What information am I looking for? Miami's Police Department of Yesterday

Unfortunately, I never knew my great-grandfather, so I don't have his personal testimony about his life, career, and the time he lived in. I am left to try and piece together information about him, his time, and the places he lived and worked, through his personal scrapbook, interviews with family members who knew him, research into newspapers from the time, and scant records the Miami Police Department still has about him and his comrades. I am constantly seeking other sources of information. Thus, the purpose of this web site. Here is how you might be able to assist me with my research.

I would specifically like to talk to any of the following people, and perhaps interview them or procure some kind of written testimonial from them. I might also like to see any personal papers they may have related to the people/places/events I am researching.

I would like to hear from any of the following people:

1) Anyone who knew Leaston G. "Red" Crews, whether it be a fellow police officer, neighbor, friend, relative, or acquaintance.

2) Any officer or employee of the Miami Police Department between the years 1925 and 1945. This includes officers or civilian employees of the department. Though I would love to speak with someone who knew my great-grandfather from the department, acquaintance with or memory of "Red" Crews is not a requirement. I would like to speak to anyone who was with the Miami PD during that time period.

3) Anyone who specifically knew one of the following Miami Police Officers:

Chief of Police H. Leslie Quigg

Chief of Police Sam D. McCreary

Chief of Police/Detective Guy C. Reeves

Assistant Chief of Police/Captain Forrest Nelson

Inspector William J. McCarthy

Captain Melville Tibbits

Lieutenant Ben Denby

Officers Patrick Baldwin and/or Gerald Baldwin

Officer Carl Stanton

Any member of the Miami Police Department Pistol Team between 1932-1945

Officers N.A. Clark and R.H. Jackson

4) Any member of the Miami Beach Police Department from 1920 to 1925.

5) Anyone associated with the Florida East Coast Pistol League, cir. 1930's or 1940's.

6) Any member of the Conch Key Volunteer Fire Department, cir. 1960's.

7) Any fisherman from the Conch Key or the Little Torch Key area who knew "Red" Crews.

8) Anyone who knows the whereabouts of Leaston G. Crews, Jr., or any member of his family.

9) Any member of "Red" Crews' family that I have not been in contact with.

10) Anyone who knew someone who meets one of the criteria above and might have information to provide.

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If you can help, please contact me.

You may contact me by email at jonann2@earthlink.net.

You may contact me by mail at the following address:

Ian H. Kennedy

2339 South Conway Road, Apt. 421

Orlando, FL 32812

(For privacy reasons, I will not provide a phone number to contact me unless previously contacted by email or mail.)

If you do contact me to offer assistance, please provide me with the following information:

1) Your full name

2) Your contact information (address, phone number, email address)

3) Which criteria from the "What information am I looking for in this project?" best describes you.

4) A description of the nature of some of the information you can provide to me

Once you have contacted me with the information above, I will contact you by the means you provide me and give you some more information about how you can help, and/or information on setting up further communication or a meeting. If you have a preference as to whether I contact you by mail, email, or phone, please let me know. For phone contact, please also provide the best times I can reach you.

Once again, thank you so much for your assistance.