Jenkins/McGurl/Kelly Transcript
This written transcript was provided by the Town Counsel Office after a Mass Public Documents Law request was submitted. The format of the text has been altered via the addition of line breaks whenever the speaking party changes. Any comments in brackets are not from the supplied transcript.
[Introductory Notes -
Disp = Dispatcher
"39" = come to the police station
Lt Diozzi = Lieutenant Diozzi = "Front Desk" is his normal radio callsign
Sector 1 and Sector 2 are the normal radio designations for the patrol cars in East Arlington
freq = radio frequency = radio channel]
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104 Bay State Road - Radio and Telephone Transmissions - August 27, 1997
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22:25 - [Telephone]
Disp - Arlington Police
Caller - Yeah, this is Mister Madigan, 104 Bay State Road. The neighbor just said that they had a kid looking in the windows here, ran through the yard. We still have a red car out in front here. I'm at 104 Bay State Road, corner of Bay State and Putnam. Yeah, big kid, white tee shirt, they said...I don't know, I'm out looking around now.
Disp - Who said?
Madigan - My neighbor.
Disp - Where does neighbor live?
Madigan - Tina Noyes called, right across the street. She called me, woke me up, said someone looking in the window, someone's around there.
Disp - There's a red truck outside?
Madigan - No, I've got a car here...it's not going nowhere. I've got the plate and everything.
Disp - What's plate number?
Madigan - 331 XEA, red Toyota Tercel.
Disp - OK...nobody you know?
Madigan - No, I'll run it, I'm a Chief up in Natick.
Disp - OK, we'll get down there.
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22:26 - [Police Radio]
Disp Justice - Sector 2
Kelly - 2
Disp - and Sector 1
McGurl - Sector 1
Disp Justice - I just got a call from a gentleman at 104 Bay State Road...104 Bay State Road. He said a neighbor across the street just called him and said there was someone looking in his window. Big man with red shirt. He has the plate number of a car outside the house. I'm going to run that now, but 104 Bay State Road.
Kelly - 2 has it
McGurl - 1 has it
22:31 - [Police Radio]
Disp Justice - That plate the gentleman gave me comes back to a 94 Toyota Camry, color green, name [name deleted] from out of Chelmsford.
Kelly - 2 to Control...Can you give me that plate again, who it comes back to.
Disp Justice - OK, that comes back to a 94 Toyota Camry, color green, 331 XEA apple.
Kelly - Could you run that last letter as an H hotel?
Disp - OK, we'll try it with an H.
22:33 - [Police Radio]
Disp Sweeney - 2, do you need that listing?
Kelly - roger
Disp Sweeney - Stand by
22:35 - [Police Radio]
Disp Sweeney - Sector 2, on that plate - no information at this time.
22:53 - [Police Radio]
Lt Diozzi - Control to 352
Kelly - go ahead
Are you clear or are you conducting an area search?
Kelly - Yeah, I'm still in the neighborhood.
Diozzi - OK, when you are clear, can you either call me or 39?
Kelly - Ah roger
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22:54 - [Telephone]
Disp Sweeney - Arlington Police Dispatcher Sweeney
Kelly - Sween, what's up?
Disp Sweeney - Hold on
txfrs to LT [call is transfered to Lt Diozzi]
Lt Diozzi - Danny, are you, ah, by yourself?
Kelly - No, Jennifer is down here.
Lt Diozzi - Huh?
Kelly - Jennifer's down here.
Lt Diozzi - OK, where are you?
Kelly - 104 Bay State Road
Lt Diozzi - Are you calling me from that address?
OK, ah, well I can't talk to you here, you're going to have to call me from somewhere else. You know, do you recognize that red car?
Kelly - Yeah
Lt Diozzi - OK, allright, just so you know.
Kelly - Ahh, yeah.
Lt Diozzi - OK, very good then, that's why I was calling. All right, I'll see you.
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23:04 - [Police Radio]
[Inaudible - ?McGurl on direct radio channel calls Kelly]
Kelly - 2
[Inaudible - ?McGurl on direct radio channel asks to meet Kelly]
Kelly - Name it
[Inaudible - ?McGurl on direct radio channel gives her location]
Kelly - OK, how about Saint Jeromes?
[Inaudible - ?McGurl on direct acknowledges the location of the meeting]
[Note - The "direct" radio channel allows the patrol cars to talk amongst themselves without the station being able to hear them. Units on the "direct" channel can be heard by units on the normal channel.]
23:07 - [Police Radio]
McGurl - Sector 1 to Sector 2, no sign of that party, want me to still search the area?
Kelly - reply inaudible - on direct
McGurl - I'm going up to Lake Street, I just cleared the area and didn't see anything.
Kelly - again inaudible reply on direct freq
McGurl - OK, roger, I'll pull over and wait.
23:12 - [Police Radio]
McGurl - 1 to Control...I'm going to clear, I searched the area and couldn't find anything.
Disp Sweeney - Received
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23:19 - [Telephone]
[Note - apparently the beginning of this conversation is missing]
Disp Crosby - new dispatcher on duty - Jenkins, let me give you the desk.
Jenkins - All right, well just tell them, you want to pass along, that my car was stolen out of my driveway.
Disp Crosby - You're shitting me.
Jenkins - No
Disp Crosby - OK, allright I'll get ot to them,...but are you coming in?
Jenkins - Who is out there?
Disp Crosby - I don't know, I just walked in the door.
Jenkins - Let me talk with who is out front.
Disp Crosby - OK ...txfrs to Lt Diozzi [call is transfered to Lt Diozzi at the Front Desk]
Disp Crosby - Richard Jenkins on 12
Jenkins - Hi, It's Rick...what's happening?
Lt Diozzi - Why?
Jenkins - I'm just going to be delayed about 10 minutes...ok because, ahh, you won't believe this, my car was stolen.
Lt Diozzi - All right, did you report it?
Jenkins - Yeah, I just reported it, I just came down from sleeping and went out to get in it and my car was gone.
?Lt Diozzi - OK
Jenkins - So, I'm going to be gone for about 10 minutes, the guy is coming down to take the report.
Lt Diozzi - All right, do you know where the car is?
Jenkins - I have no idea.
Lt Diozzi - I know where it is.
Jenkins - Where is it?
Lt Diozzi - It's at Bay State Road in Arlington.
Jenkins - Get out of here.
Lt Diozzi - I'm not shitting you.
Jenkins - What do you mean?
Lt Diozzi - I'm telling you the truth.
Jenkins - Which car, the red car?
Lt Diozzi - The red Toyota
Jenkins - Yeah
Lt Diozzi - We got a call on it.
Jenkins - Listen to this, I was out, ahh, well I went shopping earlier and I left the car open and I left my keys in it and I just left and went upstairs and took a nap and came back down.
Lt Diozzi - Can you hold?
Jenkins - Unbelievable
[Break in the action]
Lt Diozzi - Have you reported that stolen?
Jenkins - Yeah
Lt Diozzi - All right, have they already taken the report?
Jenkins - No, I just came down to go to work.
Tommy, where is this?
Lt Diozzi - It's over at Bay State Road, we got a prowler call over there.
Jenkins - Get out of here?
Lt Diozzi - I'm not shitting you.
Jenkins - This is unbelieveable.
Lt Diozzi - Well
Jenkins - Did you get my keys?...are the keys in it?
Lt Diozzi - I'm going to put you on hold for a second, alright?
Jenkins - All right
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23:21 - [Police Radio]
Lt Diozzi - 352
Sgt Heller replies - 8 to Control - he's tied up with a party.
Lt Diozzi - OK, Sgt, that car down there, red Toyota, is reported stolen out of Medford.
Heller - roger
23:22 - [Police Radio]
Kelly - 2 to Control, 358 still out on the street?
Lt Diozzi - Roger
Kelly - I'll see him down at Bay State and Putnam.
Lt Diozzi - Roger
Heller - Ya, 8...I have that.
Lt Diozzi - Control to 352
Kelly - Ya, go ahead.
Lt Diozzi - Did you get the transmission that that car is being reported stolen out of Medford?
Kelly - Ya, OK
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Phone conversation resumed
Lt Diozzi - Hi
Jenkins - Hello
Lt Diozzi - All right, so you are going to go through with the stolen car report?
Jenkins - Right, I'm just waiting for the guy to come down.
Lt Diozzi - Tell them that we have it over at Bay State Road in Arlington.
Jenkins - Listen, my bag and stuff was in there, was there anything stolen out of it?
Lt Diozzi - I don't know, I didn't get that far with them.
Jenkins - Who is down there?
Lt Diozzi - Dan Kelly
Jenkins - Danny??...would you ask him to grab, to see if my bag and stuff is in there...it's my work bag.
Lt Diozzi - Well, I think they have someone else there now.
Jenkins - Who, Danny??
Lt Diozzi - He called for the Sergeant. You know what to do Rich, do your report [,] when you get through with the Medford cop [,] call me here, I'll have a better handle on it.
Jenkins - You got the car though, huh?
Lt Diozzi - Huh?
Jenkins - You got the car?
Lt Diozzi - Yeah
Jenkins - Unbelieveable, all right.
Lt Diozzi - Just call me, I'll let (Lt) Moran know you will be in, your car got stolen, you're going to get tied up...won't be a problem.
Jenkins - Will you ask him (Moran) to see if they stole anything out of it? I have my work bag and my gymn bag.
Lt Diozzi - What about your uniform and everything...you got a uniform? Don't tell me your gun is in there.
Jenkins - I change...no (gun) but my briefcase and stuff...
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23:27 - [Police Radio]
Sgt Heller - 358 to Control
Disp - Go ahead
Sgt Heller - Send tow service down here, Putnam at Bay State, 331 XEH.
Disp Sweeney - Tow for one, 331 XEH.
23:27 - [Police Radio]
Disp Sweeney - 358, can you call the desk? 8, did you get that? 8, did you copy that??, call the desk.
Sgt Heller - Roger
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23:31 - [Telephone]
Disp Sweeney - Arlington Police, Dispatcher Sweeney.
Sgt Heller - Yeah, Bob, Tom Heller.
Disp Sweeney - Hold on. (txfr to Diozzi) [phone call tranferred to Lt Diozzi]
Lt Diozzi - Is it necessary to tow it?
Sgt Heller - Yeah, it's a good idea.
Lt Diozzi - Think so?
Sgt Heller - Wait till I get in - this is...
Lt Diozzi - OK, I'll tke your word for it. OK bye.
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23:47 - [Police Radio]
Lt Diozzi - 358
Sgt Heller - 8, go ahead
Lt Diozzi - Is that going to be towed to the station or private lot?
Sgt Heller - Station
Sgt Heller - 358 to Control, yeah, tow service arrived, myself and Sector 2 are going to clear.
Disp - Roger
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23:50 - [Telephone]
[Lt Moran - coming on duty gets call from Jenkins] Rick, what's up?
Jenkins - Is my car back in yet?
Lt Moran - No, it's being towed.
Jenkins - Would you have them see if my briefcase and stuff was in there...there's no gun or anything in car...I think my ID was in there too. I'm here with Medford now. Unbelievable, where did they find the car?
Lt Moran - I don't know, I just came on. Tom Diozzi will talk to you...more about it...hold on.
Lt Diozzi - You all set?
Jenkins - Yeah, no, I'm filling out the report now...so tell me what happened...how did the find...
Lt Diozzi - What happened was that they had a prowler call.
Jenkins interupts - Hold on...my wife is here...hold on...did they find the keys?
Lt Diozzi - That I don't know.
Jenkins - I think my ID and work bag was in there.
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[??? - ?????Police Radio]
(Lt Diozzi calls over the air [radio] to Kelly)
Danny, can you tell me if the keys and work bag is still in the car?
Kelly reply - The keys are in the car, work bag is not in the car. I'm still on the way in.
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(Lt Diozzi to Jenkins on phone) The work bag is gone.
Jenkins - My tickets are in it. Oh man, oh ____!
Jenkins - I'll be in in a few minutes...my wife is going to drive me to the station. I'm filling out the report here.
Jenkins - So what did, so tell me what did they found it on Bay State Road and what happened did they breaking in the house.[?]
Lt Diozzi - What happened was that this woman had a guy looking in windows and she called the guy across the street who came out of the house and stood by the car.
Jenkins - Why [,] did they see someone getting out of the car?
Lt Diozzi - They saw a guy running through the yard I guess and the car happened to be there and they put two and two together.
Jenkins - Oohh!
Jenkins - But down at Bay State Road?
Lt Diozzi - Yeah, in Kelwyn Manor.
Jenkins - The car was wide open and in the driveway...I put the keys on seat, when I came down it was gone and now this.
Lt Diozzi - All right, I'll see you later.
Jenkins - Talk to you
END.......
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[Commentary by The Real Arlington News -
1. How many major errors did the dispatcher make in the initial radio message? (At least one is obvious - at least one is not) Who is responsible for making the dispatchers do their job correctly?
2. Do you think the Lt Diozzi knew the content of the phone call from Mr Madigan? When did he know it? (The front desk officer may or may not be in direct visual and audible contact with the dispatchers - I am not sure how the police station is laid out but I know that it is very common for the front desk officer to use use the radio system to talk to patrol cars)
3. The radio message to Sector 2 that stated "no information available on the plate" was a very rare radio message. How does this affect your perception of events. (Keep in mind that all on-duty members of the Arlington PD would have heard that radio message)
4. Did Sector 2 acknowledge that radio message? Did the dispatcher rebroadcast that message and demand an acknowledgement? (There is a very common rule of thumb for two-way radio operations - "If the message is not acknowledged, then the message has not been sent") Maybe the radio system mysteriously failed at that precise second when Kelly would have acknowledged that radio message.
5. Notice when McGurl uses "direct" and when Kelly uses "direct". (In order to use the "direct" radio mode, the "direct" button has to be pushed) (This is just a humorous little point showing that neither officer was too handy with the radio buttons.)
6. How long did it take to determine that the car was registered to an Arlington police officer?
7. Think I am p-oing any P-Os? (:-)
8. The Arlington Police now (October 1999) make much greater use of cellular phones and Mobile Data Terminals. How do you think that affects police department operations in Arlington? (The story about water main problems on Mount Vernon Street in a September 1999 Advocate mentioned that the police claimed that they did not receive a call from a resident - the resident said that they did call the police station - I dont have the article right in front of me - I may not have "just the facts")
9. How many times was the description of the suspect broadcast to responding units? How many times did Sgt Heller or Lt Diozzi attempt to obtain a description of the suspect and broadcast it via radio? Was Belmont or Cambridge ever notified of the description of the suspect?
10. The assignment of 2 cars to this call is a standard response by the Arlington PD. It is extremely rare for a 3rd unit to be assigned to a call on the initial phone call. The patrol supervisor responds to calls at his own discretion. (Ergo - the initial response to this 911 call was totally typical and routine.) (The only other "response level" used by the Arlington Police is the "one-car" response. This usually occurs on vandalsim calls and burglaries that happened hours ago.)
11. What is up with the radio conversation at 2321 and 2322 hours? If Sgt Heller says that Kelly is tied up with a male party at 2321, then why is Kelly asking 1 minute later if Sgt Heller is still on the road (not at the station)? Pretty weird radio traffic!
12. Did you see the 60 Minutes report on October 10, 1999 about the Los Angeles Police allowing a bank robbery suspect to bleed to death on a city street? Did you see the cop stating that he would never allow anyone to bleed to death right in front of him on a city street, as the film showed him allowing someone to bleed to death right in front of him on a city street? Did you see the constant smirk on the face of the City Attorney? Did you read the recent newspaper articles about the Los Angeles police officer that shot a man in the back and then planted a gun on him?
13. When Mr Madigan called the police he stated that he was a Chief in Natick and that he would run the plate. If I remember correctly, Mr Madigan is a Chief of Probation with the Natick Court, not the Natick Chief of Police, nor the Fire Chief in Natick. Also, I suspect that it would be a violation of state or federal law for Mr Madigan to be running any plates in this situation. The FBI/NCIC have very strict rules concerning who can or cannot run license plates through the police computer systems - Massachusetts also has ?rules concerning this matter.
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Updates - This is a living and breathing document! Viva the Internet!
October 4, 1999 - Question 9 added.
October 10, 1999 - added Questions 10 and 11 and 12 - added comments to Questions 4 and 5
October 12, 1999 - Question/Item 13 added
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