JiminIdaho: Back in the late sixties (1968 - 1969) I was a new Poh-liceman in a large west coast city. I bought my uniform pants at J.C. Penneys (2nd & Union) I was/am a taller person and the sales clerk asked if I wanted to save some money and buy and "older version" of the uniform pants they still hand on hand. I said sure whats the difference in the older version - turns out they had two on hand of and the older version. The salesman not knowing I was a rookie smiled and showed me the difference - the "older version" had two secretive "sap" (black jacks we called them!) pockets each below the standard rear pockets. I bought them both but wondered WHY would anyone need two "saps" (blackjacks)?
Once assigned to a walking beat on the original "skid road" I soon found out.
The veteran officers carried a "heavier" sap in the right sap pocket and a lighter sap in the left hand sap pocket.
The reason being the heavier sap was used to put the lights out on Negros and the lighter sap was used on Asian and Caucasian folks!
And of course the heavier sap which was in the right rear pocket was used more often and thus kept closer to ones dominant hand.
I still have several of my old "black jacks" and a few of my custom made night-sticks - I got pretty proficient twirling my night-stick if I do say so myself.
I can NOT imagine the hulabaloo that would be raised today in THAT city should a police officer swat an assaultive young negro criminal up a'side his punkin head (thus instantly putting an end to his dangerous/offensive tactics!)!
I probably turned the lights out on 100 (one hundred!) criminal cretins with my black jacks and double that number with a properly applied choke hold.
Sap's (black jacks) were a great and injury saving and time saving tool.
Hold into the wind
VarmintGuy
