The Day the Cops Smiled

Abstract

A policeman's face is not a happy one, and only rarely can a citizen look upon it with pleasure. I do remember a Sunday in 1950 when I sat down at an illegal bar in Denver with a humane cop who was respected by the Spanish-Americans, and there was a spring day in 1960 when a Pennsylvania state trooper was so thoughtful I was impelled to write Governor David Lawrence, who replied that my letter was quite unusual. From these limited data, it might be inferred that once in every decade a cheerful constable will be encountered. The astonishing truth is that the Great Peace March of April 15, 1967, revealed not one but dozens of smiling, friendly, New York City cops.

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