The Indianapolis Star from Indianapolis, Indiana • Page 58

ANN LANDERS 5 COMICS 3 MOVIES 2, 4,5 PUZZLES 6 TELEVISION 6, 7 THURSDAY, AUGUST 25, 1994 The Indianapolis Star Rookie Patrolman Ron Santa combines enthusiasm and confidence as a ourfear third-generation member of Indy's police force. cLJ if Photos by Patrick Schneider Story by Ruth Mullen STAR STAFF ft he takeout pizza is still steaming in the hands of Patrolman Ron Santa when his police radio crackles at 1 a.m. Supper is unceremoniously shoved aside as Santa slams his patrol car into gear and peels out of the parking lot. With sirens still blaring, the car chase ends at 34th and Ruckle streets. Santa rushes up to help subdue a suspect and seize the suspect's gun.

"We had a little wrestling match." he explains, oblivious to crowds that have gathered to witness the arrest. "He put the car in park and he was trying to bail." The wiry redhead grins and wipes a watery eye that caught an unexpected shot of If i 13 Mir chemical spray used on the suspect during the struggle. Santa isn't even breathing hard. "I love my job it's a blast." With 10 months on the force, this 23-year-old cop has the zeal of a rookie and the confidence of a pro. Just ask West District patrolman and mentor Ben Meffner.

"He's extremely eager and aggressive, and veteran officers have absolutely no qualms at all about him being their Heffner said. "That really speaks well." Maybe it's in his blood. Santa's father and grandfather were cops, along with six uncles on both sides of his family. He wears the ABOVE: Patrolman Ron Santa, illuminated by the lights of his squad car, radios in a description of a suspect in an assault. ABOVE RIGHT: Santa and fellow officer Chuck Mariner arrest a man for criminal recklessness and illegal possession of a handgun.

RIGHT: Santa talks with Shawna D. Jones after shots were fired at her at 22nd Street and College Avenue. FAR RIGHT: Late in his night shift, Santa tries to finish his paper work and his long-cold pizza. iM-ILl Vt Wi mru Jxrv' jv--- i -w Bit badge number once as- signed to his father, who died when Santa was 9 years old. "I never once thought of being anything else," Santa said.

"And I always knew that if I could get on. I was going to try and get (his) badge number." Santa attributes his uncanny confidence to a four-year stint with the U.S. Marine Corps that took him to South America, Europe, the Middle East and North Africa. He served with a special anti-terrorist team in Panama, a fleet See TRUE BLUE Page 4 LATE-NIGHT TV Lettermans cultish old show made it possible for new show to be a mainstream hit Of course, there have been trade-offs. Late Mghf was funniest when it was spontaneous and unpredictable, like the night the picture slowly revolved a few degrees at a time or one program-long parody of morning shows.

Late Show has its what's-going-on moments basically, every time Letterman goes out the door onto the street but its structure is as rigid as a Marine standing at full attention. Every, night you can expect this order: See LETTERMAN Page 2 blazing out of the 11:35 p.m. gate like a thoroughbred hell-bent on winning the Triple Crown. Recent year-to-date ratings have him ahead of the Tonight Show by 30 percent. A lot has been written about Letterman reinventing himself for the earlier time slot.

The New Dave. The Friendlier Dave. The Happy Dave, which sounds like some weird dance. To some extent, it's true. The old Dave never seemed comfortable withhimself; this confident Dave gets a 25-scond hug and a smooch from Julia Roberts.

The old Dave was typically exasperated when he called his mother, Dorothy, on the phone: the new Dave cluck-clucks over her like he's the mother hen. The old Dave was seen as mean to actresses; the new Dave greets every female guest so effusively that their publicists couldn't write them that good. (A typical greeting went to Jamie Lee Curtis: "Wha-hoo, man, I'm telling you something, that is one happenin' Where is the real David Letterman? And when was he posseted by the soul of Mike Douglas? little verbal dance for a few minutes "But I'm sure we've met before," Letter-man insisted, while 1 demurred that I've never encountered with another celebrity. But then, that's the essence of the Letterman of Late Show, isn't it? A fellow who tries to make you feel like an old friend, even if you're a total stranger. Of course, not many people are strangers as Late Show approaches its first anniversary Tuesday.

A man once ed as too cultish for anything but 12:30 a.m. moved from NBC to CBS and came A few months ago, 1 was sitting In a conference room at the Ed Sullivan Theater when David Letterman came In, stuck out his hand and said: "David Letterman. Good to see you again." I had interviewed Letterman on the phone several times, but we had never met in person be-ipre which I told him. And then we did a strange Television 2nd Radio StewoHaii.