[Clemenza]

btw -- in NYC it could fall either way, depending on the city's immediate response, local economy, etc. etc. One thing I can tell you, you wouldn't see cops walking off the job.

Maybe WTC can confirm or deny something I heard about the riots during the 1977 blackouts: the NYPD, already understaffed due to budget cuts, had a major problem with cops calling in sick when the order came in for all NYPD to report for duty.

[durasell]

1977 was a long time ago. Serpico was still dating hippie chicks.

during the most recent black out the only casualties to speak of were kids -- bodegas opened the freezers and gave away free ice cream. kids were vomiting in the streets, one hand clutching a quart of Cherry Garcia and the other hand a soup spoon...

[wtc911]

By 77 Serpico was in Switzerland with his dog. The city had laid off 6,000 cops (25%). In 1976 there were pcts in Brooklyn with only two radio cars and one anti-crime car on the street on the overnight. The activity in 77 was limited to certain nabes where they knew that the force was already spread dangerously thin.