“ONE RIOT, ONE RANGER”
“One riot, one ranger,” is a phrase made famous by Texas
Ranger Captain W.J. McDonald in the very early 1900’s.
McDonald was called upon by a Dallas mayor to stop a
forbidden prize fight and ease an angry mob. When stepping off the train by
himself, the puzzled mayor asked, “Where are the others?”
To
that McDonald replied, “Hell, ain’t I enough? There’s only one riot, isn’t
there?”
One of the most enduring phrases
associated with the Texas Rangers today is One Riot, One Ranger.
It is somewhat apocryphal in that
there was never actually a riot; rather, the phrase was coined by Ranger
Captain William “Bill” McDonald, who was sent to Dallas in 1896 to prevent the
illegal heavyweight prize fight between Pete Maher and Bob Fitzsimmons that had
been organized by Dan Stuart, and patronized by the eccentric "Hanging
Judge" Roy Bean.
According to the story,
McDonald's train was met by the mayor, who asked the single Ranger where the
other lawmen were. McDonald is said to have replied: "Hell! Ain't I
enough? There's only one prize-fight!” This phrase over time has been adapted
to become “only one riot”.
Although some measure of truth
lies within the tale, it is largely an idealized account written by author
Bigelow Paine and loosely based on McDonald's statements, published in Paine's
classic book Captain Bill McDonald: Texas Ranger in 1909.
In truth, the fight had been so
heavily publicized that nearly every Ranger was at hand, including all the
captains and their superior, Adjutant General Woodford H Mabry. Many of them
were not really sure whether to stop the fight or to attend it; and in fact,
other famous lawmen, such as Bat Masterson, were also present for the occasion.
The orders from the governor were clear, however, and the bout was stopped.
Stuart then tried to reorganize
it in El Paso and later in Langtry, but the Rangers followed and thwarted his
attempts. Finally, the fight took place on the Mexican side of the Rio Grande
near Langtry.
The motto appears on the pedestal
of the large bronze statue of a Texas Ranger in the Love Field airport in
Dallas.
TEXAS RANGERS
The Texas Ranger Division is a major
division within the Texas Department of Public Safety with lead criminal
investigative responsibility for the following: major incident crime
investigations, unsolved crime/serial crime investigations, public corruption
investigations, officer involved shooting investigations, and border security
operations.
The Texas Rangers are the main
investigative organization for the State of Texas.
Over the years, the Texas Rangers
have investigated crimes ranging from murder to political corruption, acted as
riot police and as detectives, protected the Governor of Texas, tracked down
fugitives, and functioned as a paramilitary force at the service of both the
Republic of Texas (1836-1845) and the state of Texas.
The Texas Ranger
Division is comprised of 216 full time employees; including 150 commissioned
Rangers and 66 support personnel; including administrative staff, Border
Security Operations Center, Joint Operations and Intelligence Centers, and the
Special Weapons and Tactics team.
The Texas Ranger
Division created a Special Operations Group to be tasked with the oversight of
the Special Weapons and Tactics team, Regional Special Response Teams (SRT’s),
Ranger Reconnaissance Team, Crisis Negotiations Unit, and the Explosive
Ordnance Disposal. The Texas Rangers currently coordinate border security
operations through six (6) Ranger Staff Lieutenants assigned to six (6) Joint
Operations and Intelligence Centers (JOICs) along the Texas-Mexico border and
Coastal Bend area of the state. In response to legislation, the Texas
Rangers created a Public Corruption Unit and an Unsolved Crimes Investigation
Program.
A look at the latest figures available
from the Texas Rangers shows that in 2010, a total of 3,717 investigations
resulted in 1,735 felony arrests, 193 misdemeanor arrests. The Texas
Rangers executed 404 search warrants and secured 4,544 statements, including
732 confessions to various crimes. Rangers recovered stolen property
valued at $559,429 and seized contraband valued at $537,087. There were 1,927
convictions for various crimes investigated that resulted in 2 death sentences,
79 life sentences and a total of 10,718 years in penitentiary time being
assessed. Rangers served 277 subpoenas and 479 warrants. Rangers conducted 12
hypnosis sessions on criminal investigations.
Ed. Note: I find the 12 hypnosis sessions on
criminal investigations to be quite interesting. I have made it a plan to look
into this aspect myself, and will report back as I get more information.
Hypnotists! Who would imagine?
Essentially, the Rangers are the statewide
investigative arm for Texas. Answering the call that the Governor sees fit,
they are called on to investigate and act on a wide variety of criminal issues.
Matters involving organized crime, public corruption, major violent felony
offenses- as an assisting unit in most cases, taking the lead in others when
necessary, the Texas Rangers are called on to perform a multitude of
tasks.
A lot like the television show, Walker- Texas
Ranger.
I found it very interesting to
note that there are 150 Rangers, spread out over 254 counties in Texas. That’s less than 1 Ranger per county!
Since 1935, the organization has
been a division of the Texas Department of Public Safety, fulfilling the role
of Texas’ State Bureau of Investigation.
The Texas Rangers' internal organization
still maintains the basic outlines that were set in 1935. The agency is divided
into seven companies: six District Companies lettered from "A" to
"F", and Headquarters Company "H".
The number of personnel is set by
the Texas Legislature; as of[update]
2010, the Texas Rangers number 144 commissioned officers, one forensic artist,
one fiscal analyst and 24 civilian support personnel.
The District Companies'
headquarters are distributed in six geographical locations throughout the 254
counties of Texas.
Modern-day Rangers (as well as
their predecessors) do not have a prescribed uniform, per se, although the
State of Texas does provide guidelines as to appropriate Ranger attire,
including a requirement that Rangers wear clothing that is western in nature.
The wearing of badges became more
common in the late 1800s. Historians have put forth several reasons for the
lack of the regular use of a badge; among them, some Rangers felt a shiny badge
was a tempting target. Other historians have speculated there was no real need
to show a badge to a hostile outlaw. Additionally, from a historical viewpoint,
a Ranger's pay was so scanty that the money required for such fancy
accoutrements was rarely available. Nevertheless, some Rangers did wear badges,
and the first of these appeared around 1875. They were locally made and varied
considerably from one to another, but they invariably represented a star cut
from a Mexican silver coin (usually a five-peso coin). The design is
reminiscent of Texas's Lone Star flag.
Although present-day Rangers wear
the familiar "star in a wheel" badge, it was adopted officially only
recently. The current design of the Rangers' badge was incorporated in 1962,
when Ranger Hardy L. Purvis and his mother donated enough Mexican five-peso
coins to the DPS to provide badges for all 62 Rangers who were working at that
time as commissioned officers.
A Texas Ranger is equivalent in
rank to a Sergeant in the Texas Department of Public Safety. In fact all
Rangers have been “promoted” from the DPS to the Ranger position. Rangers and the next rank, Lieutenant, have
silver badges. Captains and above (Major) have gold.
INTERESTING WEB SITE
For more information about the Texas Rangers, visit the
Texas Ranger museum web site at:
POWER OF POSITIVE THINKING OR HOW TO SPIN IT
Doing some research on the Texas Rangers, as noted above, I
came across and interesting statistic. I
had believed I knew the information, but was looking to verify it (trust but
verify!).
A complement of 150 Rangers spread out over 254 counties
means each Ranger is responsible for roughly one and a half counties. Most times they are not the lead
investigators but assist the local agency by providing knowledge, technique and
experience. Sometimes, based on the investigation, they do in fact take over
the lead.
That seemed a little familiar to me.
I have used this as a positive point. Detectives being the
competitive nature that they are never like to hear that someone or some unit
is better than them.
Here’s the spin I’ve taken from this.
The detectives in New York City are the Greatest Detectives
In The World. Right? We have it emblazoned throughout our agency.
Certainly the Texas Rangers are not any better. We’re the
Greatest.
If I field a team of two detectives to cover half of a
borough (county), and the Texas Rangers field one detective to cover one and a
half counties, then do the math.
I figure we have 200% more manpower than the Texas
Rangers. So as a team of two, you are
ahead of the game. Quit bellyaching and solve some crimes.
Go figure.
ARMED POLICE- IN LONDON?
London’s police are famous the world over for not carrying
guns, but that doesn’t mean that they’ve never been armed.
For more than half the Metropolitan Police of London’s (the
Met) history, officers carried cutlasses and swords.
Back in 1829, the Met swords had a 33-inch sweeping blade.
By design they were an extremely effective slashing saber, as used by the
British Light Dragoons and Hussars in the Battle of Waterloo. These were first
distributed to the Bow Street Horse Patrol and later adopted across the
burgeoning police service. They were used until 1868 when a new sword was
designed; it was the same weapon that was carried by the Light Cavalry at the
Battle of Waterloo.
There is very little record of officers inflicting injuries
with their weapons, not least because they would probably be sacked if they
did.
Unbeknown to most criminals, it was also normal for the
blades to be kept blunt.
The Met swords were for use in public order situations, but
also in “solitary and exposed
situations where (constables) were at such a distance from
each other to preclude a ready
mutual support by springing the rattle” (rattles were used
before whistles were introduced in 1865).
According to police orders from 12 January 1832: “The
police constable will be given to
understand distinctly that the sword is put into his hand
merely as a defensive weapon in case his life should be in danger and if he shall
use or even draw it for any less weighty cause, he shall be called to strict
account and probably dismissed.”
But it wasn’t just because there was a calmer attitude to
blades in those days. London was a
dangerous place 170 years ago.
According to a report about “H” Division in 1840: “There
were plague spots where herded together the vilest and lowest of the criminal
fraternity, men, women and children could be found. The police did their best,
but there were places where, if an officer dared to walk alone, he carried his
life in his hands and where double patrols were the merest precaution. Far into
the night pandemonium reigned. Street fights in which belts, knives and
bludgeons were used were no uncommon occurrence. Time and time again police
were assaulted.”
In 1885 the Met started to cut back on the number of
cutlasses used – 4,713 were scrapped and 728 were left on Division. Swords were
last used operationally in 1910 and were officially withdrawn from use for most
ranks in 1928. Some senior officers can still get them for ceremonial purposes.
(Reprinted with thanks to Neil Paterson, manager of the Met
Historical Collection, and found in the November-December 2011 issue of The Met
publication.)
DIRT CARTS: 1846 RULES AND REGULATIONS
My, how the streets of New York
City have changed!
A look through the 1846 Rules
& Procedures for the New York City Police Department finds a passage on the
regulation of “dirt carts”. These were
not the motorized go-karts you used to find teens using in the trails inside
parks; these refer to the actual wagons that cart dirt.
It is noted in the procedures that
a police officer “must arrest any person they may see driving, for hire or wages, any
cart for the transportation of earth, sand, gravel or clay, unless said person
shall have been specially licensed a Dirt Cartman, or unless the owner of the
cart shall have a license, from the Mayor, to have the same driven; and
must also arrest every person who shall drive
or lead or have charge of any horse before a Dirt Cart, which shall be
going or standing in any street, lane, avenue or public place, without having a tight box fitted thereto” allowing
the dirt or gravel to be kept inside the cart.
A “Dirt Cartman” license. Who would have thought?
1960 DEPARTMENT SALARY CHART
Chief Inspector (Chief of
Department) $20,124
Chief of Detectives $13,664
C.O. Det Bureau (Inspector)
$10,806
Lt- CDS – 47 of them – $8106-$8395
Sgt – SDS- 107 of them-
$7505-$7794
Det First Grade – 269 –
$7505-$7794
Det Second Grade- 450 –
$6692-$6981
Det Third Grade – 1762- $6324
“LEST WE FORGET”… NYPD Memorial
“It is not how they died that makes them a hero, but how
they lived their lives”.
January 22, 1971 Ptl
Robert Bolden, 75 Pct, Shot-off duty altercation
January 23, 1934 Ptl
Joseph Misichia, 114 Pct, Shot-arrest
January 23, 1943 Ptl
Pasquale Venturelli, 45 Pct, Auto accident on patrol
January 23, 1987 PO
Michael Reidy, 41 Pct, Shot-off duty robbery
January 24, 1967 Ptl
John Barry, PA, Line of duty heart attack
January 24, 1975 Ptl
John Scala, ApplicInv, Shot-off duty robbery
January 25, 1994 PO
Nicholas DeMatiis, 106 Pct, Auto pursuit
January 27, 1908 Ptl
John Loughman, 15 Pct, Shot-off duty incident
January 27, 1938 Ptl
Edward Roos, 8 Sqd, Auto accident on patrol
January 27, 1943 Ptl
Angelo Dimuro, 1 Pct, Line of duty incident
January 27, 1972 Ptl
Gregory Foster, 9 Pct, Shot-assassination
January 27, 1972 Ptl
Rocco Laurie, 9 Pct, Shot-assassination
January 28, 1938 Sgt
David Kilpatrick, 40 Pct, Shot-robbery in progress
January 28, 1980 PO
Cecil Sledge, 69 Pct, Shot-car stop
January 30, 1930 Ptl
Maurice O’Brien, 28 Pct, Shot-arrest
January 30, 1956 Ptl
Benny Bruno, GCP Pct, Auto pursuit
January 31, 1901 Ptl Thomas
Fitzpatrick, 29 Pct, Explosion-rescue
January 31, 1901 Ptl
Edward Mullin, 29 Pct, Explosion-rescue
January 31, 1927 Ptl
James Masterson, 18 Div, Shot-robbery in progress
January 31, 1928 Ptl
Patrick Fahey, Traffic C, Fall from horse
January 31, 1928 Ptl
William Kelly, 37 Pct, Shot-robbery in progress
January 31, 1931 Ptl
Harold Conway, 27 Pct, Drowned
January 31, 1959 Ptl
Michael Talkowsky, 23 Pct, Shot-robbery
January 31, 1968 Ptl
Stephen DellAquila, Safety B, Scooter accident on patrol
January 31, 1984 PO
Angelo Brown, 84 Pct, Shot-robbery, off duty
January 31, 1992 PO
Hilario Serrano, 43 Pct, Shot-robbery, off duty
January 31, 2004 Sgt
Keith Ferguson, ESS7, LOD Heart attack
It is noted that the eleven line of duty deaths recorded on
January 31 represented the date with the most line of duty deaths for members
of this department prior to the 9-11 attack.
