Police Tape Gets National Attention

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A 26-minute videotape recorded by a Metro-North Railroad police officer in Grand Central Terminal five years ago has caused a major shakeup at the railroad and become the focus of news reports around the nation.

The railroad's police chief has been dismissed; seven officers who appear on the tape have been suspended, and Governor Cuomo has asked the state to revoke their police commissions.

Underlying the controversy are the fact that some of the men are members of a group of officers that had sought the chief's dismissal and assertions by a retired captain that the chief kept the tape for two years ''to hold over their heads.''

The railroad president, Peter Stangl, in announcing the dismissal of Chief John Esposito on Friday, said he had ''made an inexcusable error in judgment by not telling either his supervisor or me about the existence'' of the videotape. Controversial Scenes

What has riveted attention on the tape are scenes in which one officer appears nearly nude and makes racist remarks to a homeless man. Parts of those scenes have been shown on network newscasts.

The seven officers are Lieut. Joseph Angelo, Sgt. Nicholas Prisco, Sgt. Thomas Olenick, Officer Sergio Mezzina, who made most of the tape, Sgt. Frank Dowd, Officer Glenn Pleeter and Sgt. Richard DeClara.

The tape was made late at night on St. Patrick's Day in March 1983, during a railroad strike. The terminal is nearly deserted. Here is a fuller description:

Scene 1, Squad Room - Sergeant DeClara stirs coffee. Seconds later, he lowers his pants and makes a scatological gesture. ''I can't wait to see this on tape,'' he says.

Scene 2, Squad Room - Lieutenant Angelo, Sergeant Olenick and Sergeant Dowd are seated around a table. Sergeant Dowd lifts his coffee cup and says, ''Happy St. Patrick's Day.''

Scene 3, Main Concourse - Sergeant Dowd walks in a hulking manner and says, ''The Monster of Grand Central.'' He then says, ''Let's do it military-wise.'' He comes to attention, salutes Lieutenant Angelo and falls forward, stiffly, until he steps to stop the fall.

Scene 4, Main Concourse - Lieutenant Angelo walks to the information booth, spreads his arms and says, ''What am I supposed to do?''

Scene 5, Main Concourse, Near Waiting Room - Officer Mezzina has given the camera to Lieutenant Angelo. The camera zooms in on the Metro-North insignia on Officer Mezzina's shoulder, then scans him from toe to head. Sergeant Dowd skip-steps onto the screen and says, ''I'm just a walk-on.''

Scene 6, Near a Water Fountain -Sergeant DeClara interviews a homeless woman. He says, ''Cold out there today?'' She says, ''Ice cold.'' He says, ''How's everything?'' She says, ''Well, I feel pretty good.'' He says, ''Have you eaten lately?'' Her answer is inaudible. Lieutenant Angelo and Sergeant Prisco drive up in the police patrol cart. They make clowning faces into the camera. Sergeant DeClara walks toward the cart and says, ''She smells bad.''

Scene 7, Site Uncertain - Lieutenant Angelo asks a homeless woman wearing slippers, ''How are you feeling?'' Sergeant DeClara enters the scene and says, ''What you need are some Dr. Scholl's foot pads.'' She says she suffers from carbuncles. Sergeant DeClara says, ''Carbuncles can hurt.'' Officer Mezzina, from behind the camera, says, ''Get her to smile for the camera.'' She and Sergeant DeClara make clownish faces. The woman walks away, saying, ''Goodnight, gentlemen. I'm on 'Candid Camera.' ''

Scene 8, Waiting Room - Sergeant DeClara tells a woman lying on a bench to move along. He holds his nose.

Scene 9, Coffee Shop - Sergeant DeClara removes a man who apparently is homeless from the coffee shop, saying: ''Decent people need protection through the streets of New York and walking through restaurants. I'm now going to show you to the door.'' The man asks, ''Why?'' Sergeant DeClara says, ''Because that's where you have to go through to get out in the street.''

Scene 10, Coffee Shop - A young man sits next to Sergeant DeClara at the counter, his arm around the sergeant's shoulder. Sergeant DeClara says: ''You're a handsome young man. Ever met a gay cop?'' A woman enters the shop, and the sergeant jumps up and says: ''Oh, my God, it's Gwendolyn. Hey, listen, Gwendolyn, I didn't mean to do anything to you two years ago.'' The woman slaps him, and he falls to the ground. It is obvious they are play-acting.

Scene 11, Site Uncertain - Sergeant DeClara asks a homeless man, ''When did you notice you were turning black?'' and, then, ''Did you find yourself eating a lot of watermelon, tap-dancing, shining shoes?'' The man says, ''A little watermelon.'' The sergeant says, ''A little watermelon, just a little, but the white is still coming out. You're revolting against watermelon.'' The man says, ''It makes me go to the bathroom.'' The sergeant says, ''In other words, this conscience of black being you just acquired is actually driving you into a hellhole like this.''

Scene 12, Lower Concourse, Outside Squad Room - Sergeant DeClara, wearing only his hat, tie, holster and shoes, is approached by Sergeant Prisco and an unidentified man. Officer Pleeter stands to the right. Sergeant Prisco says: ''You know, there's something wrong about you. The tie isn't right. You didn't knot it right.'' Sergeant Prisco then makes an obscene comment.

Scene 13, the Lower Concourse -Sergeant DeClara, still nearly nude, checks locks on store doors.