It was the seventies. The Naples PD was preparing to move to the new headquarters building on Goodlette Road. We were handling the records personally, to retain integrity for future court use. The old, old records were in our makeshift storeroom, one of the women's jail cells that was never used.
Sifting through the old stuff was as education. Most everything was written in the Blotter, a large bound book like those used in old-time hotels. The simplest of entries were used, complaint number, date, time, name, one-line description of the event, action taken. If further information was needed, you'd find an attached sheet of paper. This system was used until Chief Ben Caruthers, in the early 60's, upgraded to a modern records program.
Reading one of these attached reports--probably from the forties--we were taken up short. It had been written by the Town Marshall, or Constable, or some such title no longer in use. This was before there was a formal NPD. It read, essentially, like this:
Received call that there was a nigger on the pier. Arrived and found subject. He was from a shrimp boat anchored nearby. Nigger was jumping off the boat, swimming to the pier, climbing up, then jumping off the pier and swimming back to the boat. Told nigger he couldn't do that, to stay off the pier. Went back to station. In a few minutes I received another call that the nigger was doing it again. Went back down there and found him on the pier. Shot same.
That was it. No addendum's. No further explanation. No nuttin'.
Of course, at the time, nothing further would have been necessary. It was another time in another world.
More tomorrow.
Sifting through the old stuff was as education. Most everything was written in the Blotter, a large bound book like those used in old-time hotels. The simplest of entries were used, complaint number, date, time, name, one-line description of the event, action taken. If further information was needed, you'd find an attached sheet of paper. This system was used until Chief Ben Caruthers, in the early 60's, upgraded to a modern records program.
Reading one of these attached reports--probably from the forties--we were taken up short. It had been written by the Town Marshall, or Constable, or some such title no longer in use. This was before there was a formal NPD. It read, essentially, like this:
Received call that there was a nigger on the pier. Arrived and found subject. He was from a shrimp boat anchored nearby. Nigger was jumping off the boat, swimming to the pier, climbing up, then jumping off the pier and swimming back to the boat. Told nigger he couldn't do that, to stay off the pier. Went back to station. In a few minutes I received another call that the nigger was doing it again. Went back down there and found him on the pier. Shot same.
That was it. No addendum's. No further explanation. No nuttin'.
Of course, at the time, nothing further would have been necessary. It was another time in another world.
More tomorrow.
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