A Day (or so) in the Life of the HPD

In 1960, photographer Howard Gibson, whose work has been archived by Bruce Bohnsack, did a series of photographs called "A Day in the Life--Hudson Police Dept." The following images are from that series. The ones I've omitted where taken at police headquarters, which in 1960 was located in the original City Hall at 327 Warren Street.

Gossips was recently added to the distribution list for press releases from the Hudson Police Department--by recently I mean earlier today. The first press release, received at 4 p.m., concerned something that happened just before 9 a.m. on Saturday morning--right about the time the Hudson Farmers Market opens for business. The HPD received a call from a man reporting "he could hear people fighting and talking about getting weapons and getting a gun." The caller indicated "the fight sounded like it was coming from the 500 block of State Street or Rope Alley." The press release continues:

Patrols responded to the area and located a male subject yelling at someone while standing in Rope Alley. Patrol spoke with the subject who told patrol that he was there getting items that belonged to him from the yard of 538 State Street and began arguing with the tenant, David W. Lindsey. The man stated that while he was retrieving his property . . . Lindsey came out and began to argue, saying that he was going to shoot him. Lindsey then allegedly went back into his residence, returned outside, and aimed a shotgun at the subject.

The HPD got a search warrant, conducted a search of 538 State Street, and seized "a Remington Model 870 shotgun with a shortened barrel and approximately six pounds of marijuana."

The second press release, received at 7:15 p.m. today, reported a stabbing that occurred at the Half Moon in the wee hours of Monday morning. The victim, identified only as "a 39 yr. old male" and "a Hudson resident" suffered "large and severe lacerations to his chest and stomach areas" and was transported to Albany Medical Center for treatment. The press release continues:

Patrol units on scene began to interview witnesses and determined there was a physical altercation within the Half Moon Bar between the victim and a man who fled the scene. . . . [A] search warrant was executed at 42 South Front St., Apt. 4, the suspect's residence. Julian Omar Smith, 35 yrs. old, of Hudson was located within his apartment and was detained.

The press release ends with the following comment from HPD Chief Ed Moore:

We are processing the evidence we have seized including some clothes and knives. We collected a whole smorgasbord of what we believe to be illegal drugs to include ecstasy, THC concentrated wax, mushrooms, marijuana, cocaine, LSD, and some pills we have yet to identify. The slashing assault was brutal and extremely violent. It was pretty bad.

Forty-two hours in the life of the Hudson Police Department in 2018.
COPYRIGHT 2018 CAROLE OSTERINK