In the Friedman Friday series, we are publishing excerpts from Ralph Friedman’s book: Street Warrior: The True Story of the NYPD’s Most Decorated Detective and the Era That Created Him. Thank you Mr. Friedman for granting us permission to share your story.
I was sworn in on February 2, 1970, and went back to the police academy, this time to learn the job of being a New York City cop. I took to the training immediately, particularly the physical portion. I’d been weight training for years and was in top shape, still following my no-booze, no-cigarettes, no-drugs policy. My fellow recruits, especially those who smoked, had a difficult time keeping up with the daily runs. We ran inside the gym, circling it numerous times until we were ready to drop. These runs had been conducted outside at one time, with hour-long jogs through the neighborhood, until people who didn’t like cops very much started to throw stuff from rooftops at the rookies.
As part of our physical training we also had to become CPR certified.
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