NEWARK RIOT: MAJOR OLAFF'S TELEGRAM ORDERING STATE POLICE TO NEWARK RIOT

This will be the final article regarding the Newark Riots. The pictures above are of the present day main entrance to the Roseville Armory. This location is where the New Jersey State Police assemble to assist in riot control. The armory was also used to hold "overflow" prisoners. The number in custody strained the system for weeks after the riot was over. The badge on the left was issued by the Essex County Sheriff who at the time ran the jail. This badge may have been used by officers at the "Newark Street Jail." It also may have preceded the riots. It is quite old and in excellent condition. The Newark Fire Department badge pictured is part of my "Newark Collection." It was given to me by a Fireman who took it into retirement, and then became a probation officer. Little is said about the Newark Fire Department. and their role in 1967 riot. This is unfortunate as they were always in the pit, and they sure had their casualties. The writer has no idea as to how many fires were reported. From what I have been told there were more than a few. Under normal conditions fighting a fire is no easy task, but with the disturbance in Newark it was even tougher. Rocks and bottles were thrown at responding firemen. Crowds hindered their response. They were even shot at. The City of Newark in general, Police and Fire Departments in particular, needed help. The first group to assist was the New Jersey State Police, followed by the N.J. National Guard. I searched the web for information on those "nasty" days back in 1967, and located a telegram sent by Major Eugene Olaff. He was the Operations Officer for the New Jersey State Police. It was his command that sent the Troopers to Newark. A "word for word copy" of his telegram is at the end of this article. It took 40 years, and the "world wide web", to read what has been reported here. I never saw or heard of the "Olaff Telegram" before; but I was well aware of the "Troopers" presence in Newark. I recall a boarded up store on Avon ave. near So. 18th Street. There was spray painting, on the plywood covering the window openings, with the words: "These windows 'shot out' by State Police." Knowing the neighborhood it is assumed that, if true, there must have been good reason for this action. The telegram makes for good reading. The Troopers certainly knew where they were headed, and were well equipped. Even the toll keepers were alerted, and instructed to "allow toll free use" on the Garden State Parkway. This document reveals the seriousness of Newark's situation in mid July 1967. Over 100 cars were deployed to Newark with 3 men to a car. As the riot continued the N.J. National Guard was also ordered to assist the City gain control and restore order. They sent 3000 Guardsmen. After the 5th day the "riot" was "officially" considered over. Newark would never experience an event like this again. Of course the word "riot" has been replaced with new words - "Civil Disturbance." Future articles may touch on "disturbances" in 1968; But for now this series will end. As it reaches its conclusion remember the names of: Detective Frederick Toto, and Fire Captain Michael Moran. They were both shot while on duty in this riot. Think of them as you read Major Olaff's order sending the N.J. State Police to Newark on July 14, 1967.

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NEWARK RIOTS - OLAFF TELEGRAM

N.J.S.P. JULY 14, 1967

TO: COMMANDERS TROOPS “A,” “B,” and “C” SECTION CHIEFS DIV HDQTRS TROOPS “D” & “E” FOR YOUR INFO

YOU ARE HEREBY DIRECTED TO ACTIVATE 2 CROWD CONTROL UNITS EACH/100 TROOPERS AND RELATED ARREST TEAMS/ AND PROCEED IMMEDIATELY TO THE ROSEVILLE ARMORY, NEWARK NJ – 3 MEN PER CAR. 25 BLACK AND WHITE AND 10 UNMARKED /35 CARS PER TROOP.

ROUTE OF TRAVEL, NORTH ON THE GARDEN STATE PARKWAY TO EXIT NBR 145 CENTRAL AVE. TURN RIGHT/EAST ON CENTRAL AVE FOR 15 CITY BLOCK OR APPROXIMATELY ONE MILE TO ROSEVILLE ARMORY…APPROACH AREA WITH CAUTION….

WHEN USING THE PARKWAY ADVISE TOLL COLLECTORS THAT YOU ARE ON THE NEWARK EMERGENCY PROGRAM, TOLL FREE AUTHORIZED BY LT. CLARK OF THE PARKWAY

TURNPIKE WILL ALLOW TOLL FREE USE AUTHORIZED BY LT NAWROCKI OF THE TURNPIKE.

ALL TROOPS WILL BE FULLY EQUIPPED FOR RIOT CONTROL DUTY AND BE PROPERLY PREPARED TO STAY FOR AN INDETERMINATE PERIOD. TROOP EMERGENCY EQUIPMENT TRAILER WILL ACCOMPANY THE CROWD CONTROL UNIT TO THE ARMORY.

ALL EMERGENCY EQUIPMENT INCLUDING M-1 RIFLES – SHOTGUNS – REISINGS AND RELATED AMMUNITION - TEAR GAS AND ALL RIOT HELMETS ISSUED TO YOUR COMMANDS WILL ACCOMPANY YOUR UNIT

ALL PASSES ARE HEREBY CANCELLED, INSTITUTE RECALL PROCEDURES IMMEDIATELY.

BY ORDER OF THE SURPERINTENDENT

E. OLAFF, MAJOR, OPERATIONS OFFICER

NEWARK RIOT: NPD'S LOG OF RADIO TRANSMISSIONS DURING NEWARK RIOT

This will be the third of four articles pertaining to the 1967 riots in Newark, NJ. In an earlier story I displayed the above "Communications Officer" badge. It relates to this article so it is getting an encore. Also pictured is the "South District" Station House. It was the location of the "Radio Repair" shop where my father worked for a few years. The old "shop" is through the driveway and on the right (by parked white car). The main door to this precinct was on West Bigelow St. Note how the first floor has its' windows "sealed tight." That wasn't the case in 1967. These pictures were taken this year, but they still look like those that I have stored in my mind. The remaining picture is of an old fire house at Belmont Ave. and Waverly St. IT is no longer active, however it got heavy use during the riot. N.F.D. had trucks fighting as many fires as possible under the worst conditions. At many of the fire locations Fire fighters were attacked by mobs when they responded to a call. The attacks got worse when they attempted to move equipment in to put out fires. Rocks, stones, bottles were thrown at them. At some locations they couldn't work until police cleared the area. When this riot was declared "over" there were twenty-six people dead. Among those who died were: Detective Frederick Toto - Shot by a sniper at Springfield Ave. and Broom St. He died of his wounds in St. Michael's Hospital. Fire Captain Michael Moran - He was assigned to one of the above pictured Fire Houses. He was at the end of the ladder, checking the roof fire of a burning building, when a sniper's bullet fatally wounded him. There were no arrests in either case. The Newark Star Ledger has posted actual notes from "Radio Calls" during the early days of the riot. This drew my attention because of my fathers prior involvement with N.P.D.'s "Radio Transmitter," and his assignment to "Radio Repair." I enjoyed reading several pages the notes kept in the Chief's office. They ultimately lead to the request for backup. Although brief these notes are quite to the point. In the space of a couple hours the notes state: "Looting," "Officer injured," "Use firearms if necessary," to "Man shot..." Newark was in a state of war. These notes present a vivid picture of what was happening in those initial days of the Riot. The original notes were hand written. The section below is a typed portion of those notes.

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A SAMPLE OF COMMUNICATION NOTES

COPIED FROM LOG IN CHIEF OLIVER KELLY’S OFFICE

JULY 13, 1967 PRIOR TO INVOLVEMENT OF

NEW JERSEY STATE POLICE

July 13, 1967

9:34 p Store being looted at West Kinney and Livingston. This information received via radio transmission

9:42p Radio transmission advises store at 180 Spruce (liquor store) being looted

9:46p Radio transmission windows being broken at Thomas and Broad.

9:52p Radio transmission looting at Morris and 15^th Ave (Tavern)

9:55p Radio transmission Molotov cocktail being used at Springfield and Bergen

10:00p Radio transmission store being looted at Springfield and Hunterdon

10:02p Radio transmission furniture store going up at Springfield and Morris

11:50p Radio transmission Officer injured

11:51p Radio transmission Hold up and robbery at J & BAvon

11:55 Mayor appraised

July 14, 1967

12:16a Radio transmission Chief …to protect men in field..that is to use firearms if necessary

12:31a Radio transmission request help at Springfield and 6^th

12:48a Radio transmission women shot at Springfield and Plum

3:45a Radio transmission car 45A has man shot and four prisoners. Man was shot by police officer

NEWARK RIOT: PLAQUE "COMMEMORATING" 1967 RIOT

This will be the second of four articles regarding the writer's memories of the Newark riots in 1967.

In July 2007 the wife and I celebrated our 4oth wedding anniversary. It was also the 40 year mark for Newark's riots.

The web was a good source for information on the riot. I located a story from the Newark Star Ledger. It told of the City's decision to place a plaque on the wall of the Fourth Police Precinct. Pictured above is Newark's City Hall, where all the political decisions are made, and The Fourth Precinct. This was where the riot erupted.

The police station was on 17th Ave - directly across from, a then high rise, housing project. Back in 1967, acting on "rumors, " an angry crowd gathered in front of the Precinct. They threw rocks, stones and fire bombs at police "spontaneously" igniting the five day riot.

That housing project is now history. I recall watching it be imploded from the County Courts building on the 9th floor. I think that was around 76, 77 or maybe 78. I recall the smoke that clouded the air. That cloud eventually disappeared. Beyond the rubble stood the Police Station House. It still stands. Note the windows have been "bricked" to provide better security. This building is a memorial in its own right.

The City made the decision to mark the spot where the riot started in 2007., It took a year to get the job done. In fact it took over one year. To be precise it was on July 23, 2008 that the plaque was placed on the wall of the "fortress" on 17th Ave.

One might wonder if it is appropriate to commemorate the "beginning" of such a lawless and devastating event. The description below is from the" Ledger." The plaque is pictured below..
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"One year and eleven days after announcing plans for a plaque commemorating the 40th anniversary of the Newark Riots would be installed, Mayor Cory Booker proudly unveiled the finished product during an afternoon ceremony today in front of the Fourth District Police Precinct -- ground zero for an uprising that ripped the city apart.

"On this site on July 12, 1967, there began a civil disturbance that took the lives of twenty-six people and forever changed our city," read the bronze sign. "May this plaque serve as a symbol of our shared humanity and our commitment to seek justice and equality. Dedicated July 12, 2007, by the People of Newark."

NEWARK RIOT: 1967 INSURRECTION REMEMBERED

This writer was just beginning his third year, as a probation officer, assigned to an area designated J-15 on Newark's South Side. The "J" stood for juvenile, and the 15 designated a specific geographical section of the City. Newark had several geographical areas designated for juvenile probation. The crime problem was such, that these geographic sections were measured by City blocks as opposed to miles. The J-15 area had between 89 to 100 juvenile offenders at any given time.

Our Branch Office was "an old medical building." It was located at 32 Johnson Ave. Up the street was South Side H.S. It was renamed Malcolm X. Shabazz H.S. in the late 60's.

Down the street from the office was Peterman's. This was a daily coffee stop. Today it's no longer in business. Back up the street, next to our office, was a six or seven story apartment building. It had a great view of our parking lot.

One afternoon in the early part of 1967 I observed a large amount of glass on the ground near my car. Other officers had also observed this. This "broken bottle" situation occurred about two months prior to the riots. We believed a kid or two were tossing bottles from one of the apartments.

We watched from several of our offices. Finally we saw the window where the bottles where coming from. A call was made to N.P.D. and our Sheriff's office. They responded very quickly, and entered the apartment that was the source of these bottles.

Inside the apartment they found a woman and her two sons. They were "practicing " making, and throwing Molotov cocktails. They also possessed, what was described in 1967 terms, as "radical material."

Around this same time frame the author was assigned an investigation. It was regarding a request from the State of Alabama for "courtesy supervision" of one of their "lads." The kid was only 12. He had "made some mistakes" down South, and a change in scenery was supposed to help. Oh, yeah.

The boy's family had an apartment in the "Clinton Hill" section. This was going to be a routine acceptance for out of state supervision. Everything checked out, except the kids "s.o.b." brother for whom I immediately disliked. He had a knife that was unacceptable even in 1967. One knife confiscated. That should have been the end of story, but there is more.

In July this writer observed a news paper headline while in the Bahamas (honeymoon time). The paper read: "RIOT"S IN NEWARK." It was no surprise.

By time the honeymoon was over the death toll was "officially" just under 30. A Newark Police Officer, and a Newark Fireman were among the dead.

Returning to work in late July another investigation was assigned to me. It came with a request from the State of Alabama as to the "status" of the young boy they shipped off to Newark. Along with the assignment was a LIFE Magazine. It was dated July 28, 1967. The cover showed the body of "guess who?" It was the same 12 year old boy checked out a couple of months earlier. He was now laying on a street in Newark, a shooting victim of the riots. The life magazine is pictured above.

LIFE Magazine did not report that the boy only had minor injuries. He was treated for superficial wounds. He was released from the hospital a few days later. In professional jargon the state of Alabama was advised that their interest was: "Alive and well, and raising hell." A lot of people were raising hell!

There were so many arrests that the Newark Street Jail was bursting. This was a County facility located in the City. It is pictured above as it stands today. It closed decades ago. The outside Wall looks stable, but the inside is rubble.

The Roseville Armory, also inside the City, was pressed into service to handle the "overflow" arrests. The prisoner population exceeded the 1000 mark. The Courts ran overtime to free up space at the holding sights for fear of another riot inside.

Any kind of story got you out of jail back then. On the lighter side there was a defendant charged with pushing a refrigerator away from an appliance store at "2:00 am." He explained, to the judge, that: " I bought it this afternoon, but they don't deliver."

The City looked like hell. It was going to take forever to bring Newark back. As a result of Newark's insurrection during that hot July in 1967: Cars were burned; Houses were burned; City blocks were burned; Windows were smashed; Businesses were looted; People disappeared: and in the end People died.

NEWARK DETECTIVE BADGE

The year was 1976, and it was a great year. Three (maybe four) good things happened, and I remember them well.

First, my fourth daughter, Cindy, was born on March 27, 1976. The way I count she is now 29. She lives across the mighty Hudson River in N.Y.C. (Manhattan).

When not busy Cindy provides that "technical help" that I need to do articles about my collection, and memories. She also carries a badge. It's in a nice black leather case engraved "Officer's Daughter." She thinks the ID case is a great place to hold her drivers license.

The Second good thing that I recall in 1976 was, shortly after my wife brought Cindy home from the hospital, I surprised them with a wonderful gift. It was a puppy. My wife was just "thrilled." The kids liked the "doggie" as much as I did. They believed the little "pooch" was going to grow to be a "police dog," and would protect them. Years later they discovered that, this red haired dog was: A Beer Drinking Irish Setter. I still liked her. The kids did too. My wife continued to be "thrilled," and she often talks about that dog today.

The third item of importance during 1976 was, according to my notes, was the acquisition of the above pictured badge. It is a gold finish Detectives' Shield from Newark Police.

My first impression of that badge was that it wasn't finished right. The Detective Badges that I saw were similar, but had blue enamel "trim." It needed a paint job

I have since learned that this design was an earlier edition of today' s N.P.D.'s Detective Badges. The picture does not do it justice. It is in excellent condition, and is "under glass" hanging where I can see it everyday.

Oh, that last item. I remember it. It was another year where my expense account was not audited!