Lennie was like family
I'm going to miss Lennie Briscoe. This marvelous old-time gumshoe was the cop's cop. Irreverent, tough, humor as black as a mine shaft, Jerry Orbach's alter-ego pounded the mean streets day-by-day, through a succession of partners. The partners didn't matter so much, as long as Lennie was there.
Lennie had been through the mill. He'd been married just a few times -- police work takes few domestic prisoners -- was a recovering drunk (who wouldn't be?), and had lost a beloved daughter to the drug wars. But Lennie, in his crummy suits and cheap shoes, plodded on, doing what he believed in. And in his plodding, became a beloved guy. He became, as I suggested in my title, a member of the family.
As a journalist, I covered the police beat for a number of years. I loved that task. I loved hanging with cops. Not all of them, but most of them. I couldn't do their jobs for a minute, but so many of them lived for what they did. In doing my job, I got to ride with them, and got to go on the odd raid with them. And, I would always think at the end of it, "Christ, you guys do this every day, and for the most part you keep your cool, even when you're dealing the scum of the earth."
Cops get bad press. Some of it deserved, most of it not. And there are bad cops; cops who fuck up; brutalize; or are on the take. Lennie dealt with cops like that, and he hated them. I've dealt with Lennie cops, fortunately, because they're found in precincts and squad rooms all over the continent. Good cops loved Lennie's character. It's easy to understand why. Lennie gave the profile of the cop we'd all love to deal with. And sometimes, if we're fortunate, we do get to deal with a Lennie.
Lennie had been through the mill. He'd been married just a few times -- police work takes few domestic prisoners -- was a recovering drunk (who wouldn't be?), and had lost a beloved daughter to the drug wars. But Lennie, in his crummy suits and cheap shoes, plodded on, doing what he believed in. And in his plodding, became a beloved guy. He became, as I suggested in my title, a member of the family.
As a journalist, I covered the police beat for a number of years. I loved that task. I loved hanging with cops. Not all of them, but most of them. I couldn't do their jobs for a minute, but so many of them lived for what they did. In doing my job, I got to ride with them, and got to go on the odd raid with them. And, I would always think at the end of it, "Christ, you guys do this every day, and for the most part you keep your cool, even when you're dealing the scum of the earth."
Cops get bad press. Some of it deserved, most of it not. And there are bad cops; cops who fuck up; brutalize; or are on the take. Lennie dealt with cops like that, and he hated them. I've dealt with Lennie cops, fortunately, because they're found in precincts and squad rooms all over the continent. Good cops loved Lennie's character. It's easy to understand why. Lennie gave the profile of the cop we'd all love to deal with. And sometimes, if we're fortunate, we do get to deal with a Lennie.
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