Evening star., 1935-06-02

other number he may wish TO con-
, tact
His call goes at once to the CEN
trail switchboard at police headquar-
tiers. on the second floor at 462 In
diana avenue. There it is answered
by one of three expert operators on
duty during each eight-hour shift.
These women alternate, one or two
at a time during the hours of light
or heavy traffic, so that each works
| not more than two and one-half to
four hours at one stretch.
This operator takes down the in
formation given by the person call
ing. asking only those questions which
may pertain to exact information con-
cerning the nature and place of the
disturbance. whatever its nature. If
she has heard distinctly she does not
ask any questions. AS she talks, she
puts down the brief facts of the
call on a slip of paper for the police
day" report of all calls which come
in from 7 am of one day to am.
of the next morning.
The second the incoming call Is
| completed. the operator plugs in di-
rectly to the radio station dispatcher,
seated before his microphone in a
glass, sound-proof booth at No. 10
precinct. This. of course. only with
those calls which require any iota
of immediate police assistance: stolen
cars, for example. are not at once
flashed" to the dispatcher.
The dispatcher, one of three on
duty in eight-hour tricks, receives the
two salient facts to be put on the
air: What is the disturbance? Where
is it taking place? Almost before the
switchboard operator has disconnect-
ed. the indicators on the stations
radio panels have begun to culver, and
its red lights begun to flash the quiet
| signal.
The dispatcher has snapped near
by switch, and WPDW is on the air!
The licensed operator. flanked by
the bulk of complicated equipment,
which it is his duty to control on
his eight-hour shift. watches carefully
while modulations in the dispatcher's
voice, atmospheric conditions. and the
l01 factors which enter into radio
interference, move to and fro the
delicate needles on his dials. The
| channel is clear.
THE dispatcher catches the opera
tors almost imperceptible signal.
He leans forward toward the micro
phone and, in that unreal, steady,
impersonal monotone floats the facts
on the ether in that triple repitition.
ending with the time of report. and
That is ALL" with which all police
call fans are familiar AS he broad
casts, he notes down in his log"
book the brief facts of the call: The
scout car notified, the location of the
disturbance. the nature of it and the
time he put it on the air.
To the two men travelling some
where in the tangle of traffic on the
| streets to whom that call has been
especially directed. the voice they hear
coming through the always-tuned-in
radio in their scout car is the law. It
is the unseen command that must be
! obeyed. They shoot straight for the
address given. prepared for any emer-
gency, and waste no time in beginning
their formal investigation"
When the investigation is completed
they report back what they have found
or done to headquarters, either by
convenient telephone or from the pre-
cinct street box nearest them. In the
meantime, one Of them has filled out
printed forn-the radio automobile
report-answering such questions as
time received. location, time arrived,