Cincinnati Police Chiefs (and other CEOs)
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 |
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| 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 |
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| 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