811,
and James McDonough, *10236, D.D.A.
#2-Burglaryj and Sgt. James Janda, *636,
Dets. James Patton, *4000, and George
Ruckrich, *7867, D.D.A. #5-Burglary,
began an investigation of suspicious activity
in a residential garage. The person residing
at that address was the brother of a
well-known cartage thief and burglar. A
24-hour-a-day surveillance gave them
grounds to secure a search warrant for the
garage, in which they found the proceeds of
a burglary, $10,000 worth of drugs, convertible
into "goof balls" and "bennies"
saleable for more than $400,000. The arrestee
was charged with burglary, grand
theft and possession of barbiturates.
On 30 March,
Officer Barton Tallent,
*8474, • •• 14th
District,saw a car with
out license plates and
curbed the car. While
Tallent was writing the summons, he heard
a flash message on the radio concerning
the holdup of a tavern. As the male occupants
of the car fitted the descriptions,
the officer placed them and the female
passenger under arrest. A search of the
car disclosed a revolver and $50 under
the rear seat. The owner of the tavern
positively identified the two men as the
robbers. Both men confessed and admitted
12 other robberies.
On 15 May, a fight broke out between
members of two gangs of youths in which
five persons were shot, one fatally. Sgts.
Victor Vrdolyak, *l550, D.D.A. #2­
BurglarYj James Williams, *1310, D.D.A.
#2-Robberyj Dets. Stuart Bradshaw,
*9209, D.D.A. # 2-Robberyj Edward
Speller, *6293, D.D.A. #2-Homicide/
Sex; Jack Wallenda, *2789, D.D.A. # 2­
Homicide/Sexj and Robert Rogers, *5414,
D.D.A. # 2-Homicide/Sex, were assigned
to the case. After investigation and interrogation
by the Youth Division and Homicide
detectives, one youth confessed to
firing the fatal shot and implicated three
others. At a showup, the assailants were
identified. As a result of these arrests, another
shooting and an assault were also
cleared.
On 19 May, Officers John Blasen,
*8288, and James Murphy, *9612, Task
Force, Canine Section, observed smoke
issuing from a basement and second floor
window of a hotel. The officers requested
the dispatcher to notify the Fire Department,
' then went to the scene. They found
the door locked, and forcing it open,
entered the building and checked all apartments.
They arollsed and assisted in the
removal of five men and one woman from
the blaze and made several trips into the
burning building to make sure everyone
was out.
On 28 April , Officers George Boone,
*10414, and Paul Newell, *9099, Task
Force Area #2, investigated a case of rape.
The victim gave the nicknames of the
three offenders and an address. At this add
ress the officers located a youth who
knew the offenders' names and address. At
this second location, the officers arrested
one youth who confessed and gave the
identity and addresses of the other two.
The officers went to one of the addresses
and while there, the mother received a
phone ca II from her son. The officers
talked to the youth and persuaded him
and his accomplice to surrender. All three
were arrested and positively identified by
the victim .
On 8 May, Officer
Robert Fields, *6424,
9th District, was informed
of an armed
robbery of a cab driver.
Fields obtained a description
of the offender
and the stolen cab and after relaying
this information to the dispatcher, began
searching the area. Shortly after, he saw
the stolen cab and curbed it. After a struggle,
he subdued, disarmed and arrested the
offender, who had a .32 caliber revolver
in his possession.
On 16 May, Officer
Michael Monaghim, .
*8688, 14th District,
responded to a call of a
break-in at a finance com
pany. At the scene, the
officer found a lock had
been pul led from the front of the building.
After ascertaining no one was inside,
Monaghan searched the surrounding area,
and apprehended a well-known burgler. A
search of the man disclosed a lock-puller
and a large screw driver. The suspect was
turned over to Detective Area # 5,
Burglary, for further investigation and
processing, and was charged with burglary
and possession of burglary tools. Tool
marks corroborated this evidence.
On 28 May, Officers Vincent Strangis,
*5997, and John E. Foster, *9767, 7th
District, responded to a call of a burglaryin-progress.
When they arrived at the
scene, a witness described the men who
had fled on foot. The officers recalled seeing
two men of a similar description as
they were answering the call, and they returned
in time to see the men board a bus.
They followed the bus until the suspects
got off, and stopped the two. Two knives
and a small pry tool were found on the
men. The arrestees were charged with
burglary. *
DECEMBER , 1 96 4 19