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The Greater Cincinnati Police Museum
“Preserving the History of Law Enforcement in the Greater Cincinnati Area”
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Cincinnati Police Department History – 1825 to 1849
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1825
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Latter
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Town watch orgainized, consisting of 2 captains and 18 men. |
4
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1825
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Martin, Joseph
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Marshal for 1 week |
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1825
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Complement – 20 – 2 captains and 18 watchmen |
4
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1825
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Anderson, Marshal William C.
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Appointed City Marshal, to 1826 |
4
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1825
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Budget — $3000 |
4
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1825
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Salaries — Captain $500, Watchman $200, Marshal $10,000 |
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1826
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Population – City – 15,540 white and 690 colored |
2
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1827
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Byington, Marshal Zebulon
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Appointed City Marshal, to 1828, had been a constable and member of the watch previously. Marshals elected bi-annually. |
4
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1828
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May
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Complement — 1 captain, 1 assistant, 5 patrolmen. The Captain was authorized to engage other patrolman, up to 4, if needed. |
1, 4
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1828
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Doty, Marshal William
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Appointed City Marshal, to 1832 |
4
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1829
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Complement – Force reduced to 1 captain, 1 assistant, and 5 guards |
3
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1829
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Budget – $977.30 |
3
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1830
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Population – County – 53,317 |
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1830
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Doty, Marshall William
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Marshal organized the Night Watch of no more than 20 persons and procured a building for a watch house in the center of town, the first of its kind in Cincinnati. |
4
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1830
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Population – City – 24,831 |
2
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1831
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Budget: $6,941.30 expenses for the year |
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1833
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Justice, Marshal Jesse
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Appointed City Marshal, to 1834 |
4
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1834
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18-Jun
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Tax levied, by ordinance, one mill on the dollar property tax, to pay salaries of night watchmen, creating the first police force to maintain a regular police force by taxation. |
3, 4
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1835
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Saffin, Marshal James
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Appointed City Marshal, to 1846, salary fixed at $1000, though common to make $15,000 or $25,000 in addition to salary until the practice was abolished by the State legislature; Saffin was a natural detective, though a shoemaker by trade. |
1, 4
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1836
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11-Apr
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Pro-Slavery Riot — Two boys, one white and one black, fought. The white boy, having lost, sought out those who would champion his cause, persons who wanted to rid the community of the Negro. A mob collected. Violence began at 6th Street and Broadway, known as the Swamp. “The houses of many Negroes were burned and their occupants were shot like dogs.” The watch was called, but were soon overwhelmed. The governor declared marshall law and the hostilities ceased. |
1
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1836
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Second Pro-Slavery Riot — a mob broke into a newspaper, broke up their press, and threw it into the river. The watch was originally hesitant, but eventually broke up the mob. Many of the leaders were eminently respectable and had the power to remove the watchmen from their livelihoods. |
1
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1836
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Butterfield, Ira and Whann, George
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Deputies of the Marshal |
4
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1837
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Watch given more powers, by ordinance |
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1840
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19-Mar
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Butterfield, Ira A. and Wise, James
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Watchmen, per ordinance, to be selected by popular vote. Ira A. Butterfield selected as captain, James Wise as lieutenant. |
1, 4
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1840
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Population – County – 80,145 |
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1840
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Population – City – 46,338, including 2,258 colored |
2
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1840
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Salaries — Watchman fixed at $1 a night |
4,5
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1840
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Complement — 23 — 1 captain, 1 lieutenant, 21 watchment (3 from each ward) |
4
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1842
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27-May
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Day Watch created, by ordinance; 2 men elected by Council; paid $1.25 per diem |
3, 4
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1842
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Jan
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Police Guard established by City Council, consisting of 7 companies each with 20 to 26 men, to perform day to day police functions and held in reserve to suppress riots if needed. |
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1843
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Spencer, Mayor Henry E.
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Control of Watch switched from marshal to Mayor Spencer, who delegated it to a captain, 1st William Small, then Jacob Jacobs |
4
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1843
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Ewan, James; Early, Peter; Redhead, John; Cappin, Robert; Baldwin, Jesse B.; Dodd, Aaron G.; Cordeman, John
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Watchmen chosen by popular ballot (until 1853) during council elections. Elected by ward and from the ward in which they lived. Council decided how many from each. |
3, 4
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1844
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Ordinance authorizing the mayor and marshall to call upon a number of men less than ten from each ward in case of need, and to have these sworn as deputy marshals and to act under the mayor and marshal |
4
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1846
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Private Police established for first time; special watchmen compensated by the merchants of Pearl Street with like powers of other watchmen |
4
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1847
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Hulse, Marshal Ebenezer
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Appointed City Marshal, to 1848 |
4
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1849
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Ruffin, Marshal Charles L.
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Appointed City Marshal, to 1854 |
4
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1849
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Salary: Captain $1.75, 1st & 2nd Lieutenant $1.50, and Watchman $1.35 per night |
1, 4, 5
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