1.
GV Police-driven taxis pull away from crime base
0.06

2.
GV Armed police into taxis & away (2 shots)
0.26

3.
SCU Police taxi driver being interviewed & taxi driver ditto
1.18

4.
GV Taxis along roadway
1.26


Reporter: "Each day, a small fleet of taxis pulls away from the citywide anti-crime base on Randall's Island. Although they look like bona fide cabs, they are in fact manned by members of the NEW YORK CITY police force. There are 15 taxis in all. Most go on patrol during the late evening or early morning hours. We went out on patrol with Patrolman Morvin Roykee, a college graduate who has been on the special anti-crime unit since December."



Question: "How do you keep from looking suspicious as you drive by the same scene two or three times?"



Patrolman: "For that reason we carry sometimes an extra hat, shirt, sweater and other clothing. We'll change these. We'll also change drivers."



Question: "Have cab drivers expressed any relief to you knowing that you are there?"



Patrolman: "Oh yes. There have been numerous incidents where we have stopped a cab driver and told him that we have been following him and asked him if he has been having any problems or suspicious people in and out of his cab. They'll say they wish there were more of us."



Question: "How can you tell?"



Cab driver: "Well, I look at them. If they don't look right I don't pick 'em up."



Question: "Isn't that against the law?"



Cab driver: "If you don't pick 'em up? Sure it is. It's against the law to kill you, too, isn't it?"




Initials SGM/1818



Script is copyright Reuters Limited. All rights reserved

Background: New York Police are now cruising through the streets of the city disguised as cab drivers in an effort to catch taxi bandits. The new experiment, at present of limited scale, allows policemen to patrol without drawing attention to themselves.

National Broadcasting Company reporter Marjorie Margolies went out on patrol with one of the new police cabs recently. her interviews with a policeman and a cab driver are preceded by a brief commentary. A separate introduction is provided overleaf: