As I’ve said before, cops are only human and as such they are susceptible to all of the same foibles, follies and bad behaviors as are the rest of us.
Have you ever had a few too many and behaved like a jerk? If you answered yes, you should be able to empathize with LAPD Officers Rice and Robinson.
Gideon L. Rice was on duty the morning of March 4, 1940 His shift had ended hours earlier but apparently his drinking had not. He called the station at 1:30 a.m. from his beat at 108th and Main Streets to let the powers that be know that he was still hard at work.
The ungrateful brass were not impressed with Rice’s dedication to duty, particularly since he was obviously shit-faced when he placed the call. The brass were further unimpressed when Officer Rice allegedly made an exhibition of himself in the public view in an 11th Street cafe.
I would love to know how Rice had made an exhibition of himself but, sadly, the newspaper didn’t go into detail.
Gideon felt that his dedication to the job should be rewarded. The fact that he’d been working while inebriated didn’t keep him from demanding to be paid overtime. Unfortunately the Police Commission did not agree with Rice and relived him of duty.
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On the same date that Officer Gideon’s contretemps made the news it was reported that Officer R.S. Robinson had gotten himself in to a booze related jam.
Apparently in his cups, Robinson had attempted to collect coins from the bottom of a wishing well in Chinatown. The tipsy officer drew a crowd, but he didn’t appreciate being the center of attention. He pulled his head out of the wishing well long enough to fire two shots from his revolver and then use it to strike a citizen over the head.
Officer Robinson was suspended for 30 days without pay.
ahhh…the glorious days before police unions became really powerful….last year in my hometown of Boston a half dozen cops fired because of failed random drug tests,which are mandated by their contract with the city,were rehired because the arbitrator ruled that hair follicle tests weren’t accurate enough….too much margin of error he said….this despite one female officer who openly admitted a cocaine habit going back before she joined the force,including several stints in rehab,and the officer that explained that the white powder found on his cruisers dashboard was powdered sugar from a donut (!)…all were reinstated with retroactive back pay…i have family in both law enforcement and the fire department,so i’m sympathetic to the 100 of each profession that are burdened with the one or two that aren’t fit to wear the uniform
I have friends in law enforcement that I’d trust with my life, but I know that there are bad apples and that they run the gamut from people who make
poor choices to stone felons — lucky for me I don’t think I know any of them.