[Editor’s note: These are handwritten accounts of people who reported their encounters with the police, mostly in Los Angeles, mostly in 1975 and 1976. Oftentimes the writer is an elderly, Black person who did not receive the advantage of an education, resulting in difficult grammatical constructions and spellings. For that reason, these accounts have been edited for both – grammar and spelling – to ensure coherence, although some unknown words and sentences retain their original spelling. The pdf of the original statements is here.]
K-1-a-127
1972 – I found out that a girl named Lisa Moore was trying to ruin me so I could not work by lying on me. I found I was being followed and my life seem threatened (visible). She was selling cocaine, tickets etc. so I called on her (police). She still lives on me whenever I come across her.
I called her and asked her to stop – I have no hate for her! – But her reason was because someone she cared for cared for me.
Monica Peterson
———-
K-1-a-129
I called the police on my son James [last name illegible] because here in LA about 3 years ago
[illegible name]
———-
K-1-a-130
Father I don’t remember telling any police anything about anyone. Father you know.
Mary Johnson
———-
K-1-a-131
Father,
My sister and I called the police on a man that was running after us with his penis out. They came over and we told them what he looked like and all that kind of things.
Tinetra Fain
———-
K-1-a-132 – 134
[Handwritten notation at top of page: “Carolyn Layton”]
Father –
Report from Teresa King about brother-in-law in Police Department
from Carolyn Looman
———-
Father
not pertaining to the subject on the floor – not important tonite
[Photocopy of newspaper photo of Teresa King’s brother-in-law in police uniform, 1/29/75
———-
July 31
Caroline:
I heard recently that we were to report any relatives with the police. Somehow I missed the request. I have a sister married to a Redwood City policeman. He has a dog that he’s trained to sniff out bombs. The dog is an award-winner & is called out often in bomb scares!
Here’s a clipping
Teresa King
———-
K-1-a-135
Father weeks before I last went out to get money, and when I returned back home a whole gang of boys was playing ball in front of my [house]. The third base was in front of my yard. When they hit the ball it would come in the yard. I was afraid that they would break my window pane. I don’t have money to put another one in.
I keep trying to get the boys to move his base. I told them all to stop playing ball in front of the house.
They would not listen to me. Just kept knocking the ball. I told them I would have to call the police. A ball game.
Willie Lee Graham
———-
K-1-a-136
I have called the police in family matters and other things.
[Illegible signature]
———-
K-1-a-137
I finked on my so-called brother because I [was] wary of him buying firecrackers to 2 white policemen. They were going to take us down but don’t know why they didn’t. The only thing they did was take our firecrackers. They asked us did we know an Arthur and where he lived. They said, if we didn’t they would take them down. So we showed them out of fear. The reason they were looking for Arthur was because he was selling dope. We [illegible word] things as I got out of the car.
[Illegible signature]
———-
K-1-a-138
I called the police on someone breaking in our house a long time ago.
Bessie Dickson
———-
K-1-a-140
I called the police. I had my stereo, ring, watch taken.
Lillian Malloy
———-
K-1-a-141
I told police that someone stole my TV. I informed on McCoy, Nac who stole it.
Mary Canada
5-10-45 [75]
———-
K-1-a-143
Reported [two illegible words] three men almost raped me. I told the police. When Judy beat me up and said she would kill me when I was robbed.
Kay Rosas
———-
K-1-a-144
1934
My brother-in-law jumped on my sister. They were staying with me and my husband at Rev. Bingham’s, my uncle. I hit him with the shotgun, he was cutting my husband with a razor so someone called the police and I went with him to find him. My husband was in the hospital. I had told [several illegible words]. We found him at his mother. He had to go to the hospital and that Sunday they picked me and the gun up so I stayed in jail 4 days and 3 nights.
Flora B. Sanders
———-
K-1-a-145
I called the police for protection because I was being threatened. Also I did inform on a man that was fighting his companion.
Arlene [last name illegible]
———-
K-1-a-146
[Signatures of Louise A. Robinson and Martha Souder]
———-
K-1-a-147
I Fannie B. Ford had the police called when my so-called friend was fighting in my room in 1954 in Memphis Tenn. He was whipping her with a belt and she was going to have a baby.
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K-1-a-148
5/10/75
Father; Counsel:
One time 2 neighbors both policemen off-duty stop demand for speeding on the street all our houses were on and in anger beat him terribly kicking him in the balls & ribs & I called the police to send out some on-duty police. Then a Sgt. came back to get report from me – my relatives knew the cops & was threatened by them if a report was made & I declined in the details when the Sgt. came. This is included in the informing you called up last night in SF.
Maryann Casanova
This was 13 1/2 years ago and the off-duty police were beating the defenseless man terribly
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K-1-a-149
When I was so-called married my husband [and] I had a fight. I called the policeman and told them he had beaten [me]. I think it was 1965. At the time I thought it was for my protection.
Maxine E. Bettis [Betts]
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K-1-a-150
5/10/75
I called the police on my husband, because he told me he would kill me.
Shirley Thomas
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K-1-a-151
Father before I came into the Church, myself and some more people went to jail for attempted murder & robbery. The police were going to put it on the other girl that were with us and told him that she didn’t do it, the other girl, two girls did. Is that the same thing as an informer.
Barbara Smith
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K-1-a-152
Before I came into the church a man used to beat up my mother [Juanell Smart]. She called the police and asked them to come and get this man. They wouldn’t do anything, so I got on the phone and said goddammit please come over here.
Tinetra Fain
———-
K-1-a-153
After my brother was killed, I told the San Pablo police & the FBI on the man I heard had something to do with it.
His name was Mr. Williams and he was the head of a poverty program agency in Berkeley or Oakland.
Jim McElvane
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K-1-a-154
Father a long time ago I called the police on a man when he was cussing and using all kind of language and fidding a woman.
Nancy Clay
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K-1-a-155
I called a parole officer on my so-called husband because he tried to kill me because I wouldn’t give him money to buy liquor.
Julia Birkley C-18
———-
K-1-a-156
Shirley Foster
I called the police on my ex-husband. Shirley Ann Foster. He jumped on me. Eddie Matthews
———-
K-1-a-156 (2)
[illegible]
———-
K-1-a-157
Father I forgot but it came to me. I called the police on another man for jumping on me & also another man whom I don’t know. I was trying to get to work one morning & a man got after me & I ran & jumped in a man’s car that had stopped at the stoplight. The police was called they came on my [illegible word].
Ethel [last name illegible]
———-
K-1-a-158
I reported 2 people to the police because they raped me.
Patricia Holley
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K-1-a-159
I called the police on my next-door neighbor when he tried to molest me.
I told on a girl named Pam who I lived with that she had got caught stealing to my foster mother. The police asked me questions and I told him what I had done and what she had done.
Patricia Holley
2314 S. Longwood
———-
K-1-a-160
I called the police on my companion because he fought me. I think the year of 47 or 48.
I called on some boys because they were turning up the house next door to me last year. I don’t remember the date.
Louise A. Robinson
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K-1-a-161
Father I have called the police because my house was broke into.
I called them because of my husband beating on me many times.
Martha Souder
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K-1-a-163
I called the police on some people that was dealing with dope about 6 or 8 years ago.
Naomi Williams
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K-1-a-164
I called the police for selling narcotics dope.
Florence O’Brien
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K-1-a-165
Father,
I told the police on someone who gave my sister LSD in her coffee when she didn’t know it.
Paul McCann
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K-1-a-166
One day at the playground and a bad thing happened and I had to go to court and I told police that my mother had hit me for what happened
Thank you.
Ronnie [last name illegible]
———-
K-1-a-168
I told the police that a young man was shooting outside the door about 9:00. I don’t know the exact date, don’t know his name.
Monica Gibson
———-
K-1-a-169
Father these people were shooting over by my house and these feelings came over and I told the police what they were doing.
Mark Gibson C-1912
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K-1-a-170
I called the police on my husband and told them where the gun was under the house. He had been after me with it. But that’s all I said.
Vellersteane Jones
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K-1-a-171
I told the police that a young man was shooting across the street. The time 9:00 PM. It was a couple of months back.
Renée Frazier
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K-1-a-172
I called the police because someone called me and said he had a bomb under my house.
Geneva Williams
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K-1-a-173
A man pulled a gun on me. I called the police. It was my brother-in-law that pulled a gun on me.
LaBlaun Glover
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K-1-a-174
One night a young man (boy) came shooting through the projects. When the police came we gave a description of him. I don’t know him.
Thank you, Father
Lisa Dolores Gibson
5-10-75
———-
K-1-a-175
1951 I think
Edward Hughes cut up all of my dresses, shoes, [two illegible words], everything. He would call on my job trying to make me lose my job. He put the weapon over the door [illegible word]. I called the police, and an attorney. We sued him for damages.
Carolyn Walls
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K-1-a-176
I called the police department for a lady that screamed for help for a man at a gun on her.
L. Henderson
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K-1-a-177
I stop some police to tell them about a man had a gun on the sidewalk.
Ophelia Jacobs
55 S. Normandie
LA, CA 90037
———-
K-1-a-178
I called the police on my husband. At the time I hit him and I thought he would hurt me because I was on [illegible word] and he had a gun.
Jewell Jackson
———-
K-1-a-179
5-10-75
I called the police on my sons, Joseph Primes, Billy Primes, Leonard Primes & Charles A. Primes in Houston, Texas.
Signed Magaline Lyles
———-
K-1-a-180
Father,
I called the police on my sister because she was cussing out my mother.
Ella Mae McKnight
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K-1-a-181
A girl stole something out of my room. I can’t see how I hope you can read it.
Sadie Finley
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K-1-a-182
[First name illegible] Cleveland
[illegible words] and some boys getting me [illegible]
———-
K-1-a-183
My granddaughter ran off and I called the police.
Effie Bland
———-
K-1-a-184
I called police to the hotel on people disorder
Callie Mitchell
———-
K-1-a-184 (2)
Pastor Jones
Sunday, May 4, 1975
A lady hit our car from the rear. We called police. We got her address. The police got her. She was drunk.
Carrie Davidson
9450 Denver Ave.
LA Calif 90047
757-1425
C 429
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K-1-a-184 (3)
My neighbor called me & told me that two boys tried to break into her home. I called the police but Father kept them from breaking in.
Eva Williams
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K-1-a-186
A guy wrecked my bike up and I called the police. I told what they did to the bike and the police said that they will talk to my parents to press charges.
Kelly [last name illegible]
———-
K-1-a-187
Ben Still 1959
A man burned my house and took my clothes & I told the police
Virginia Lane C 1081
2887 S. Bronson
LA 90018
———-
K-1-a-188
Lula Ruben
I called the police on a girl named Elise Cook stole my county check out of my mailbox
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K-1-a-189
Police called
one night someone broke in my window. I called the officers and told them what they did. They show my first & all of my identification in it. I was so afraid, they told me it was an inside job. I never did get my money back or my cards.
Edna Reed
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K-1-a-190
1971 I called police a man broke in my house he got a small radio.
Luessie Jackson
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K-1-a-191
Father I only called the police when someone broke in my house.
Berger Lee Dean
———-
K-1-a-192
[illegible page]
———-
K-1-a-193
Father I called the police in 1969 for a break-in in the front house since I live in the rear. I did not see the man’s face at the time.
Helen Johnson
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K-1-a-194
I called the police on the phone because someone broke in my home.
Ginnie Mae Harris
1306 W. Lake Ave.
358-4496
———-
K-1-a-195
5-10-75
I called the police after I came back from the laundromat after someone broke into my house and stole TV and stereo.
Thelma Doris Cannon
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K-1-a-196
I called the police on a friend for disturbing the peace.
Lexie Davis
———-
K-1-a-197
5-10-75
Father –
A young man was stealing the bucket seats out of my sons car and I called the police on him. Other times when there has been anything happening in the neighborhood if it was a theft or fight, I have called the police.
Heloise Hall
———-
K-1-a-198
I called the police when some Mexican and Black people were fighting and throwing bottles and I thought they were going to throw a bottle through my window. I didn’t give them my name.
Hazle Newell
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K-1-a-199
I called the police on two men that was stealing from a garage about 11:30 PM one night.
[first name illegible] Robinson
———-
K-1-a-200
Clarence Kaigler
Feb. 14 1972
At church Peoples Temple house got broken in call police
———-
K-1-a-201
I called the police because someone try to break into my house. They got the back door open.
Rosa Mae Hines
———-
K-1-a-202
Call Police
Someone broke in my house and on noisy tenants
Willie B. Reed
———-
K-1-a-203
I gave man a ride home on the way he stopped in a wig shop and stole a wig, and dived through the window of my car and told me to drive. The police got my license number and called me and I told them the man’s name & where I put him out.
Kenny Wilhite
———-
K-1-a-204
In 1966 I helped a man escape from prison, and when I thought he didn’t keep his word I gave information to the police to help recapture him.
Don Sly
———-
K-1-a-205
1964
I was living with a man he wouldn’t move I called the police they wouldn’t come I told the police I wanted him to move. They said put him out yourself.
Mary Ella Cook
1306 S. Westlake Ave.
LA, Calif 90006
382-9834
———-
K-1-a-206
Father. I, Jimmy Lee Mason, told the police when I was arrested and put in jail for transporting Mexican people from Mexico for money. And I got caught got locked up in San Diego County jail. This Mexican man that was making money with me I told the police that he was with me.
Jimmy Mason
———-
K-1-a-207
When I was in Korea I have a camera stolen by a girl and told the CID & Korea Military police on her. She would have gone to jail for two years, but I felt bad about it and paid her fine. She never went to jail or got in trouble over it.
Thomas R. Fitch
———-
K-1-a-208
I drive a school bus and one of the girls from Dorsey High stole a tape recorder from her classroom at Halimon High. The police asked me about it and I said yes she took it.
Druecilla Hayes
C 1833
———-
K-1-a-209
Father, I turned my son over to the police for stealing & not wanted to go to school & I have put the police on one of my daughters too, Father. I have had my oldest daughter to call the police on a man who wanted to do something to me. I called the police for someone breaking in my house. I called the police on my husband to get him in the hospital so he wouldn’t hurt me.
Ethel Mae Wren