The Chicken Plant


"The Chicken Plant"
by Dick Mauer

Back in the early 80s, John Woodward and I caught a 5-day detail in the southern portion of New York State. On the third day of the detail we were to make contact with the New York State Police in Liberty, New York, home of Grossingers, and several other resorts in the Catskill Mountains. The Troopers had experienced a minor crime wave from Jamaican aliens who were working in the area at a kosher chicken processing plant, and wanted our help in cleaning them out. ( A side note here. Liberty was out of Buffalo Sector area and was within NYC District Investigations purview. They apparently were too busy to send a team up there and requested our Chief to respond. )

We were to meet at the Trooper Barracks at 
5 AM and arrive at the plant shortly after starting time. We had 6 young Troopers meet us that looked like good runners, but who were, also, apparently short on experience with Jamaicans. We all entered the plant at the same time and John and I arrested the first 4 Jamaicans we came upon. With one in each hand, we watched the Troopers let Jamaicans "go get their papers" John and I were both yelling "Nooooo, don't let them walk away." One of the reasons they couldn't hear us was that the plant must have had 5000 squawking chickens suspended by their feet from a conveyor line moving towards the Rabbi's knife.

Needless to say, the Jamaicans went out the doors, windows, and garbage chute. The four we had in tow was all we caught that day.