The Friend

Twenty-five speaking Sergeant Waters. Who's dead? Who? But he was killed? How? Where is it? Where? What's the address? You are by transcription in the mushroom of the twenty-first precinct, the nerve center. A call is coming through.

You will follow the action taken pursuant to that call from this minute until the final report is written in the one-twenty-four room at the twenty-first precinct. All right, just stay right way out. The office will be right there. Yes right away They'll take care of it Yeah, right away 21st Precinct. It's just lines on a map of the City of New York

Most of the 173,000 people waded into the nine tenths of the square mile between Fifth Avenue and the East River Wouldn't know if you asked them that they lived or worked in the 21st Whether they know it or not the security of their homes, their persons and their property is the job of the men of the 21st Precise.

The 21st, 160 patrolmen, 11th Sergeant and 4 Lieutenant, of whom I'm the boss. My name is Cronan, Vincent P. Cronan. I am Captain in command of the 21st. I was doing day duty 8am to 6pm.

When I arrived at the station house, I signed the blotter, read over the reports and communications that had accumulated since I went off duty 24 hours previously. sharply at eight, I walked into the master room, turned out to platoon for the day to us. As the men marched out the door to take over their post, Sergeant Rosen, the patrol

sergeant indicated he wanted a semi. I came around from behind the desk where Lieutenant Norman was desk officer, and Sergeant Waters was on telephone switchboard duty. Across to my office where Sergeant Rosen was waiting inside. Sergeant, I was a pretty sloppy turn out. Was it Kevin? You know it was. Now I want the men turned out in the military