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Pat Walsh
Pat's Peeps Podcast
Ep. 313 Today's Peep Presents Unit 99: The Forgotten Pioneer of True Crime Radio, Radio's First Ride-Along as heard on KFBK in the late 1950's
We explore the pioneering reality police radio show Unit 99 that aired on KFBK radio in Sacramento from 1957-1958, setting the template for all future police reality shows.
• Unit 99 represented a groundbreaking innovation in radio programming, recording real police interactions with a tape recorder-equipped patrol car
• KFBK radio, a heritage station celebrating over 100 years of broadcasting, created the show featuring real officers, real criminals, and real victims
• The show's format predated "COPS" and all modern reality police programming by decades
• Sergeant Dan Meredith served as the recording officer, accompanying patrol units on actual calls
• Police Chief James V. Hicks hosted the program, emphasizing its authentic nature
• The episode features two actual cases from December 1957: a domestic dispute and a window-smashing incident
• Despite its short run (August 1957-June 1958), Unit 99 was picked up by Armed Forces Radio, expanding its influence globally
• The program represents a fascinating time capsule of mid-century American policing methods and public attitudes
Listen to the full episode to hear actual recordings from this groundbreaking show that created an entire genre of entertainment.
Welcome back Keeps podcast number 313 on a Thursday, august 7th 2025. And as I look out into the beautiful foothills of Northern California, it's a warm day In the 90s, probably upper 90s. Today, summer's really kind of kicking in finally, but still again not that hot. Appreciate you being there. My name is pat walsh, by the way. Host of the pat walsh radio show is heard on kfpk radio in sacramento, 93.1 fm, 15, 30 am and streaming live everyone that free free iHeart app. But always a pleasure. Remember exciting things to come at patspeepscom.
Speaker 1:And yesterday I was talking about Cecilia who was having a birthday. I hope she had a great birthday. I hope you had a great birthday, cece. We were doing listener content and I mentioned that Cece always and a lot of you always send me great content. So I try to feature that and one of the things that Cecilia had sent to me a few years ago and I just found it fascinating.
Speaker 1:As I said, I work at KAPK. Kapk is a heritage radio station. We celebrated the 100-year anniversary of the radio station. What it's been a few years already. What year was that? I can't remember, maybe 20, 22, 23, something like that recently, but it is a legendary heritage radio station kfbk. One of the things that they did and one of the things that makes it legendary is they were innovators. Yeah, you had real. You had rush limbaugh that came from kfbk, morton downey Jr, who I've talked about before, you know Tom Sullivan there's just a lot of big talent that's come from KFBK Dave Williams and I have been glad to be a part of that.
Speaker 1:But in the earlier days, back in the 50s, talk about innovative and setting a trend and doing something, literally creating a genre. That was KFBK, with a show that CeCe turned me on to called Unit 99. This went until June 13th of 58. Tony Kester was the director here in Sacramento. James B Hicks was the chief of Sacramento police. He was the host, and then Dan excuse me, meredith was the sergeant that was on duty. This is during the late 50s and audiences were captivated by this innovative radio show. So what they did is they brought real life police work into their homes. Sound familiar cops right now you see it on YouTube everywhere. But cops, that's what cops was.
Speaker 1:Unit 99 first aired august 23rd 1957 on kfbk. It lasted until june 3rd 1958. After the initial broadcast, unit 99 picked up for rebroadcast by the armed forces radio and Expanded the show's reach beyond its initial audience, bringing its narratives and the compelling performances to servicemen and women around the world. These are real officers. And despite the relatively short run, unit 99 left a lasting impact on the landscape of the radio drama. Great storytelling too. More than just a radio program, it was the pioneer in its genre, as I said. So, without further ado, I want to say thank you, cece, for turning me on to this. And now, from December 6th 1957, unit 99 on Pat's Peeps 313.
Speaker 2:KMA 907, Sacramento Police Unit 99,. Are you in the clear?
Speaker 3:Unit 99 to KMA 907. Unit 99, sergeant Meredith 909, in service on the air. This is Sergeant Dan Meredith of Unit 99, at Headquarters Police Department City of Sacramento, california. My detail is to ride in Unit 99, our tape recorder-equipped radio car, and to respond whenever the dispatcher transmits a signal to one of our other units on duty somewhere in the city. At the scene we make the recordings which we provide for this program. Now, to tell you more about Unit 99, here is our chief, james V Hicks, sacramento Police.
Speaker 4:The job of a police officer is your protection. The cases you hear on this radio program are real cases. The police are real, the victims and the criminals are real. We are glad to provide Unit 99 and Sergeant Meredith so that you will hear how the police of a great city work night and day for your protection. Make no mistake about it there are no actors on these tapes. They are real from beginning to end.
Speaker 5:Now to Unit 99 and Sergeant Dan Meredith on duty, unit 2. Unit 2. Unit 2. Unit 2. Unit 2, check on a woman screaming in the vicinity of 1231 G George, code 2.
Speaker 3:Came in on a 7. Code 2 for Unit 2. Woman screaming,200 block on G George. We're not too far away, we better get on it. We're ahead of the unit, can't hear anything. We better go up though. Let's get out.
Speaker 3:This is a four-unit apartment house, two-story stucco. Let's listen around for a moment, going inside. Are you the gentleman that put in the call on this? Yeah, I put in the call. And what house here did you say? It came out of? The one up here. I can't tell you where from I was listening, only from the window, which was this side, and it had the this voice saying it wasn't the voice. It was the window which was this side and it had, as if it can, this voice saying it wasn't a voice. It was a woman. What'd you say it was a woman? What was she saying? No, no, no, you say she was screaming. Though she was screaming, yeah, real loudly. Here the officer's on the call. He says it came out of probably this apartment house here. I don't see it. Parking house here. I don't know. My window is over there. You only heard one scream or two or more. You don't get through here.
Speaker 6:You have to go around there this way, sergeant. How many times did you hear him scream? Oh, scream is about half an hour, 20 minutes, maybe 20 minutes. Yes, first you go. No, no, no. Then my wife called me. I came to the window and then she cried, and then I rushed to the phone to phone you.
Speaker 2:All right, we'll look and see what we can find Well you're sure.
Speaker 3:It's just about where it did come from around the side here. This way, surgeon and Tony, it is in the back of the building here, somewhere Back further. We're close to the alley now, aren't we? Yeah, you said it had been going on for about 20 minutes to a half hour.
Speaker 6:Looks like there's been something scattered around the backyard. We're going up the back of another apartment house nearby. Who is it? Police department, ma'am, can I speak to you? Yes, just a moment here.
Speaker 7:get back in here.
Speaker 6:Have you heard any unusual noises in the last 15, 20 minutes? No, I've been watching television. Do you hear anything that sounded like a scream of a lady?
Speaker 3:No, Was there any screaming on your television? I don't believe so. No, what program were you watching?
Speaker 7:Oh, I was so scared. I can't think you shouldn't be scared of us. Oh, the dog was barking and it's so dark out there I've been afraid someone's going to come up there anyway, so why isn't?
Speaker 2:he screaming.
Speaker 6:You haven't heard anything. No, well, okay, thank you very much. I'm sorry I bothered you. That's okay, I'll get the door open. Oh, we got a flashlight. Thanks a lot, ma'am, uh-huh.
Speaker 3:Evidently, Sergeant, it's all over with Seems like it's unfounded, Dan.
Speaker 6:However, it's always best to check this thing thoroughly. You never know Things. Little things turn into big things.
Speaker 3:I hear Tony, calling out, tony calling, let's get going. Let's get going. The officer is going inside. Okay, what seemed to be the trouble here? Oh, I fell down the back stairs. You fell down the back stairs. Who do you live with here, ma'am?
Speaker 7:She's all right. Oh, a friend of mine. I've known her a long time. Have you been drinking tonight? Yes, I had a couple drinks.
Speaker 3:Now, why don't you tell us the truth? Now I see your shoulders are all scratched. It's not from falling, Because I'll tell you why. The citizen that called up said it's been going on for the last 15 to 20 minutes. Now you haven't been falling up and down those steps for the last 15, 20 minutes, have you no?
Speaker 6:Well, tell us what the scoop is. We're here to help you, not to hurt you. Come on now, tell us your story. You been living here with somebody. Where's he at?
Speaker 7:Not.
Speaker 6:Who beat you up tonight?
Speaker 2:Nobody beat me up. Well, is that party here, this nobody that you're talking about. Is he here now? No, Did he leave?
Speaker 6:Where'd he go? You have an awful bruise on your back there. What did he hit you with His fist? No, nobody hit me.
Speaker 3:Your back's all scratched. Now let's have the truth. Let's have the truth. I can't have the steps. You can't scratch yourself like that on the steps.
Speaker 6:Well, if you don't want any help, we're here to help you. Ma'am, we didn't come here just to talk to you. If you're having any difficulties, why don't you tell us about it? What is it? Your common-law husband.
Speaker 7:No, the boyfriend, mm-mm, are you afraid? I fell down the back step.
Speaker 3:I know you've told us that now that's not the truth and you know it. Now we're here to help you. Just like the officer said, go get a chicken. All right, we'll talk with the other party.
Speaker 2:Let's go in and talk with them. The man in the house here seemed to think it was the woman in the front room that did the beating. Oh, is she here now? She is another person in the front room sleeping here. Who beat you up and why? What was the reason? Yes, ma'am, someone did beat you. You have marks all over your back there, your arms. Now, why did they beat you? Tell us now. Don't start crying, just tell us the story. Nobody beat me, ma'am. You couldn't have done that yourself, could you? Hmm, let's check with this other lady.
Speaker 6:Hmm, let's check with this other lady. There are officer surgeons in the room now. Hey, was there a little difficulty here a little while ago? Not that I know of Between you and the other lady. No, next room Me. Have you heard any screaming within the last 15, 20 minutes? No, have you been in bed all night? Uh-huh, let me check your elbow there. Lift your arm up. It's all skinned. Oh, that's nothing. Have you been fighting tonight with that girl next door? No, listen, does she drink quite a bit? Uh-huh, she got beat up tonight.
Speaker 6:She howls quite a bit too. Yeah, what about Nothing? Just for no reason at all, just hollers.
Speaker 3:Well, she's pretty well marked up. She just screams period. Let me see your elbow again. That looks like a freshly injured elbow. My elbow, right there, see, right there. No.
Speaker 6:Would you have beef with her? Sure she did we. Would you have beef with her? Sure she did. We aren't going to arrest you, we just want to find out what the scoop is. We're here to keep the peace.
Speaker 2:Now listen, let's have the truth. They almost say that you did. Let's get this thing on the door here.
Speaker 9:Not that I know of.
Speaker 2:Well, that's what the mother party in the kitchen was saying there now. Well, did something report this or something? You've been drinking that, mm-hmm, I've been drinking that. You've been drinking with her? Yeah, I've been drinking too.
Speaker 3:I mean, you know, you all live in this house.
Speaker 2:Um, I live here, yeah, how many girls live here.
Speaker 10:Um, just me, we just don't ride along, I know it. Oh, just me, I know.
Speaker 3:Well who are these two ladies?
Speaker 6:Well, they come over and visit us, because you were screaming and fighting and everything else. Well, what are you supposed to say? Didn't do anything, I didn't know there was any noise, was it noise?
Speaker 7:Well, let's not have any more of this. Now I come to visit.
Speaker 2:You just came to visit tonight. Oh, you're not living here as an occupant. She says she was fighting with the one that's in bed in the front room tonight and that they fight every so often and they admit they've both been drinking quite a bit. She's not interested in prosecuting and, as far as she's concerned, why, she doesn't even care if we want to help her or not.
Speaker 3:She just as soon we forget about it forget about find out the reason for the fight. Let's go to the station with. The other options are maybe they have an answer for surgeon. Did you and civil finally find out what that was all about?
Speaker 6:Well, dan, it seems as though that you know. Remember the lady in the front bedroom there that was in the bed. Well, she and the one that was in the middle bedroom crying, they came up from Stockton and they started drinking with that man and that other lady, with that man and that other lady, and this other lady accused the blonde of fooling around with this man that lives there, and this other lady that came from Stockton with the blonde started protecting him. One thing led to another, and the two of them got into a fight and they were fighting out in the back, and then they saw the police coming down the alley, so they ran into the house to get out of the policeman way and then, finally, tony found where the disturbance was, and that was about all.
Speaker 4:The report of a woman screaming indicated anything from assault and robbery to murder. It was something of an anticlimax when it turned out to be two women clawing and scratching over a man who, incidentally, was 77 years old. They quieted down and no arrests were made.
Speaker 5:Unit 3. Unit 3, a man broke a window in the laundry at 3rd and K King and is going east on 3rd Street from L. There's a tall colored man following him. 940a on that Code. 2. Check 3. Came in on a 7. Check 3, came in on a 7. This window smash. We have a license number. It's the car involved.
Speaker 9:Late, model, yellow, with a continental kit, license number ARB702. There's a window smash about 3rd and K Street. Unit 3 got the call. They also had another call in the vicinity and had to leave the scene of the window smash so they called in Unit 2. Unit 2 is covering the building until they can contact the owner. A description of the car and license number has been broadcast. Unit 4 has just picked up that car or one answering the description. They're returning them to the scene. Let's go down and see if we can find out what actually happened.
Speaker 5:Hi, ben, what do you got here? Well, we have a window smash here, 1106 3rd Street. This citizen here, gentleman there seen two fellas, one of them break the window and when he come near one of them says somebody's coming to get out of here. And they went south to L Street and then they headed over to 5th and fifth now and they got into a car license number. He got the number, jotted the number down ARB 702 and Took off and car. We announced the number on the air and car for has spotted them.
Speaker 5:They're gonna bring him back the description on, have him identify. One was just tall, mexican, he said. The other was short, dark. He thought it was was negro, but he said it could have been dark mexican and, uh, they're going to bring him here for him to identify him. And I guess all we have is malicious mischief. At the time they didn't get anything, he said, because they saw him coming and they stated that uh, here comes somebody, let's get out of here. Who's your partner? Uh, harrington, was he talking to that witness? Now he's over there. Yes, he has questioned him. Okay, we'll go talk to him.
Speaker 3:Uh, where were you and your wife when you first seen the man coming down?
Speaker 7:Me and my wife was walking from this street. Up there, let's see the New Banks Cafe.
Speaker 9:Let's move over the New Banks Cafe. Let's move over away from the street blocks huh.
Speaker 7:Now we see about half the places behind these guys. This is a colored guy, either a Mexican or a Puerto Rican, 7. And one big, tall one looked like a Mexican or white man. He come along and bust open the window. Rich is hanging there and another guy grabbed him, drug him on down the street and he stuck along, stuck along all the way down the street. Rich is hanging there, another guy grabbed him, drug him on down the street and they stuck along, stuck all the way down the street.
Speaker 7:We meet her, trailed him right on. I said look at them guys breaking the hindrance plate. She said let's trail him, call the police. So we trailed him on down to this corner here and I go in that liquor store. I followed me up going on L Street and I followed them on down to Fulton L and they tussled out a little bit. Then they went on down by that parking lot down there and they got in a yellow automobile at the bottom I don't know what color at the top and I said what kind of car is that? She said I don't know. I said well, get the license number. And she got the license number AR on up this way on 5th Street, unit 4, just arrived.
Speaker 9:The car in question is being driven by the other officer, Green. Is this the car that was?
Speaker 8:involved? I don't know. This is the car that was put out on the radio and we picked it up at Carl's Drive-In at 38th and Broadway.
Speaker 9:Well, here's the two witnesses Green. They identify the car, they identify this man and they'd like to have you get the one that's sitting in the back seat out so they can see the one who's sitting in the back seat?
Speaker 8:Okay, on which side? On this side, on this side of the car.
Speaker 9:Yes, officer Green is getting the other man out of the car so he can be.
Speaker 7:That's the one right there, he's the one. He's the one who broke this window here. Yeah, he's the one. He's the one who broke the window.
Speaker 10:Same code. That's the one. That's the same man.
Speaker 8:What's that Green. He has blood on his hand here, bruce, from a cut.
Speaker 11:What'd they try?
Speaker 2:to do.
Speaker 8:That's the same one. Where'd you get this blood at? I know he was carrying it I might have hit a window.
Speaker 6:You might have hit a window, mm-hmm.
Speaker 8:Where might you?
Speaker 10:have hit the window at Either down this street or the next street. Down Was this gentleman with you?
Speaker 8:No, he wasn't, you was by yourself. I was no, I was with him, you was with him at the time.
Speaker 10:No, I never seen this man before and he just Stop it. I never seen this man before. I never seen this man before. Wait a minute, wait a minute, wait a minute. You hit Okay, I never, when I was still I don't know. I was trying to help you he hit the.
Speaker 8:He was with you when he hit the. No, I never I never.
Speaker 10:I never seen this, but I never said I would, just I was I hope.
Speaker 8:Is he in the service also? No way, no way.
Speaker 10:It's just a guy you picked up uh, I'll be glad to pay for this window. I will. I felt responsible for it. I mean, he got a little high. I was trying to take him home.
Speaker 7:He took him out on the street. I got him to the car. He's twice my size. Don't say you don't know me, that's all right, I don't know, officer, Stop it.
Speaker 10:Well, I just want to say my piece. I have been on parole since the 27th of February. What for? I was put up for burglary and car theft. Since that time I have been working and I would like to keep that job if I possibly could.
Speaker 8:Do you go around breaking windows like this all the time Only?
Speaker 10:when I'm drunk. If you would explain to my old man, my dad, that I am uncontrollable when I'm drunk, I would surely appreciate it. How old are you? I'm 17. And you drink like this all the time. I've drank like this for the past two weeks.
Speaker 8:Pretty bad shape for such a young kid. I agree with him.
Speaker 9:Well, there's no question that this man broke the window. What are you going to do now, Green?
Speaker 8:Well, we'll try to meet the car that made the report and if they don't come back in a few minutes, We'll take them into the station and turn them over to them and let them Long. It'll get these people's names and addresses and We'll give them for.
Speaker 10:I would like to make a quest, a statement, this time. I Think If you would make me pay for the window and all the damage that was done, I worked for $2.32 an hour.
Speaker 9:The window was worth about $9, right, it would have made it much simpler for you to stay here in the first place. It would have Made some arrangements.
Speaker 10:But I didn't want to confess to these people that I was under 21. I mean, they didn't know anything about it. I mean you can tell yourself that I'm very you been drinking down here in the lower end.
Speaker 8:No, I haven't when you been drinking at, could I not tell you? I'd like to know where you've been drinking Out there, at the floor. You've been drinking out on the floor in a bar, that's right. You drink out there all the time. No, this was the first night, first night you've been drinking out there. Mm-hmm. Well, we're going to take you to the station.
Speaker 9:Bruce. I think that would be the best under the circumstances.
Speaker 4:This case could have been more serious than it turned out, with burglary a possibility. The alertness of the couple, who wrote down the license number of the car and called the police, resulted in the speedy apprehension of the culprit. He was booked on a charge of malicious mischief and parole to his parents.
Speaker 11:This is Unit 99 in Sacramento, California. These on-the-scene tape recordings were provided by the Sacramento Police Department and were made on duty by Sergeant Dan Meredith in Unit 99. Your host is Chief James V Hicks of the Sacramento Police Department.
Speaker 2:KMA 907, sacramento Police, unit 99,. Are you in the clear?
Speaker 3:Unit 99 to KMA 907.
Speaker 11:Unit 99, sergeant Meredith, you through the worldwide facilities of the United States Armed Forces Radio and Television Service.
Speaker 1:Thank you for listening. Thank you, Cecilia. Thank you for listening to Pats Peeps 313. We'll see you on the radio.
