The Police
Curfew in the 1960's was set at 10p.m. When we saw that police car come patrolling down the street we were pretty quick to get our bikes out of the road and head for the front door. We took it seriously. One evening we were still playing pick up sticks at ten p.m. with the light just starting to disappear when the police car appeared. Being the youngest and not street savvy, I was startled to the point of running behind the house to hide. No doubt the bigger kids had warned me that they would take me away were I caught. The officer casually asked what was wrong because I ran in terror to hide, leaving my bike strewn in the middle of the street. My siblings and friends just laughed and told them I was scared of the police. Soon everyone dispersed and went to their homes. I remember my sister came to get me and told me to clear my bike off the road and get in the house as the street lights had already come on.
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Back in the 1960's we always had a beat cop. Every night, he would come down our street and I would watch as he checked all the doors of any business that was near by.
During the day, the beat cop often stood at the corner of Algoma and Bay Street keeping watch over the pedestrians and making sure the autombiles didn't turn when someone was in the crosswalk.
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