The Tippit Case in the New Millenium

[Milo Reech]

An article at Mary Ferrell's website has much to say about the operation of DPD's dictaphone system.
https://www.maryferrell.org/pages/Essay_...story.html

For example, there was a built-in dead air pause and sound actuation system, which is why applying a stopwatch to the tape to determine intervals is a waste of time.

"A significant aspect of these recordings is that as a part of radio protocol the radio dispatcher would append a time notation to his broadcasts. This was especially significant because recorded time is not actual time because of the sound actuation feature."

It explains why the dispatchers were obliged to use the primitive system of reporting the actual time based on clocks that may have been as much as two minutes out-of-sync with each other.

"The Ch-1 dispatchers were on opposite sides of a large radio console which provided them with the means of maintaining radio contact with the hundreds of patrol units simultaneously. Each dispatcher had his own digital clock for the purpose of making the time notations. The Ch-2 dispatcher had a separate console and his own clock. According to JC Bowles, who provides a detailed account of the communications department operation, these clocks were regularly synchronized with one another and with a master analog wall clock. The wall clock was synchronized to official time once a month. All of these clocks should have been within one minute of one another, but may have been as much as two minutes apart."

If the wall clock had been synchronized on the first of the month no telling how far it was off by the 22nd, but this information is lacking.

Here's a 46 minute audio potpourri of channel one transmissions.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oaL-dnXCOPs

The relevant part for this discussion begins at 40:55 ("Hello, police operator?"). The eventual "a police officer, 510 E. Jefferson" follows at 41:29 but the dispatcher's "Attention. Signal 19, police officer, 510 East Jefferson" is missing. We know he made this announcement because he later refers to it: "91 (MENTZEL), have a signal 19 (shooting) 400 East 10th. Suspect last seen running west on Jefferson. No description at this time." (WC 1974 p.57) Note use of the correct address in this version.

The second citizen's "Hello, hello, hello" can be heard at 41:44. Others whose judgments cry in the top of mine may detect a trace of a Mexican/Latin/hispanic accent. I hear nothing of the sort.

Hastening back to the inexplicable "510 East Jefferson," did the address actually exist? See attached CE-1968 with various landmarks indicated. There's a long stretch of vacancy between Johnnie Reynolds used car lot at 500 East Jefferson and the library at Turner Plaza, with only a single structure intervening, left of "510?," looks like a modest house. If this is 510 East Jefferson why & how did it get inserted into the citizen's dialogue with the dispatcher? If not it means there was nothing at 510 East Jefferson which would make its appearance on the tape that much more mysterious.