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WFPD, CB Radios, Gloves, Burglars, and Prizes

In the early 1980s, the WFPD night shift officers working the northside beat had CB radios in their patrol cars. They would chat with each other and any CB Radio-equipped citizens who were awake. The radios gave them something to do at 3:00 AM while checking businesses for burglars.

These Northside officers even adopted Official Northside Gloves", which were tan Wells Lamont leather gloves dyed black. They started with tan, but the Shift Commander said the gloves had to be black. The common practice was to paint the gloves with shoe dye. One officer, who will remain unnamed, used RIT dye in very hot water. He dropped his Wells Lamont gloves - not exactly cheap - into the water where they turned black, shrunk to 20% of their original size, and became hard as a rock! They were a hit at shift briefing that night.

Did you know officers catching burglars had to buy donuts for the shift? The word is that's still the policy today. This practice was the opposite of the short-lived "burglar pot," where night shift officers would contribute money, with the prize awarded to the officer(s) catching a burglar in the act. Supervisors put a quick end to this practice. They didn't want defense attorneys claiming that an officer, needing money, threw his client through a business window to claim the prize!

Lieutenant (retired) Chet Chester III, grandson of Officer Chet Chester of Wichita Falls Space Alien fame.