Cincinnati Police Chiefs (and other CEOs)

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Those Who Have Guided the Cincinnati Police since Cincinnati’s Incorporation as a City 

MARSHALS ELECTED  

TENURE OF OFFICE

 

tenure of offceSamuel R. Miller 1819 2 years
John C. Avery 1821 3 years
William C. Anderson 1824 1 year
Joseph Martin 1825 1 week
William C. Anderson 1825 1 year
Zebulon Byington 1826 3 years
William Doty 1829 4 years
Jesse Justice 1833 2 years
James Saffin 1835 12 years
Ebenezer Hulse 1847 2 years
James L. Ruffin 1849 6 years

 

CHIEFS OF POLICE APPOINTED
Jacob Kiefer 1853 1 month
Thomas Looken 1853 8 months
David Hoke 1854 1 year 3 months
Edward Hopkins 1855 2 years
James L. Ruffin 1857 2 years
Lewis Wilson 1859 2 years
J. W. Dudley 1861 1 year 10 months
Lawrence M. Hazen 1862 2 months
James L. Ruffin 1863 4 years
Robert Megrue 1867 1 year 2months
James L. Ruffin 1868 3 years
David M. Bleaks 1871 1 year 10 months

 

SUPERINTENDENTS OF POLICE

Joseph Kiersted 1873 1 year 10 months
Thomas E. Snelbaker 1875 1 year 3 months
Ira Woods 1876 1 year 8 months
George W. Ziegler 1878 2 years
Charles Wappenstein 1880 2 months
Enoch T. Carson 1880 1 year 7 months
Jacob Gessert 1881 1 month (approx.)
Michael F. Reilley 1881 3 years 2 months
Edwin Hudson 1885 1 years
Arthur G. Moore 1886 2 months
Phillip P. Deitsch 1886 16 years 7 months

 

CHEIFS OF POLICE

Paul M. Milliken 1903 7 years 6 months
William H. Jackson 1910 1 year 4 months
William Copelan 1912 22 years 8 months
Eugene T. Weatherly 1935 15 years 1 month
Stanley R. Schrotel 1951 15 years 6 months
Jacob W. Schott 1967 3 years 10 months
Carl V. Goodin 1971 5 years 5 months
Myron J. Leistler 1976 8 years 5 months
Lawrence E. Whalen 1985 7 years 2 months
Michael C. Snowden 1992 5 years 11 months
Thomas H. Streicher, Jr. 1999 12 years 3 weeks
James E. Craig Jeffrey 2011 1 year 11 months
C. Blackwell 2013 1 year    11 months
Eliot K. Isaac 2015 6 Years 6 month
Teresa A. Theetge 2022 Current

 

 

NOTES ON CHIEFS

Between 1853 and 1873 (20 years), there were 12 changes in Chief’s of Police, the longest term being 4 years.

Between 1912 and 1967 (55 years) there were only 3 Chiefs: William Copelan, Eugene Weatherly, and Stanley Schrotel.)

One man, James Ruffin, held the top position on four separate occasions, once as City Marshal, and three times as the Chief of Police. This occurred between 1849 and 1871. His total tenure was 15 years.

William Anderson was the City Marshal twice. His two terms were interrupted by another man for one week!

The longest tenured was William Copelan who held the office of Police Chief for almost 23 years. His total career with the City was over 47 years!

Six men held the top position in the police department for 2 months or less.

The most common name for a chief is William (4). Second is a tie between Thomas (3), and James (3).

© 2015 Greater Cincinnati Police Historical Society, Inc. and Thomas Waller