Just an accuracy check.

Another User · Mar 3, 2016

Not sure if this is the right thread but just give it a shot anyway.

Has any of you ever watched a 1976 movie called Assault on Precinct 13? For those who haven't, it's a movie about a police lieutenant who one day gets stranded in a defunct police station with a prisoner and has to defend the precinct from a vicious army of gang members.

Anyway, the premiese of the movie shows the lieutenant being called upon by his boss to the defunct precinct to take charge of the guarding of the station for the night before the building is abandoned forever (the lieutenant doesn't belong to the precinct in question and it seems that his boss had some agreement with the station for the job beforehand). There are some people inside the building when he comes: a telephone operator, an assistant of some sort (I don't really know, her duty is never really revealed), a police officer and the captain of the station. When night comes the captain leaves the building, leaving the guarding job to the lieutenant and the remaining residents. Technically, the station doesn't take regular police work anymore, but still temporary allows a prison van that happens to pass by to stay for the night (well, because the people of the van insist, of course)

My question is how much of this premiese is true in real life? Do they really call a cop to a defunct police station to help with the guarding? Are there that many people in a defunct police station the day before it is officially closed down?

I try to find information on the internet but there is no result, so I think I'll turn to you. I need a bit of information to brainstorm an idea for my next WIP.

Diana Hignutt · Mar 3, 2016

I don't know. The film was remade several years ago with Ethan Hawke, and the station was just a small station, but not scheduled for abandonment. There are other police, a secretary, other prisoners, as well. I enjoyed that one, but never saw the original.

shakeysix · Mar 3, 2016

And THEY say my plots are flimsy and full of holes! --s6

frimble3 · Mar 5, 2016

I would think that if they were closing the station down, it would be business as usual until the official closing day. Then it would be full of non-police people, clearing out the equipment, etc. Anything vital, or dangerous would have been taken away before closing time (including guns, ammo, records and evidence) but anything more minor or not needed, telephones, furniture, etc, would probably be sold for salvage, if not simply cleared out to stop people breaking in to steal it.
I assume the phone lines would have been redirected to the new location, or at least to an information line (don't know if there was 911 back then) to tell callers that the station had been closed and where to take their business in future.
Once the public has been informed about the change in service, and there's nothing left worth removing, why would the place stay open with a skeleton staff? One captain, one officer, one receptionist and a clerk isn't enough to do anything useful, and as long as stray members of the public see someone's in there, they'll keep coming and not shift to new station.
There might be an officer stationed outside 'round the clock for a couple of days, to shoo those stray members of the public in the direction of the new location.
I can only think that the movie was one big gimmick.

mirandashell · Mar 6, 2016

It was a good movie, TBH. And there was a reason as to why there was a skeleton staff there for the last night. But unfortunately it's been so long since I saw the film I can't really remember. I think there was a prisoner in there that couldn't be moved until the morning and that's why the place was attacked by a gang and had to be defended.

It does make sense when you watch it. Even though the synopsis makes it sound like a load of bull.

Manuel Royal · Mar 7, 2016

Good early John Carpenter movie. I don't know whether that precise situation is plausible in real life, but if it isn't, that's an illustration of an important principle of cinematic drama: just get the audience to buy it for the length of the movie. Almost every movie, including famous ones, have some kind of contrived situation that probably wouldn't happen that way in reality, but it doesn't really matter as long as it works dramatically. I know I can forgive an implausible plot -- as long as the basic story is character-driven. That is, I'll accept whatever weird situation the characters are in, as long as their actions within that situation come from who they are in a psychologically believable way.

Just an accuracy check.

Another User

Still confused and curious

Diana Hignutt

Very Tired

shakeysix

blue eyed floozy

frimble3

Heckuva good sport

mirandashell

Manuel Royal