It's What We Do

By Joe Hawk

This book is about the day-to-day encounters that police officers face on a daily basis, it emphasizes the good and evil that lurk about every day. Some fall victim to the mayhem others are just lucky to avoid conflict, or escape the fatal blows that others fall victim to. All gave some, some gave all. They are the ones that are honored. Their names are on the police memorial wall, Washington DC. 10% of all sales of this book will go to the fallen, so that they won’t be forgotten. Their names will be placed on the granite wall for all to see.

• Language: English
• Publisher: AuthorHouse
• Release date: Mar 13, 2022
• ISBN: 9781665553636

Joe Hawk

The author was raised in The Bronx, New York along with his six {6} siblings. At the age of nineteen {19} he left home, and he finished his high school education. At twenty {20} years of age, he was driving tractor trailers across country to California. He married the “Love of His life” in 1964, and they raised five children. He entered the New York City Transit Police Academy in 1967, and while employed as a police officer, he completed his education by achieving his “Associate Degree “with Orange County Community College, New York, his” Bachelor of Arts Degree,” from New York City College, and his” Master’s in Public Administration”, from John Jay College in New York City. He retired in 1989 as a sergeant after completing twenty-two {22} years. In 1989 he joined the Palm Beach Police Department and retired as a sergeant in 2009, after completing twenty {20} years. Looking back over his forty-two {42 } years in law enforcement, he wanted to give back to the community so, he volunteered his services for four {4} years with the West Palm Beach Police Department performing one year {1} conducting investigative duties with the detectives for” Credit Card Fraud”, and “Identity Theft”; and the next three {3} years conducting “Background Investigations” whereby, numerous Police Officers were hired as well as Dispatches, Crime Scene Analysts, and Records 289 Personnel. For his services he received the “Volunteer of the Quarter Award “, and” Volunteer of the Year Award.” He wanted to share his law enforcement career with others, so he wrote his first book “It’s What We Do” (his 22 years with New York City Transit Police Department}. He authored, “Second Chance” (20 years in Palm Beach P.D.}, and lastly, “Manhunt In Palm Beach”, about an elusive Burglar credited which stealing twenty-five {25} million dollars in jewelry. He has never forgotten the officer’s that gave their all. Ten percent {10} of all sales go to the National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial Fund in Washington D.C.

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© 2022 Joe Hawk. All rights reserved.

No part of this book may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or

transmitted by any means without the written permission of the author.

Published by AuthorHouse  03/10/2022

ISBN: 978-1-6655-5364-3 (sc)

ISBN: 978-1-6655-5362-9 (hc)

ISBN: 978-1-6655-5363-6 (e)

Library of Congress Control Number: 2022903957

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and such images are being used for illustrative purposes only.

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this book may have changed since publication and may no longer be valid. The views

expressed in this work are solely those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the

views of the publisher, and the publisher hereby disclaims any responsibility for them.

CONTENTS

Chapter 1

Chapter 2

Chapter 3

Chapter 4

Chapter 5

Chapter 6

Chapter 7

Chapter 8

Chapter 9

Chapter 10

Book Dedication

Book Inspiration

Footnotes

Thank You

CHAPTER 1

On March 2, 1967, I was sworn in as a New York City Transit Police Department officer at 370 Jay St. Brooklyn, New York, Police Headquarters. We were told to report to the Jamaica Armory. Upon my arrival, myself and 76 other police officers were met by the Police Department staff. Sergeant Charles Deibel was sort of a drill instructor. He commanded the class and broke us up into companies with a platoon Sergeant. He also taught us the penal law, State of New York. We had to know the current law, even though September 1, 1967, it would change. Judge Richard Bartlett spearheaded the new changes.

Since we would graduate June 1, 1967, we had to know the existing laws. We were told we would be instructed on the new changes prior to the new laws going into effect. The Academy lasted 14 weeks. During that time, we studied the law, how to issue parking tickets, health code violations and the proper handling of evidence. Not to mention the physical education on the drill floor amongst trucks, jeeps and two tanks. It wasn’t bad when they weren’t running the engines. We had to change into our gym clothes on the balcony area, [no privacy).

Most of us used public transportation to get to the Academy. We stood out like toy soldiers in our khaki uniform, our blue gym bag with our baton sticking out on one end. We weren’t allowed to take a seat on the train, it didn’t look good with the riding public. The weeks went by quickly. We received a paycheck bi-weekly. At that time, top pay for three-year police officer was $9,500 per year. The entry salary was $7,500, per year plus uniform allowance and holiday pay. We received a check for six days In July and five days in December. Before we graduated, we had to go into the field with an experienced police officer. This was called Operation Shield. We would go to stations with a high volume of high school kids. When they came thru the gates, we would check their passes to make sure they were coming thru the correct station. One day I was working 168th St. Broadway, approximately two hundred kids came down the stairs to the station. It was bedlam, trying to check everyone’s, train pass. The other officer said, "just let them thru. Another time I was assigned to 145th St. Lenox Ave. with a seasoned officer. Not too many school kids came thru this station. The biggest decision was where were we going to eat? My partner decided the bowling alley. He said they have decent food. Upon conversing with my new partner, I learned that he was the son of a former fire commissioner. I asked him why he didn’t go into the fire department. He said he didn’t want to fight fires, policing was safer.

Each day, after we returned to the academy, we exchanged comments about our patrol experiences. They were all pretty much the same, no problem with the kids.

Before we graduated, we had to purchase all our own equipment. Uniform allowance usually paid for it. A .38 police special, ammo pouch to hold twelve rounds {12}, handcuffs, baton, flashlight, keys for opening train doors, key #350 to open all the transit locks on the train system. We were issued a memo book and holder for daily entries, two pens, whistle and cap device and matching police shield, blue uniform, black socks, and black shoes.

One of my favorite training sessions was firearms training. We had five instructors. They taught us the fine art of shooting combat and offhand shooting. We had to qualify at the end of the session. We all did. One officer, Bill won the Charles Monaghan Trophy, PBA for proficiency in firearms. He was awarded at graduation a .38-caliber colt detective special. I was a contender for the gun for physical achievement, but lost out to officer Ralph, he ran faster than I did.

Finally, we graduated on June 1,1967, from a Community College in Brooklyn, New York. Chief Robert Rapp gave us a welcoming speech to us all. He stated we would be working 8PM-4AM shift, where the present officers had 375 nights between 8:00 PM and 4:00 AM free of crime. He expected nothing but the best from us all. My graduation invitation included ten {10} pledges for police officers quoted from J. Edgar Hoover, Director, Federal Bureau of Investigations.

{1} Be ready to serve the public faithfully and fearlessly twenty {24} hours a day.

{2} Uphold the rights of every individual within the law.

{3} Strive diligently to secure the evidence to free the innocent as well as convict the guilty.

{4} Honor - his badge -never tarnish it with personal misconduct on or off duty.

{5} Be courteous and friendly, for most citizens, the only contact with law enforcement is to report or seek information.

{6} Avoid favoritism-race, creed an influence have no place on the scales of justice.

{7} Act as a model to youth. Help youngsters to be good citizens.

{8} Keep in good physical condition. A healthy body and mind mean better work.

{9} Learn more about law enforcement profession, acquiring knowledge is annever-ending process.

{10} Be loyal to self, organization, country, and God.

For me it was a very happy day. I wanted to be a police officer for some time,

and now just short of twenty -five years of age, I was. The class of seventy-seven officers were soon to hit the subways with vim and vigor. My wife, Mary Lou, who was eight months pregnant, was there with my 20-month-old son Peter. My wife and my son Peter and I celebrated with a luncheon at the Cock-Eyed Clams, 94th Street 3rd Avenue Manhattan

My first assignment was District 1, 59th Street Columbus Circle, Manhattan. I patrolled the # 2 train stations 110th and Lenox, 116th Street, 125 and 135th Street- 8 p.m. To 4 a.m. tour of duty, four shifts on, two off. Days off rotated backwards. Roll call usually consisted of twelve to fifteen officers lined up in the muster room for roll call assignments and inspections. After roll call, we headed out in different directions for our assigned stations or train patrol. My first assigned station was 135th St. {Harlem}. I was the only white person in the area. Transit Police patrolled the subway’s twenty-five {25} lines,472 stations and approximately 250 miles of passenger rail lines. There were 12 Transit Districts, each one located either within or adjacent to the subway system. Train stations usually had a North bound and South bound {N/b&S/b} platform, referenced with the direction of the train’s destination. It consisted of a change booth on each side to sell tokens and to retrieve them a few times each evening. The station was made up of concrete and tile walls-some advertising was displayed on signs. There were no smoking signs throughout the system, under the health code. People would violate that law on a daily basis and summonses were issued for it. Each station had a porter assigned to it. The trains ran on a schedule and most times they were on time within five minutes or so. The tracks were usually littered with some type of debris, paper and cigarette butts being tossed on a daily basis causing small track fires. The stations were hot in the summer and very cold in the winter. No happy medium. In the winter, when the train was approaching the station, you would get a gush of cold air to let you know the train was coming. The trains themselves had heaters, but not until many years later did, they have air conditioning. They did have overhead fans. If a conductor or motorman needed police assistance they would blow the train whistle, one long and one short. Sometimes junkies would be so high they would fall to the tracks and get run over by a train. That was never a pretty sight.

Upon reaching the station we would immediately go to the change booth and use the land line telephone to call the communications desk and advise them of my assignment and to call saying I was on post. They in turn would tell me what times to call, to check in. Usually, each station had one change booth on the Northbound and Southbound station except 110th and 148th Lenox which had only one. Since we didn’t have two-way radios at that time, we relied on the token clerk to make an emergency call if we needed police assistance. One officer was assigned to make meal reliefs for officers covering 135th, 125th, 116th and 110th street Lenox Ave. Unfortunately, only 125thSt. had a coffee shop that was safe to eat in. 110thSt. had a grocery store, so a soda and a piece of cake that was wrapped was safe to eat. An officer had to leave the station to get something to eat and be back in one hour. The trains ran every twenty minutes after 10:00PM, so that could be a problem, if you were late returning to your station. The relief officer would be late relieving the next officer, but we worked it out, mostly, by returning early to our post. When it got close to 3:40-3:45, we would board the Southbound train to 96th St. Broadway and Broadway local #1 train would take us to 59th St, COLUMBUS Circle for the end of our shift, only to repeat it night in and night out.

It’s What We Do.

CHAPTER 2

As the nights turned into weeks and weeks turned into months, I had numerous encounters with the riding public, which many did not want to pay their fare, which was $0.20 at that time. The youngsters 16 to 20 years would try you to see what they could get away with. So, you would have to use psychology and good common sense when you took action. One night, five youngsters jumped the turnstile in front of me, using psychology, I knew I was no match for five, so I singled out one individual and told him to pay his fare. He just looked at me and laughed. I raised my baton, as if I