21st Precinct - The Sticks

Captain Frank Kennelly is working the day tour, 8:00 AM to 6:00 PM. It was Sunday, and things were quiet in the precinct.  However, during the last few weeks, we had received several complaints from various churches about boys playing in nearby streets in a boisterous manner and disturbing the services. Kennelly had given instructions at the morning turnout for the men on post and in sector cars to correct this situation by warning the boys to play more quietly. Later, during the course of patrol on Second Avenue, Kennelly saw Sector Car Number One, the Sergeant's Car, and the Detective Squad Car of the 21st, parked outside the fence around a new construction project on which excavation had started about two weeks before. Kennelly instructed his operator to pull in as he got out of the car and headed for a gate in the fence. He saw Sergeant Waters also walking toward the gate. Kennelly says "Sergeant, what do we got?" Waters says "Hello, Captain. It's in here". They go through the gate, and Waters says "They had a burglary in the tool shack down there". As they are looking at the excavated site, Kennelly says "That's a pretty deep hole they dug". Waters says "Yes, sir". Kennelly says "Well, what do we got?" Waters says "There was a call from the watchman. See that wooden shack way down there at the bottom? That's what was broken into". Kennelly asks "What was stolen, Sergeant? Waters says "Eleven sticks of dynamite and eight blasting caps". Kennelly says "Yeah?" Waters says "Yes, sir". Kennelly asks "Where are the detectives?" Waters says "Lieutenants Matt King and Pete Vitelli are here, sir. They are inside the shack talking with the watchman. After listening to the details, King says to Kennelly "I believe whoever is responsible knew what they we doing. They knew how to handle this stuff". Kennelly says "Safe burglars?" King says "That's what it looks like to me". Kennelly says "Matt, if they were safe burglars, why didn't they take this stuff? Here's an acetylene and an oxygen tank. A cutting torch is made to order for safe burglars. You know, I think it was done by a bunch of kids".