The Big Help

Originally Aired: May 18, 1954 Dragnet #248, "The Big Help," Sergeant Joe Friday and Officer Frank Smith are working the forgery detail, pursuing a sophisticated gang of check passers who have hit over 50 businesses across Los Angeles, stealing approximately $60,000. The detectives interview Tom Dawson, a grocery store clerk at York Canyon Market who cashed a fraudulent check for $89.60—a significant sum he'll have to pay back from his own salary. While nervously assembling a promotional cereal display, Dawson describes the well-prepared suspect who presented convincing identification including a driver's license, social security card, and credit cards, all of which later prove to be fake. Despite five months of investigation, comprehensive descriptions from victims, MO bulletins distributed citywide, and collaboration with state agencies, the gang continues to operate with impunity. Each forged check follows the same pattern—drawn on real companies but nonexistent bank accounts—yet the suspects vary their methods enough to evade detection. Friday and Smith face mounting pressure from their captain as the case drags on with no breaks, while victims like Dawson worry about making their tight family budgets stretch to cover the losses.