The story you are about to hear is true.
The names have been changed to protect the innocent.
You're a detective sergeant. You're assigned a robbery detail.
A pair of bandits are staging a rapid-fire campaign of holdups in your city.
In 21 days, 11 food markets have been robbed.
The holdups go on.
The suspects are still unidentified.
Your job? Get them.
The documented drama of an actual crime.
For the next 30 minutes in cooperation with the Los Angeles Police Department,
you will travel step-by-step on the side of the law through an actual case
transcribed from official police files.
From beginning to end, from crime to punishment,
Dragnet is the story of your police force in action.
It was Tuesday, September 26th. It was hot in Los Angeles. We were working the day watch out of
robbery detail. My partner is Ben Romero, the boss is Captain Didion. My name is Friday.
It was 9.18 a.m. when I got to the record bureau, Lieutenant Cunningham's office.
Joe, what's doing?
Oh, not too much. I've got a job you can do for us, Frank. I'd like to have it as soon as you can get it out.
Oh, what's it about?
Oh, these market bandits. We've already gotten out a dozen teletypes and bulletins on them.
I'd like to get out some mimeographs too, if we can.
General distribution, huh? What do you want on them?
Well, I'd better lay out the whole thing for you.
A lot of the copies are going to the retail grocers association, all their members.
No luck with those two thieves so far?
No. I know closer than we were three weeks ago. Figure this ought to plug another loophole.
How many copies you figure you want on this? About a thousand?
Yeah, that's fine. That ought to do it.
All right. Okay, now what do you want to go on it, Joe?
Well, you better lead off with the first job they pulled. That was on the third of this month.
Makes it a little better than three weeks now. They hit a supermarket out on Pico.
Okay.
Got it?
Ever since, they've averaged about three jobs a week. We know they're hitting nothing but supermarkets.
All of them on main thoroughfares, no small neighborhood stuff.
You got it.
So far, they've confined their operations to the 77th Street Division in the county territories,
generally the south end of town.
They're two men, and they got a pretty well-established M.O.
Well-established M.O., okay.
They're hitting in the morning hours, usually from the time the markets open up until around noontime.
They use a stolen car. 95% of the time, a car stolen from the industrial area.
Cars they steal for the jobs are always either a Pontiac or an Ash.
We also know they're dropping the stolen cars within a short radius of the hold-up scene,
about a half a dozen blocks or so.
In some instances, they use a second automobile or public transportation, some kind of bus or streetcar,
you know, to make their getaway after they drop the stolen car.
Just a minute, Joe.
I'm sorry. Going a little fast, huh?
Yeah. Okay, I got it.
Okay. Well, let's see.
All right, go ahead now.
They usually pull up and park directly in front of the market that they're going to hold up.
One of the men always remains in the car behind the wheel. Apparently, it's always the same man.
Hmm, he has a description.
Meager. We know his good size, M.W.A., fairly large build.
Here's about the best description we've been able to piece together on the second man,
picked up a little bit from each victim.
Hmm.
Uh, second man described his M.W.A. also, about five foot eight inches, medium build,
155 to 160 pounds, always wears a hat, round suit, rough material of some kind, maybe tweed.
Want to smoke, Frank?
Huh? Smoke? Oh, no, no.
All right.
Uh, when he enters the market for the hold-up, the second man always holds a white handkerchief,
holds a white handkerchief to his face as if he's wiping his eyes,
keeps most of his face covered with it during the robbery.
He's armed with a nickel-plated revolver, possibly.38 caliber.
We know the jobs are well-cased because in almost every instance,
the suspect goes directly to the manager of the market.
Goes directly to the manager, huh?
He hands the manager a brown paper sack, tells him to put the money in it, and then he takes off.
So far, he's never attempted any rough stuff, no gunplay.
On three occasions, when the suspects got only small amounts of money at one market,
they hit again in 15 or 20 minutes at another store in the same general area.
They never make any attempt to disguise or conceal a license number on the getaway car.
As I say, they always abandon the car a short distance from the hold-up scene.
Yeah, I see, uh...
Okay, I got it.
Well, that's about all of it, Frank. I guess you can boil that down into some kind of shape, huh?
Yeah, okay. I'll have it typed up in the form.
I'll get you a copy before we make the run and see if it's okay with you.
Fine, thanks.
It's not going so good, huh?
No, it isn't, Frank. Pretty slow.
I've been on top of the thing for a couple of weeks now. We're still looking for some kind of a break.
I understand Glenn Chandler from your office took off for some fishing down in Mexico, huh?
Yeah.
He's not doing bad from out here. I got a card from him yesterday. He's down by Keno Bay.
He put the bite on me to send him a dozen mutton plugs.
Yeah. The fish must be hitting pretty good down there.
That's what he says, yeah.
Those big brown sea bass, especially, I wouldn't mind getting in a couple of days down there myself.
Excuse me.
Record Bureau, Cunningham.
Yes, a minute. You, Joe.
Thanks, Frank.
Yeah.
Oh, yeah, Ben.
Glenn.
Am I right?
Yeah, okay. Right away. Yeah, fine.
Check that for me later, Frank. Might be a little change.
What's the matter?
Market bandits. They hit again.
9.38 a.m.
Ben and I got in the car and drove to the scene of the bandits' latest holdup,
a new supermarket out on Slawson near the intersection of South Broadway.
After interviewing the manager of the store and all available witnesses to the robbery,
there wasn't much doubt about the identity of the suspects.
The description and MO fitted perfectly with that of the two men who'd been staging a whirlwind campaign
of market robberies throughout the south end of the city for the past three weeks.
The approach and execution of the holdup was the same in every detail,
even to the stolen car they'd used, which was found abandoned a short distance from the robbery scene.
There was only one deviation, and it was the first break we'd had in the case since it started.
A woman customer at the market, a Mrs. Thomas Swanson, saw the holdup man as he left the store and ran to the getaway car.
She told us that the car door apparently stuck when he tried to pull it open,
and that he took away the handkerchief which he'd held to his face in order to pull the door open with both hands.
During those few seconds, she got a good look at him.
After taking the crime report and making our preliminary investigation, we brought Mrs. Swanson downtown.
We had her check through mug books of all recent parolees from the state penitentiary, all ex-convicts with robbery records.
After a couple of hours of checking mug shots, she couldn't seem to make positive identification.
I'm very sorry, officer. It just gets a little confusing after a while looking at all these pictures.
I did get a good look at the man's face. I just can't settle on one of these pictures, so...
Well, from what you did see of Mrs. Swanson, the lower part of the man's face especially,
can you find a good likeness in any of these?
Well, yes, I can find good likenesses for some of his features, but none of them are all together in any one of these pictures here.
Like the mouth and chin on this man here.
Yes, ma'am. Is that pretty close?
Most exactly, I'd say. And then the nose on this one here, it's the very same.
I just haven't seen any picture that fits them all together. You know what I mean, don't you?
Yes, ma'am, I understand. Now, these five pictures here that you've picked out,
you pretty much say that they incorporate all the features of the man that you saw getting in that crime?
That's right, officer. This man here, and this one too, I'd say the lower part of his face was exactly like that.
The small mouth and the stache just like that, and the chin pointed like on this man.
And then the upper part of his face, would you say it resembles these others here?
Yes. These three here, just the upper part. You see, around the eyes, the forehead. I'd say that was very close.
Mm-hmm.
Now, just put the two sets of pictures together, I think you'd have the man perfectly.
Sorry, I can't be more help to you, as I say, looking at all these books of pictures. It gets a little confusing.
Well, you've given us quite a bit of help, ma'am. Thank you very much.
Not at all. Is there anything else?
No, thank you. No, right now, we've got your address and telephone. We'll probably be contacting you in a day or two.
If you'd like to wait right here, we'll make arrangements to have one of the officers drive you back to your home, all right?
All right. Thank you very much.
You're welcome. Goodbye, ma'am. We'll be talking to you.
Okay, you have to bye, officer.
What do you think, Joe?
Well, it's more than we had yesterday. Her description's the best we've got on the guy so far.
How about getting a composite picture made up from the mug shots you picked out?
That's what I was thinking. You want to duck in and get somebody to drive Miss Swanson home, I want to go in here in the captain's office, Phil.
Yeah, okay.
Thanks, man.
How'd you make that?
Well, could have been worse, Captain.
Women find anything in the mug books?
No positive identification. She picked out five of them she thought were close.
I think maybe put off over at the crime lab, I ought to be able to make up a pretty good composite from them.
Mm-hmm. She's fairly positive about the man's description.
Yeah, seems to have a clear idea. Good composite ought to help us quite a bit.
You get this new description that Mimmi Gref you're having made up?
No, not yet. I'm going to see Frank about it in a minute.
Hi, Skipper.
Ben.
Got a hold of Jess Gonzalez, Joe. He's going to drive Miss Swanson home.
Fine. Did you ask him if he checked on that last run we made through the stats office?
Yeah, he picked it up. He and Frank Estrada are going to start checking the names this morning.
It's not much of a list. I'm pretty well picked over already.
So, all you got from the witnesses out there this morning? Description from this Miss Swanson?
Yeah, it's about it. Rest of it was their usual M.O.
Swanson woman was the only one who got a good look at the guy when he took the handkerchief away from his face.
How about the getaway car, they found?
Same as the others. Leighton Prince checked it over. It's clean.
Well, two thieves had their share of luck when we get eyes.
How about Metro Division, Captain? Can we get any help out there?
What do you got in mind?
Well, we know the take that the two thieves got in that job this morning was pretty small for them, $340.
From their M.O. in the past, we know whenever they get a small take on a job, they usually hit another place fast.
They work in a fairly concentrated area down the south end. They only go after big markets on the main thoroughfares.
Well, I was thinking if we could get some help from Metro, put maybe 15 or 20 crews down in the area for the next couple of days, might stand a good chance of grabbing them.
We were talking to Dick Tiernan over at the Sheriff's office, Kipper. He says he could put some of his men down in that area, too.
Cover the county on the fringes, the territory around there. What do you think?
I'm fine. If I can get Stevens at Metro right now, set it up. Figure about 20 crews, is that right?
Just about, yeah. With any kind of luck at all, we ought to land them.
Sure worth a try.
Lieutenant Stevens, please.
Yeah, Joe, this is Harry Didion.
Fine, fine. We've got a little stakeout problem here. How about using some of your men?
About 30.
All right, I'll settle for 25.
Okay?
Yeah.
South end of town. No market bandage.
Fine, would you have them report here at Ravie, 7 o'clock tomorrow morning?
All right. Thanks a lot.
It's all set. You've got 25 men, 7 o'clock tomorrow morning.
Okay, Scabber.
We'll give you a dozen teams to start with, and the dollars and the strata are one more.
How many do you figure working from the sheriff's office?
About four or five teams, I imagine.
All right, it's your operation. You two will be in charge on our end. You run the show, you brief the men. If you need anything, call me.
Right.
How about the overall plan, Skipper? You got any special ideas on it?
Just one.
Yeah?
Get them.
1 18 p.m. We got the revised description of one of the holdup men into Lieutenant Frank Cunningham at the record bureau.
He told us a thousand copies of the special mimeograph form containing all available information on the two market bandits would be ready for us that night.
We met with Sergeant Puttoff, the artist at the crime lab, and he went to work making up a composite picture of one of the suspects from the mugshot selected by the robbery witness, Mrs. Swanson.
When the picture was completed, we had Mrs. Swanson check it for similarity to the actual holdup man, and then we brought it back to the record bureau where a thousand copies were made of it.
The pictures, along with the mimeograph forms, were sent immediately to the retail grocers association for distribution to all market operators throughout the city.
Additional copies of the picture and the information sheet were given to each man who was to work the stakeout when we met in the squad room at seven o'clock the next morning.
Besides the men from Metropolitan Division and the men from robbery who were going to work with us,
Lieutenant Dick Ternan and Sergeant Dave Terry from the sheriff's office were also there for the briefing.
Well, briefly, that's a rundown on the two suspects and the M.O. they follow.
It's the same information and description on them you'll find in those mimeo forms we handed out.
Joe, you want to take over and give them their assignment?
Yeah.
Well, if you'll just take a look at this pinup map here for a minute, I'll try and brief you on how the stakeout's going to go, the way we got it figured anyway.
We've worked out a plan we think ought to be the easiest and the best way to work it.
If any of you have any suggestions as we go along, we'd sure like to have them.
All right. Now, as you can see from the map here, the stakeout area is in the south end.
It runs from, can you all see it from there?
Yeah.
It runs from Santa Fe Avenue over here on the east to Vermont Avenue on the west, running north and south.
Now, we'll have to cover from Santa Barbara Avenue on the north down to Manchester.
That'll be the southern boundary right there. That's the area the thieves have been working.
And we're going to have 14 of our own crews covering that area.
And Dick Tiernan and Dave Terry from the sheriff's office will have their men covering adjoining county territory.
All right.
Now, we've broken the map down into equal units, as you can see here.
Each unit will be covered by one car, and each of you will be assigned a unit number.
Romero and myself will be in 80K. We'll have a roving unit. We'll cover the entire area.
You'll have three-way radios in your car, so you'll be able to contact us directly if you have to.
Now, if you'll check the map again, you can see these green pins we've placed here.
Each one of them represents a market robbery.
Now, notice that every one of them is on a main thoroughfare.
Manchester, South Broadway, Vernon, South Hoover.
I don't have to tell you that that's where you'll have to keep a sharp watch on the main street.
Each of the individual units here on the map will be covered by one car, as I said.
Each one's roughly nine blocks square. Now, you'll be responsible for the area assigned to you.
We haven't got too much time, so before we go down the list to assign the areas, have you got any questions?
Any questions at all?
Yeah. Suppose there's a 211 call in somebody else's area.
I mean, other than the one you're assigned to. Do we leave our area and head over there?
No, Jess. I meant to bring that up.
If there's a robbery call in somebody else's area, stay put, till you get a call to lend a hand.
Anything else?
Yeah. How about the managers of these markets? They've been briefed on a stakeout.
They know we're going to be covering the area.
Yeah. They've all been alerted. Now, in case of a holdup, they might try to contact you directly.
They'll be looking for you. You'll be looking for them.
That it, Bob? That covers for you.
Well, yeah. I'm just wondering about this number two suspect. The one who drives the getaway car?
Yeah.
Well, it says here on the dope sheet, number one suspect carries a nickel-plated revolver.
Now, how about number two? He carry a gun?
Well, I wish I could answer that. We don't know. All the information we got on him is on the sheet right there.
I see. Well, they never try any rough stuff anyway, do they? No gunplay. They never hurt anyone.
No, not yet. Don't let them make you the first.
7.30 a.m. We finished handing out the assignments and the men left to take up their stakeout positions in the south end of the city.
Two men to a team, each team in a three-way radio car, each car to patrol a designated nine-square block unit.
There were 20 such units within the frame of the overall stakeout area.
At the same time, cruiser cars from the sheriff's office operating on their own radio setup began patrolling the fringe positions which fell in county territory.
Through Control One at our communications division, we kept in continual contact with them.
8 a.m. All the cars were in position, each of them patrolling their individual nine-square block unit.
The first two hours passed. No reports, no sign of the market bandits.
Between 10 a.m. and noon, half a dozen possible suspects were stopped and questioned by different teams and then brought to the 77th Street Division for processing.
All of them were eliminated.
The afternoon of the first day went pretty much the same.
We had shakedowns on four parked cars in the area and more shakedowns on possible suspects. Nothing materialized.
The next morning, Ben and I along with the other 32 men in the stakeout picked up where we left off.
Again, no sign of the suspects, no reports.
The morning of the third day, the stakeout detail met in the squad room as usual and then left to take up their regular assigned positions.
7.35 a.m.
How about it, Joe? You ready to go?
Yeah, just a minute.
Okay, let's go.
I'll get it.
Robbery Friday.
Yeah.
Where?
When was that?
Yeah, right away.
Oh, come on, we gotta hurry.
What is it?
Market bandits. Maybe we got them.
7.50 a.m.
Ben and I arrived at the intersection of 58th and San Pedro streets.
Two of our stakeout cruiser cars were pulled up at the southwest corner.
One of the teams was Jess Gonzalez and his partner, Frank Estrada.
Gonzalez briefed us on what had happened.
He was the owner of the supermarket down the block in San Pedro.
He was walking from his house to the store and he passed the corner here about 7.35 a.m.
Had $340 on him.
Probably yesterday's receipts from the store.
They got him right up the street there, took every dollar of it.
You sure it was the market, Ben?
M.O. description, they check out all the way.
We had two teams on it as soon as we got the word, located the holdup car a minute ago.
Where is it?
Down in Avalon Boulevard.
How about the sleeves, Jess?
Car was empty, no trace of them.
Saturday, 8.05 a.m.
The latest victim of the market bandits, the owner of the supermarket on San Pedro street,
was taken to the 77th Street Division where the crime report was made.
He told us that one of the men who robbed him bore a very close resemblance to the composite picture
which we'd had drawn up of one of the suspects.
We figured we missed grabbing the holdup men by a matter of minutes.
Even though some of our units were in the general area at the time of the robbery, it did little good.
The victim had delayed reporting the holdup for a full five minutes because the bandits had threatened to find him and kill him if he did.
Despite the fact that they'd changed their M.O. to the extent of robbing the store owner on the street
instead of in the market proper, we had no doubt that the same two men we were looking for had committed the holdup.
The abandoned car which they'd used in the robbery was gone over for fingerprints, but it was clean.
Meantime, the stakeout went on.
Saturday passed. Sunday, Monday, nothing.
No leads on the suspects, not a trace of them.
Tuesday, the same thing all over again.
The operation settled down to a dull routine.
Tuesday night, we checked the closing of the last market in our stakeout area.
Ten forty-five p.m. Ben and I drove back to the 77th Street Division.
Every day seems to get a little longer. These lousy stakeouts here don't wear very well on me.
Yeah, I don't know what the set-up's gonna be if we don't get a break pretty soon. We can't hang on to the gang for Metro Division forever.
Joy has been a bad month. All I need now is a visit from the in-laws.
Yeah, and do it up fine.
You talked to Jess at dinner, didn't you?
Yeah.
What'd he say about those two men they picked up on South Main this afternoon?
They brought them in for processing, checked them out, couldn't find anything wrong. Both of them clean.
Go ahead.
How about grabbing something to eat after we check out, huh?
Okay.
Wanna stop by Johnny Cokin's?
What about a French dip sandwich? How's that sound? Haven't had one for a long time.
All right, suits me.
How was that?
Oh, sorry, I don't.
Oh, wait a minute, he just came in. It's for you, Friday. Turn in from the sheriff's office.
Oh, yeah, thanks, Bob.
Friday talking.
Yeah, Dick.
Just now?
Mm-hmm.
Yeah, we'll be over right away.
You got anything?
Market bandits pulled a holdup a couple of minutes ago in a store on Graham Avenue.
It's out in county territory.
Yeah?
One of the sheriff's units took the call, chased the holdup car two miles.
They get the things?
Well, you're half right.
Huh?
I got one of them.
Ten-fifty-two p.m. Ben and I drove to the sheriff's Firestone substation where the market bandit suspect was taken after his apprehension.
When we got there, we talked to Deputy Sheriff Sergeant Eddie Jones and Mel Viney, who had made the arrest.
They said they arrived at the scene of the holdup, the market, on Graham Avenue,
a few moments after the bandits pulled away in their stolen Nash sedan.
Jones and Viney gave chase, but when they finally forced the holdup car to a halt,
the driver was the only one in the car.
Somewhere along the route of the two-mile chase, the second robbery suspect had succeeded in jumping out,
along with the loot taken in the robbery and making good his escape.
A broadcast and a bulletin was gotten out immediately.
The holdup suspect they'd apprehended had been fingerprinted,
and they were checking on his identification downtown.
Ben and I went in to talk to him.
Jones and Viney stood by while we questioned him.
I still don't know what it's all about.
Property clerk will give you an itemizer receipt for everything you have on you.
Take everything out of your wallet now. Put it out on the table.
You're making a pretty big thing out of nothing, aren't you?
I haven't done anything.
You want to check those things from his wallet, Ben, the cards, some of those papers?
Yeah.
Is this your true name on this card here, Grant B. Jameson? Am I right?
That's right.
Is this your present address?
Yeah.
You ever been arrested before?
No.
Why do you ask that?
It's not going to take too much time to find out. You might as well tell us.
We still don't know what this is all about.
I was speeding a little. That's all. I haven't done anything.
No, you're kidding yourself, Jameson. We got everything on you that we need.
What do you think you're going to gain by stalling us?
You must have me mixed up with somebody else.
I don't know what you're getting at.
This card here you took out of your wallet, do you recognize it?
Why?
These names and addresses you've got jotted down on the back of it. Mind checking them out for her?
I don't know what you mean.
Take a look. These here. Whose addresses are they? Who are the people?
Let's see. No, I don't think I even remember them. Just something I scribbled down, that's all.
You don't even remember one of them?
No, I don't think so. Why do you ask?
Why don't you come off it, mister?
What are you talking about?
You know what we're talking about. You know it as well as you know your own name.
Fourteen robberies down here in 28 days. You were picked up in the holdup car after the last try tonight.
Your partner gets away. Now you go right on kidding yourself, Jameson. Play it real close. You'll see how far it gets you.
I sure wish I knew what you were talking about. I don't know the thing about any robberies.
All right, then you stand by, mister. You're going to know a lot more about him. You're going to know a lot in a hurry.
Yeah?
Just as soon as we pick up your partner.
Twelve twenty a.m. We continued to question the suspect, Grant Jameson, but he refused to admit anything.
Even the fact that he'd stolen the car that he'd been apprehended in.
The only strong lead we could pick up from the articles found on his person was the list of four names and addresses jotted on the back of a card found on his wallet.
Twelve thirty a.m. Ben and I left the substation and drove to the address Jameson had told us was his present residence, an apartment house on Vernon Avenue.
The manager told us he'd moved at least a year ago without leaving a forwarding address.
One a.m. We began checking out the list of four names and addresses which we'd found in the suspect's wallet.
The first was a Jack Williams. His address a Spring Street Roaming House.
The landlady told us he'd moved to Cleveland, Ohio three months before.
The second was a John Gallagher. His address a third rate hotel in East Hollywood.
He hadn't been registered there in the past two months.
The third was a Matthew Sanford. His address turned out to be an apartment house in the Crenshaw district.
One of the place the light on the mailbox is over here Joe.
Yeah. Here you go.
You see the name there?
Yeah. Here it is. M.L. Sanford. That ought to be it. Apartment five.
All right. Let's try it.
Front door open.
Let's see.
Yeah. Let's go.
Number five. Should be done this way I guess.
Number five.
Okay. Let's give it a try.
Clint.
That you?
The police officers. You Matthew Sanford?
Get out of here. Get out.
All right. Come on.
Drop the gun down. Drop it.
I got it Joe.
All right. Get your hands out. I'll cover him.
Look around huh?
All right.
What is this anyway? What's the idea?
You tell us. You pulled the gun.
You got no business in here. You got no right.
All right. You just stand still. I'll explain it downtown.
Money sacks Joe. Found them in the desk. Same market they hit tonight.
All right Sanford. You got nothing from me. I don't know what you're talking about.
Get his coat will you Ben?
Yeah.
What are you trying to build anyway? You haven't got anything on me?
Fourteen robberies mister. That's what we got on you.
You think you got proof?
We got it.
Yeah?
Fourteen victims. Come on. Let's go.
The story you have just heard was true.
The names were changed to protect the innocent.
The two market bandit suspects Grant Burton Jamison and Matthew Roy Sanford were tried and convicted on 14 counts of first degree robbery and received sentences as prescribed by law.
First degree robbery is punishable by imprisonment in the state penitentiary from five years to life.
You have just heard Dragnet. A series of authentic cases from official files.
Technical advice comes from the office of chief of police W.H. Parker, Los Angeles Police Department.