tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36484503167663034982012-02-24T17:23:04.602-08:00wherein I write about my experiences as a young cop in the South Bronx in the mid to late 90'sErik Tenkarhttps://profiles.google.com/113341752897675495824noreply@blogger.comBlogger201100tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3648450316766303498.post-67539563017655048872012-02-21T19:17:00.000-08:002012-02-21T19:20:44.222-08:00

The biggest thing to learn about police work is not the laws, not police procedures, it's not how to fire a gun (case in point - I've only fired mine twice a year at the NYPD Firing Range for the last 16 years), it isn't boxing or wrestling moves... all of that doesn't mean shit if you can't deal with people. Or, maybe even more importantly, by knowing how to deal with people, how to relate to

Erik Tenkarhttps://profiles.google.com/113341752897675495824noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3648450316766303498.post-82007380188602811362012-02-08T13:45:00.001-08:002012-02-08T13:45:20.381-08:00

I'm not a coffee drinker. Never have been, never will be. I can count the cups of coffee I've drunk in my lifetime in one hand. Strange, I know, with the stereotype of cops, coffee and dounuts. It was a cold night in March of '97. My partner and I had a footpost on Fulton Street and it was cold and we were underdressed. The Job, in it's infinite wisdom, had changed the approved uniformed

Erik Tenkarhttps://profiles.google.com/113341752897675495824noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3648450316766303498.post-82546164820174947872012-01-15T17:45:00.000-08:002012-01-15T18:36:52.610-08:00

After washing my hands (yes, were are still at the apartment with the guy with a discolored grapefruit sized ball sack) my Sergeant explained to me the rest of the process for dealing with the recently deceased. The deceased's family had arrived (they were waiting in the living room) and I was to bring one into the deceased's bedroom to remove his ring (because we knew where his hands had been,

Erik Tenkarhttps://profiles.google.com/113341752897675495824noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3648450316766303498.post-66706384291979411212012-01-15T07:52:00.000-08:002012-01-15T07:52:16.818-08:00

Yeah, I was kinda laid out since the 5th.  Not totally, tho I did take 3 days off from work (and the weekend in between).  It's just that you need to be in the right mindset to write these pieces, and being on antibiotics and fighting off an illness certainly isn't the right mindset. I'm feeling more like myself, so hopefully later today or tomorrow I'll have another piece up.  The Tavern might

Erik Tenkarhttps://profiles.google.com/113341752897675495824noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3648450316766303498.post-63227506029464049202012-01-03T17:01:00.001-08:002012-01-15T17:51:19.947-08:00

I remember well my first DOA in a home of natural causes.   In some ways, it was more disturbing then my first DOA who was shot in the head. The apartment was on the 4th floor of a six story walk up.  It was late spring, so when I arrived at the location with the Sergeant, there was still sunlight (as my hours were from 530 PM untill 2 AM - otherwise known as Six to Twos).  EMS had already

Erik Tenkarhttps://profiles.google.com/113341752897675495824noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3648450316766303498.post-2059419756365842982011-12-30T18:22:00.001-08:002011-12-30T18:29:44.311-08:00

52, and Still Working the Streets Julie Glassberg for The New York Times Barbara Terry, 52, has worked nearly her entire adult life as a prostitute in the Hunts Point section of the Bronx. She hopes to retire in a year or so to a house she bought upstate. By COREY KILGANNON Published: December 30, 2011 LIKE many single mothers, Barbara Terry, 52, scrounged for baby sitters and

Erik Tenkarhttps://profiles.google.com/113341752897675495824noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3648450316766303498.post-37110974232411450632011-12-29T14:11:00.001-08:002011-12-29T14:12:29.482-08:00

The job is a numbers game. I know, because the end of the year is when all the numbers get tallied up. It's a busy time, and I've been busy getting my unit's numbers together to present at the beginning of the new year (just in case you are wondering why there have been no new posts in the last week). The numbers game starts the moment you hit the streets. They expect a book (20) or more

Erik Tenkarhttps://profiles.google.com/113341752897675495824noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3648450316766303498.post-80371203429258149632011-12-22T14:45:00.001-08:002011-12-22T19:14:02.828-08:00

Station House Security is probably one of the most boring posts one can receive as a cop. It's your job to make sure that unauthorized individuals aren't allowed to walk right up to the desk officer. It's kinda like being a Walmart Greeter, but with a gun and without the shopping cart. I've done my fair share of station house security.  Most were monotonous and boring.  There are moments,

Erik Tenkarhttps://profiles.google.com/113341752897675495824noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3648450316766303498.post-43264951012194382522011-12-21T17:53:00.000-08:002011-12-21T17:53:46.683-08:00

I have a cold from hell right now.  It's from one of the outer layers of hell, but it's still hellish.  It has, however sapped my ability to write anything fairly coherent.  Besides, all my energy is going to actually dragging my ass to work. Here's the deal with my job.  We have unlimited sick time.  You can be out for 11 months and still draw your salary (I know, I did it).  There is this

Erik Tenkarhttps://profiles.google.com/113341752897675495824noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3648450316766303498.post-13768515976976080762011-12-19T12:59:00.001-08:002011-12-22T19:14:29.978-08:00

It was my second week of field training when I got my first crime scene assigned to me. At roll call, myself and my partner were told to immediately fall out and respond to the housing project on e163 street. There were numerous buildings in the complex, each in the 10-14 story range for height. One of the first things I had noticed when I had the post earlier in the week were the number of

Erik Tenkarhttps://profiles.google.com/113341752897675495824noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3648450316766303498.post-32323268350427345602011-12-16T21:47:00.000-08:002011-12-22T19:14:53.009-08:00

I was on a solo foot post in the vicinity of Southern Blvd (with the elevated train above it) and Boston Road when I was a approached by a male black, maybe 50.  He was quite agitated, and was repeatedly putting his hand to his throat in the universal "I'm Choking" sign. "Come!  You come with me!"  He grabbed at the sleeve of my jacket but I brushed his hand away. "Sir (as I was ever the polite

Erik Tenkarhttps://profiles.google.com/113341752897675495824noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3648450316766303498.post-71285176632673018732011-12-15T18:40:00.000-08:002011-12-15T18:40:04.848-08:00

(found this online - I think it gives a very good perspective of the calling to law enforcement) "A cop is sitting at dinner with civilian friends when the conversation turns towards the sad news of the police officer that was killed in the line of duty earlier in the day. Did you hear of the officer who was killed today, someone asks. Yeah, replies the cop, clearly angry and saddened at the

Erik Tenkarhttps://profiles.google.com/113341752897675495824noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3648450316766303498.post-8607666483252187082011-12-15T11:17:00.001-08:002011-12-22T19:15:19.734-08:00

Our first day (or more precisely, night) on the streets of the South Bronx was almost surreal. There were 30 rookies that needed posting, so there were 30 posts defined for us. Roll Call was at 1735 hrs (535 PM for the civvies reading this) and it was as chaotic as you might expect. Names were called out, posts were assigned, poorly copied maps of the precinct and a post list were issued, meal

Erik Tenkarhttps://profiles.google.com/113341752897675495824noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3648450316766303498.post-3244524676776340942011-12-14T07:46:00.001-08:002011-12-14T07:46:20.674-08:00

Found this online and thought I would share it: "The Final Inspection" The policeman stood and faced his God, Which must always come to pass. He hoped his shoes were shining. ... Just as brightly as his brass. "Step forward now, policeman. How shall I deal with you? Have you always turned the other cheek? To My church have you been true?" The policeman squared his shoulders and said, "No,

Erik Tenkarhttps://profiles.google.com/113341752897675495824noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3648450316766303498.post-66349463480377000832011-12-13T06:45:00.001-08:002011-12-22T19:15:41.209-08:00

There were 2 days of precinct orientation in total. The second day was to familiarize us with the precinct itself, what the issues were, what the crimes were, where they mostly occurred and the like. Pretty much it was everything was going on everywhere. We were leading the city in shootings and were second in homicides, or was it we were leading the city in homicides and were second in

Erik Tenkarhttps://profiles.google.com/113341752897675495824noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3648450316766303498.post-62206224239313272802011-12-12T09:39:00.001-08:002011-12-12T12:02:03.870-08:00

We lost a 22 year veteran of the NYPD this morning, shot in the face by a burglar. PO Figoski, 75 Precinct, rest in peace. Police Officer's Prayer to St. Michael Saint Michael, heaven's glorious commissioner of police, who once so neatly and successfully cleared God's premises of all its undesirables, look with kindly and professional eyes on your earthly force. Give us cool heads, stout

Erik Tenkarhttps://profiles.google.com/113341752897675495824noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3648450316766303498.post-17346196835314589672011-12-12T07:36:00.001-08:002011-12-12T07:36:28.508-08:00

When I write about my experiences as a young cop, I've been trying to remember my mindset and emotions at those exact moments in question. It isn't always easy, but it is easier then I expected. Still, time has a way of smoothing out the edges, and I am sure there are pieces that I misremember slightly. I was not, and I'm still not, the type of person that keeps a diary. All that being said,

Erik Tenkarhttps://profiles.google.com/113341752897675495824noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3648450316766303498.post-52122222351477355392011-12-11T15:25:00.001-08:002011-12-22T19:16:05.779-08:00

When the time came for my first official day in my new command, I was very surprised to find that there were 29 other rookies assigned with me.  Adding 30 cops in one shot to a police precinct told me two things - the precinct had been vastly understaffed and that finding a locker was going to be real painful. Part of the process of getting acclimated to our new command involved filling out

Erik Tenkarhttps://profiles.google.com/113341752897675495824noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3648450316766303498.post-7387129599089597582011-12-10T17:05:00.001-08:002011-12-22T19:16:26.480-08:00

We were told, unofficially of course, that our new commands would probably be short on lockers for us, and that the wise rookie would show up on the Friday night prior to their Monday assignment to arrange a proper locker for themselves. I had never driven in the South Bronx prior to that Friday night.  Never had any desire nor need.  As this was before Mapquest and GPS’s I convinced my

Erik Tenkarhttps://profiles.google.com/113341752897675495824noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3648450316766303498.post-76967337444721453332011-12-09T16:54:00.001-08:002011-12-22T19:16:47.181-08:00

Just to set things right and proper, I need to give some background of myself.  I'm a born and raised New Yorker, a product of 12 years in the NYC Public School System and 8 1/2 years of attending the City University of New York (8 1/2 years to get my BA - never said I was a fast learner).  My father was a union member before retiring and always stressed a union job for me.  This lead me to

Erik Tenkarhttps://profiles.google.com/113341752897675495824noreply@blogger.com0