- Police/Fire - Janesville Sesquicentennial
-
- [Photograph; caption reads: The Board of Police and Fire
Commissioners in 1902 included: Top row, from left, George McKEY,
Dr. Joe WHITING, Jr. and C. P. McLEAN. Bottom row,
Thomas NOLAN, left, and W. S. JEFFRIS.]
-
- First police force formed in 1853
- The first recorded criminal act in Janesville was the work
of an Indian who snuck into the town to
- carry off pies settlers set on the window ledge to cool.
- Levi ST. JOHN, who lived here in 1836, however, said
the Indians were generally friendly. Few
- criminal activities - short of a rumored Indian slaying of
a man named BERNETT at the head of the Rock River - marred
public record.
- It is no surprise, then, that the city's first jail was not
built until 1842. The crude, reinforced log
- cabin on Main Street did not get much use.
- Neither did the city's first district court, at first. It
convened in a wooden building on Main Street in
- April 1839. The day it opened, the judge had a "small
day of things" and "didn't get much business done."
- Nonetheless, those living in the town that grew substantially
by 1853, deemed police protection
- necessary. The first police force, formed that year, consisted
of a town marshal and constables from each ward.
- Constables were S. J. BELTON, for the first ward;
Ira BURNHAM and Calvin CHAMPION,
- second ward; Thomas H. BROGAN, third ward; and Charles
WEED, fourth ward. Thomas SLEEPER was named Janesville's
first marshal.
- Though the constables largely dealt with "sellers [settlers]
who kept their spirits up by pouring
- spirits down," they also sought out robbers and frauds,
a few homicide suspects, larcenists, vagrants and adulterists.
- When a crime was committed, the marshal gathered his force
and "Woe to the culprit, should he
- come along about this time!" Once briefed on the crime,
the forced headed out one-by-one to seek out the criminal.
- The early history of Janesville claimed a second jail by
1849, and a new stone building on Water
- Street by 1857. Still, "law abiding dispositions of
the people" made the criminal record a "rather tame
affair."
- In 1879, prior to the establishment of the police department,
the city boasted of a one-armed,
- crime fighting marshal named Alexander RUSSELL. Called,
"Our RUSSELL," he was described as a natty police
officer equal to any brass-buttoned cop of Chicago.
- John HOGAN became the city's first police chief in
1897, the same year the city's jail was
- deemed "unsanitary." Three years later, a $25,000
jail sprang up near the old facility.
- HOGAN served the community for eight years before
turning over the job to John COMSTOCK,
- who served the shortest time of any of the city's police
chiefs.
- The next five chiefs also served short terms, carrying them
through 1919, a year described as the
- most unique in police history.
- It marked the beginning of prohibition, and a 76 percent
decline of alcohol-related arrests in the
- year's period of dryness. Rumors cropped up that another
police chief would be hired, and Peter CHAMPION was asked
by the police and fire commission to resign.
- Desk sergeant William GOWER assumed CHAMPION's
duties, and the council showed willing-
- ness to back him by appropriating $6,000 for a new signal
system to replace flashlights; $4,700 for a combination ambulance-patrol;
and other money for a new motorcycle with sidecar.
- "Although the passing of booze has lessened, the number
of arrests with the growth of the city are
- rising, especially with the regulation of traffic, auto stealing
and enforcement of newly made ordinances," the annual report
for 1920 said.
- The next major change occurred in April 1939, when Station
WRIT tapped into a 100 watt
- receiver and transmitter to go on the air at the Rock County
Sheriff's Department. Three squads were equipped for 15 watt
transmitters, and two for receivers. Airwaves transmitted as
far as 25 miles, and Janesville police quickly announced plans
to get on the bandwagon.
- When Janesville police hooked into the sheriff's department
radio at year's end, a sergeant called
- the new communication system: "The greatest weapon placed
in the hands of the police department since time began."
- William FORD helped carry the police department through
the "black out" days of World War II.
- Before retiring in 1942, he had a new laboratory installed
in the department and withstood a departmental shake-up which
resulted in FORD's vindication.
- Jasper WEBB next assumed command of the 20-man, one
squad department. The county's first
- FBI National Academy graduate, the former Beloit policeman
and Rock County undersheriff set a longetivity record as chief,
serving almost 24 years.
- By 1968, the force had moved into its new and present facility
in the municipal building, 18 N.
- Jackson, and had grown to 53 officers, three meter maids,
three women office personnel and a fleet of 13 vehicles.
- Changes under WEBB's administration included officer
training; establishment of a detective
- division and a pistol range in La Prairie Park; use of a
video camera to film drunk driving suspects and transcribing
machines for reports; separation of the radio communication division
from records; and automatic recording of all calls to patrol
cars.
- Murray COCHRAN, chief from 1968 to 1975, established
new shifts and assigned additional men
- to the force from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. to help during peak traffic
hours.
- In 1973 COCHRAN was accused of "white-washing"
suspected television thefts by officers. His
- inquiry uncovered no evidence, but a John Doe probe resulted
in formal charges against three officers.
- Kenneth JONES was appointed in 1975, leaving the department
four years later when forced to
- resign at the age of 55. His challenge of the mandated retirement
age put another wrinkle in the department.
- Ray VOELKER, named to succeed JONES in November
1979, was told in December that
- federal court ordered JONES - who subsequently sued
the city- to be reinstated. VOELKER was named deputy chief,
a position he held about one year, until federal court cleared
the way to make him chief.
- Today, the department consists of 69 officers, two meter
maids, 21 other civilians and a fleet of 19
- cars and one motorcycle.
- Computerized police and fire radio communication has been
consolidated, police training is
- emphasized, and the supervisory system has been changed to
include a rotating shifts. Records are being microfilmed and
a special patrol has been enacted to keep downtown problems to
a minimum at peak hours of summertime use.
- In addition, citizens are cooperating with police to stop
crime through such programs as Operation
- I.D., Janesville Crimeline, Block Watch and Chaplain programs.
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