Harold Bates

Harold A. Bates
Actor	Granville Van Dusen
Appears in	Season 3's "The Watch Commander"
Call Numbers
Badge Number

Harold Bates now arriving at Central as seen in "The Watch Commander"

Harold Bates getting out of his 1976 Ford LTD Country Squire after arriving Central as seen in "The Watch Commander"

Harold A. Bates is actually a lieutenant that is also a patrol officer for the California Highway Patrol, and is considered a dictator by different divisions. He is best known by his two different nicknames which is previously Lt. Whiz-bang in a different department, and is now known as Apples by his colleagues in this department. He is actually considered a nerd because he is actually so uptight about following the rules, regulations, and etc. He actually drives a 1976 Ford LTD Country Squire which is actually a station wagon, and was just transferred from the Northern Division Office to the Southern Division of Central Los Angeles Area Office where there was an opening position for a Lieutenant Watch Commander.

After arriving during his first day at central he immediately notices how the motors are parked especially Grossie is even parked facing the building. After Getraer had introduced him immediately to the A-shift during the briefing rather than of be a leader he starts off his first day as a dictator when he begins preaching about appearance, orderliness, fuel conservation, and even reprimands Ponch for wearing a non-regulation shirt. He tries to display his first effort of friendliness while in private conversation with Getraer who insists on calling him by his first name rather than his proper given title. While he was out patrolling the streets that's when he had caught Jon, Baricza, Grossie, and Bonnie having lunch at Lucy's Drive In, and rather than eat with them instead reprimands them for violating a regulation regarding large groups of officers taking breaks together. Being senior officers he feels that they should've told Bonnie and Baricza to find another place to have lunch, and back at Central where Getraer is now upset with him because of the efforts that he shows towards his fellow officers are getting him nowhere. He is unaware that Grossie is now outside starting add more fuel to the gas tank of his patrol car, and is caught by Harlan who chooses to stay out of it.

Back at Central, Bates reprimands them again, citing regulations and codes outlining the proper way to have conducted the stop.

He actually does fail to recognize the natural borne instincts that cops develop, and puts Jon and Grossie in a catch-22 situation in regards to their punishment. If not for their "poor" tactics in stopping the Rent-a-Crooks, they violated civil rights by not having probable cause for the stop. What Bates doesn't realize is that the crooks stopped on their own, they weren't pulled over. Ponch stands in the doorway, trying to stick up for them, until Getraer tells him to butt out.