The Big Informant

Originally Aired: March 22, 1953

Dragnet #196, "The Big Informant," Sergeant Joe Friday and his partner Frank Smith are under pressure to crack a string of safe burglaries that have plagued Los Angeles for two months. With a dozen jobs completed and no solid leads, the detectives are feeling the heat from Captain Wisdom and the press. When an informant named Ernie calls requesting a meeting, Friday hopes for a breakthrough. Meanwhile, a routine field interrogation report leads them to Otto Bronson, an ex-convict with a burglary record who was spotted near the scene of the latest job. The detectives visit Bronson's rooming house on Alexandria Street, where their questioning reveals inconsistencies in his alibi.

When Friday and Smith search Bronson's closet, they discover a suitcase containing burglary tools, including a cutting torch that appears recently used. Despite the damning evidence, Bronson insists the tools belong to a friend and claims he's being framed. As the detectives arrange a stakeout on the boarding house and bring Bronson downtown for interrogation, they press him to reveal his accomplices. The case hinges on whether Bronson will crack under questioning or continue to protect whoever gave him the tools.