21st Precinct | Crime | Old Time Radio Downloads

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Twenty First Precinct was a police drama series that premiered on CBS Radio on July 7, 1953. The lead character was Frank Kennelly, the Captain of the 21st precinct. He was portrayed at different periods by actors Everett Sloane, James Gregory, and Les Damon. Kenelly was also called Captain Cronin during Gregory's time. Other stars in the series included Harold Stone as Sergeant Waters, Santos Ortega as Lieutenant Gorman, and Ken Lynch. It focused on a specific police unit located on the city of New York.

The series was based on true police stories, just like Dragnet, which aired before it. It became immensely popular during its run, as the listeners were eager to learn about the true-to-life police stories. Click here to read more about Twenty First Precinct (21st Precinct)

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Please enjoy these 96 old time radio episodes:

Air Date	Title	Synopsis
01.13.1954	the platform	+ It’s an especially busy day at the precinct when Eva Tomkins comes in to the police station. She...
01.20.1954	stolen cadillac	+ Ruben Protellia and Leon Gamer are out on bail for stealing cars and have been caught again steali...
01.27.1954	the kid
02.03.1954	the baker
02.10.1954	case of the drive
02.24.1954	the cure
03.03.1954	safe burglars	+ Mrs Truro saw three men run out from her building late at night and thought it was unusual. 21st P...
03.03.1954	the door
03.24.1954	the package
04.07.1954	the collar	+The police are called to a domestic disturbance when a neighbor hears a man beating up his wife. Yo...
04.14.1954	the brother
04.28.1954	the story
05.05.1954	the cabinet
05.12.1954	the dollar
05.19.1954	the day
05.26.1954	the father
06.02.1954	the needle
06.09.1954	rookie cop is too literal with the law	+ Precinct 21 receive a new rookie on the squad probationary Patrolman Paul Cochran. His first assig...
06.16.1954	the sprinter
06.23.1954	the will
06.30.1954	13 year old boy dies while hitching a ride on a truck	+ A 13 year-old boy dies after hitching a ride and then jumping off the back of a newspaper truck an...
07.07.1954	lenwig family feud	+ Mrs Lenwig had separated from her husband about three weeks ago and the police are called when a b...
07.14.1954	woman shoots her husband	Eva Weald comes in to the 21st Precinct building and informs Sergeant Waters that she has just shot ...
07.21.1954	the ledge
07.28.1954	the doa	+ The body of well-dressed 71-year-old man is found under a loading platform of a laundry room. He h...

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This realistic New York police radio drama was broadcast by CBS from 1953 to 1956 as a sustained show. This program is right up there with Dragnet, and it presented true cases from the 21st Precinct in New York. The opening of the series sets the theme, "21st Precinct, just lines on a map of the city of New York. Most of the 173,000 people wedged into the 9 tenths of a square mile between 5th avenue and the East River wouldn't know if you asked them that they lived or worked in the 21st. Whether they know it or not the security of their persons their homes and property is my job, my job and the job of 160 patrolmen, 11 sergeants, and 4 lieutenants of whom I'm the boss. My name is Kennelly, Captain Frank Kennelly."

TWENTY-FIRST PRECINCT

The description is wrong Kenelly and Cronin are two different characters. In episode 109 "Special Orders" Captain Kennelly is promoted to Deputy Inspector and transferred out of the 21st Precinct. Captain Cronin is his replacement. I just listened to episode 109.

Zonefighter

This is far and away my favorite of all the police- and crime-related radio shows I've ever listened to. Whoever created Law & Order for television must've been a fan of this show, it's far less corny and more realistic than any of the others out there.

Eric Strong