"Riding the train..."

Working the plainclothes mission team in the subway was a great job. Two or three man teams riding the train trying not to look like the police is not as easy as it sounds. Coppers tend to have a "look". Normal people who use the subway like to avoid eye contact. They are often oblivious to their surroundings. They trust people. Not Coppers. They watch people. They look for predators. They stare when more timid people look away. So do the bad guys. They can spot a police officer a mile off.

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How do the police protect the subway riders from the muggers, pickpockets, and pocket cutters? How do they catch the bad guys? There is a certain "flow" to the world when things are normal. In crowded areas like subways, it is more noticeable when there is a disturbance in the flow. People who are "tuned" to that flow (coppers, of course) can't help but sense it. Find the source of the disruption and you'll usually find a crime being committed.

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Wolf packs of police officers flooding a particular line sometimes does the job. Stake outs of a specific station can work too. Great planning, decoys, and alert aggressive coppers should be the best tools to fight these criminals, right?

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I was part of a three man team riding the train one afternoon. One man was set near each door and one about half way to be able to help either side. The train pulled into the station and the doors opened. As the riders began to board, a man spits towards the floor of the platform and stops suddenly. He bends over and starts to brush off the pants leg of the man behind him, apologizing loudly.

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I can't believe it! Right in front of me is a classic "stop and bump" stall. The "bump" distracts the victim so the wallet could be lifted by the "pick" behind him. I signal to the team and grab the picks arm as he is retrieving the mans wallet. He shouts "hey" and begins to pull away.

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Well, the crooks work in teams too. The first guy shoves me away causing me to lose my grip on the guys arm. They both push their way off the train. A woman carrying bags stand up in the aisle and blocks my assist officer long enough for the two men to start running down the platform. The officer at the other door was also delayed by boarding passengers.

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My partner and I begin to chase the offenders. The train conductor, unaware of the action, closes the doors and pulls away with our victim. The offenders are young and fleet footed. They have gained some thirty yards on the forty ish coppers who by now are huffing and puffing for oxygen. I know it's time to quit when a bystander says "dem boys sure is fast ain't dey officer?"

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The bad guys got away. The victim left, not even aware that his wallet was gone. Just another day for a big city copper.