Officer Dibble dies aged 77

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Charlie Dibble, former police officer with the NYPD, has died in Manhattan yesterday aged 77. Serving and retired police officers from Dibble's old precinct, 32nd on West 135th Street, held a day of rememberance for their former colleague.

Born in 1930, Charlie Dibble joined the NYPD shortly after the Second World War. He was a well liked officer with colleagues and superiors alike rating him as future detective material. A future than never came to be. His career came to an abrupt end in 1959 after being implicated, although never convicted, in a police corruption scandal. A good service record, along with two citations for bravery, ensured that Dibble remained in the police force but further advancement in the department was a best 'uncertain'.

Shortly after these events he was called to a robbery in progess that went tragically wrong. Dibble was unhurt but took 12 weeks paid leave. The stress of the job, increasingly heavy drinking and the resulting breakdown of his marriage to childhood sweetheart, Betsy took a heavy toll on Charlie Dibble. He never returned to active duty.

Two years later Dibble was back in uniform, although unoffically, and patrolling the back alleys of Manhattan. Lt. Henry Goldblume (rtd) recalls being called out to investigate reports of a police officer "acting strangely" in an alley off East 51st Street. "When we arrived on the scene we recognised Charlie immediately. He had his old uniform on and was shouting at some stray cats."

Charlie Dibble, still heavily drinking at that time, had become convinced that some alley cats were involved several instances of petty crime. "He really had it in for those cats," said Goldblume "especially one cat, a yellow one, who Charlie took to be the ringleader." Despite his bizarre behaviour, Dibble wasn't seen as a threat and continued to 'police' the Manhatten alley for 20 years even becoming a minor local celebrity.