History of the WPD

By William E. Lavash

The first official police officer in Waltham, Massachusetts, was James Coolidge. He was appointed in the year 1852, when Waltham was still a town and had a population of only 17,000.

The local lockup, as it was referred to in those days, was located in portion of the Alvin L. Jewell and Company weather vane factory. The factory was located on the southwest corner of Main and Elm Streets, a site that is now occupied by the Waltham City Hall. The factory served as the police station until 1871, when larger quarters were provided. During that year the old brick District 1 schoolhouse was altered and converted into a police station. This building was located on the southeast corner of Lexington and School Streets, and adjacent to land which was eventually to be used as the site of a new police building.

The police department had increased to five men by 1872, and at that time Nathaniel A. Moody was appointed as clerk of the department. Officer Moody

kept all records of the department and he handled all communications. In 1880, the town selectmen decided that the department would run more efficiently under the direction of a chief. Moody, who was the senior officer at that time, was appointed Waltham’s first Chief of Police. He remained at the department’s helm for five years, until Waltham incorporated a city.

On January 5, 1885, Waltham officially became a city, and as such began drawing up its charter. The ordinance pertaining to the police department, which called for a chief and seven patrolmen, was voted on and approved on February 3, 1885. The very next day the mayor presented a list of candidates, from a civil service list, to the Board of Aldermen for approval. The Aldermen voted to appoint Charles H.D. Stockbridge as Chief of Police. Stockbridge was only thirty-five years of age, and had no previous police experience. Ex-Chief Moody was returned to the ranks as a patrolman. The Aldermen also approved six other patrolmen, eight Special Police, ten substitute officers, and eight men to serve as Fire-Police, under the direction of the Chief of Police.

The pay scale for the police department at that time was; Chief--$1500 per year; Patrolmen--$2.50 per day for the first year and $2.75 per day thereafter.

Chief Stockbridge held the position for less than a year. He retired on January 5, 1886, and Naroy G. Burleigh was named as the new chief.

Chief Burleigh’s administration saw the department increase to eleven men by 1888. The rank of sergeant was created in May of that year, and William McKenna was appointed to the position. The pay for sergeant was set at $3.00 per day.

The working schedule in that year found the chief and two patrolmen working the day shift, and the sergeant, six patrolmen and the keeper of the lockup working the night shift.

On November 29, 1889, the idea of service stripes was introduced to the department. An officer was to wear on stripe on his right sleeve for each five years of service he had with the department. This basic idea is still used by the department today. Today’s department finds an officer wearing one inch bar on the lower portion of each sleeve to designate each five years of service. Just recently the higher-ranking officers began wearing their stripes facing up, where they used to where them facing down. The bars are blue in color for the patrolmen, and gold for the superior officers.

In May of 1890, the first police signal boxes were installed in Waltham by the Gamewell Company. Ten of these boxes were installed in various sections of the city and they allowed an officer to record his duty calls in the police station from his route. A more modern system, produced by the same Gamewell Company, was still in use by the department into the 1980’s. The total number signal boxes had increased to forty-two.

Chief Burleigh resigned on March 25, 1891, and James H. McKenna was named as Waltham’s fourth Chief of Police. One month after Chief McKenna’s appointment he instituted a working schedule which included a "house day". The house day system worked as follows: two officers would work a shift from 6:00 P.M. until 4:00 A.M. patrolling their regular route. They would then return to the police station and sleep there until 8:30 A.M., at which time they were awakened and required to work in the station during that day. One of these officers was relieved at noontime and the other was relieved at 5:30 P.M. The officer that was relieved at noon was required to return at 6:00 P.M. that same night and patrol his regular route until midnight.

A new police station was built adjacent to the old one during 1892, at a cost of $36,000. Official dedication ceremonies too place on July 28, 1892. The building, which is now numbered 25 Lexington Street, remained in service, as a police station, for seventy-two years. The District Court was located on the second floor of the station. The building is still in use today, housing several of Waltham’s other city departments.

The population of the city had grown to approximately 22,000 by

1893, and the department had increased to thirteen patrolmen, one wagon driver, one sergeant and the chief. The rank of Police

Inspector was created during that year, on February 27^th, Sergeant William McKenna was appointed to the position.

The position of liquor officer was created in 1906, and the department’s senior, Thomas Tully, was appointed the job. Officer Tully served more time as a police officer than any man in the department’s history. He served a total of forty-six years and two months.

December 18, 1911 saw the creation of the ranks of captain and lieutenant. The department now had reached a total of twenty-seven men. The same year saw the chief request motor vehicles in his budget, only to have the request denied by the Aldermen.

The department’s first motor vehicle was delivered to the station on February 5, 1917. This vehicle was a patrol wagon built by the Buick Company. The body of the chassis was painted black, and

"City Of Waltham" was painted on the sides in six-inch letters. "Police Department" was painted in two-inch letters at the

bottom of the driver’s seat. The wagon was capable of carrying sixteen men, including the driver. The new patrol wagon was to serve a dual purpose, transporting injured persons to the hospital and transporting prisoners to the station. The wagon eventually acquired the nickname of "Black Maria". The man designated the driver of the department’s first vehicle was Officer Stephen Connolly. In April of that same year the department purchased a seven-passenger Chandler cruising car.

The three platoon system was first introduced to the department in 1918, at which time the complement of men had reached thirty-one. The officers at this time were receiving on day off in eight, and ten days vacation.

Chief McKenna retired on April 26, 1926, and Richard Currin, a thirty-four year veteran of the department was appointed chief. During Currin’s administration the department increased to forty-four men. Chief Currin also increased the superior officer ranks to one captain, three lieutenants, and three sergeants.

On August 15, 1936, the department acquired its first "mugging", or photo equipment. The equipment was purchased for $250 and placed in the inspector’s office. Photos were taken of all persons charged with a serious crime. Prior to obtaining this equipment it was necessary for the department to transport a prisoner to the Newton Police station, or to a local photographer if pictures were to be taken of him.

Chief Currin retired on October 23, 1937, after forty-six years of service with the department. Lieutenant Inspector Asa E. McKenna was appointed chief. During Chief McKenna’s nineteen years at the department’s helm, he instituted innumerable changes. October of 1937 saw the officer’s days off system from one day off in eight to one days off in six.

Chief McKenna created the Accident Prevention Bureau, which is now known as the Traffic Department, in 1938. Officer Joseph Cunningham was placed in charge of the bureau. A camera

was purchased for the bureau at a cost of $150. Pictures of all fatal accidents were taken and a system to keep track of the location of all accidents in the city was introduced. This system included the use of a "pin map". Pins of various colors, which signified different types of accidents, were placed on a map of the city. This allowed a person to ascertain the

accident pattern of the city at a glance.

1938 also saw the position of the Lieutenant Inspector abolished from the department, the inception of in-service training, and the introduction of the "Iron Claw". The iron claw has the appearance of a single handcuff with a handle, and it is used to restrain a prisoner. This piece of equipment was approved by the mayor, but with the stipulation that any officer that wished to carry one had to purchase it from his own funds.

The first two-way radios were installed in the police cars in May of 1939. Prior to that date receivers only were in the cruisers, and the transmitting station was the Newton Police Station. All messages had to be phoned to the Newton station and then relayed to our cruisers. The elimination of this relaying system greatly improved the efficiency of the Waltham Department. The cost of installing the radios was $1700, plus $300 per year rental charge.

The Auxiliary Police and the position of War Officer were created in September of 1941. Lieutenant Cunningham was appointed War Officer and was placed in the charge of the fifty-man Auxiliary Police Force. The main purpose of the Auxiliary Police at this time was National Defense. These men were volunteers, and served without pay.

The department had increased its complement by 1949, and now had a total of fifty-eight men. The department now had forty-five patrolmen, six sergeants, five lieutenants, one captain and the chief.

The days off system was changed from one day off in six days to two days off in seven during 1947. Until April, 1953, the cruisers in Waltham had no marking whatsoever to indicate that they were police vehicles. It was decided in that year to paint the cruisers two-tone blue. The color blue was rejected due to the fact that the State Police were that color. Four of the cruisers were painted green and cream, and the word "POLICE" was painted on the rear window. The city seal was placed on both front doors and the words; "EMERGENCY, WA5-1126" was painted on the trunk.

Chief McKenna retired in 1955, and the mayor appointed Captain William Cunningham Acting Chief pending the appointment of a new chief.

Chief William F. Carmody was appointed Chief of Police on June 30,

1956. Shortly after Chief Carmody took office he created the Women’s Police Traffic Force. These women were dressed in the traditional police blue and wore badges signifying the office. The duties of these women were to attend to the various traffic assignments at selected intersections. The women worked five days a week and were paid $500 per month. This organization is now

known as School Traffic Supervisors, and has increased in number to forty-seven regulars and ten reserves.

The department’s first Deputy Chief was appointed on May 28, 1958. Provisional Deputy Chief Francis A. Dacey was appointed to the position. Deputy Chief Dacey remained at the post he held for many years as head of the department’s Detective Bureau.

Detective Charles Feeley was appointed as the department’s first Juvenile Officer in 1957. All juvenile problems brought to the attention of the department were handled by Detective Feeley, whether they involved court action of not.

A new police station was included in the $1.5 million municipal center, which was dedicated in 1964. The new station is numbered 155 Lexington Street, and is located about one half-mile north of the old station on the same street. The cost of the new station was $560,000.

Chief Carmody retired on July 1, 1966, and Deputy Chief Francis A. Dacey was appointed as Waltham’s eighth Chief of Police.

Chief Dacey continued with the practice of in-service training, with the department’s superior officers conducting classes on various subjects. Outside training and education became evident, as all

police officers in the Commonwealth were required to attend an eight-week Police Training Academy during their first year on the job. Babson Institute (now renamed Babson College) created an advanced management course for police officers, and all newly appointed sergeants and superior officers were required to attend. The idea of policemen attending college for degrees in law enforcement came into being in

1969, and nine officers from the department enrolled in the first such classes to be held at Massachusetts Bay Community College in Watertown.

The most outstanding addition to the department’s equipment under Chief Dacey’s tenure was the two-way portable radio. These radios, carried by all foot patrolmen, are compact, light, and had two channels. This allowed an officer to contact the station, or a cruiser, from any place in the city.

The department’s manpower and equipment had increased during the years, so that Chief Dacey was operating with eighty-six patrolmen, eleven sergeants, seven lieutenants, three captains and on deputy chief. The Detective Bureau had increased to thirteen men, and the Traffic Bureau to five men. The motorized equipment at that time consisted of one wagon, one ambulance, one auxiliary ambulance, six marked cruisers, five unmarked cruisers and two motorcycles.

Chief Dacey retired on August 7, 1970, and Deputy Chief Edward J. Sicotte was appointed Acting Chief.

Acting Chief Sicotte became the department’s ninth permanent Chief of Police on July 30, 1971.

In April of 1972, the department underwent a complete reorganization. An additional deputy chief’s post was created,

and Captains John Gallagher and John F. Rooney Jr. were appointed to the positions of deputy chief. The department’s manpower now stood at one hundred two patrolmen, sixteen sergeants, ten lieutenants, four captains, two deputy chiefs and the chief. This reorganization also saw female clerk typists replace police officers in the Traffic Bureau and Records

Chief Edward J. Sicotte

Bureau; the creation of a Community Services Office, Training Office, K-9 Corp., and the expansion of the Juvenile Division.

Under Chief Sicotte outside schooling was increased with officers being sent to Breath-a-lyzer School, Advanced Management Schools, Firearms and Training Instructors Schools, Fingerprint Identification Schools, Crime Scene Search Schools, Budget Analysis Schools, Drug Seminars and Recruit Training Academies.

On July 1, 1974, the department hired more patrolmen at one time than at any other time in history. Twenty-nine officers were hired on that day.

On the same day the Waltham Police Academy was established under the direction of Sergeant William E. Lavash. The academy is an intensive twelve-week course that is run eight hours a day, five days a week. It is one of eighteen such academies throughout the state that is accredited by the Massachusetts Criminal Justice Training Council. Recruits are accepted from Departments all over the state. The curriculum includes numerous aspects of the duties that the officers will be required to perform when they are assigned to regular patrol duties in their departments.

During that same year the Massachusetts Legislature mandated that all departments create a Rape Investigation Unit. The new law suggested that a female be included in that unit. Since the department had no female officers a civilian female was hired. Susan McCarthy was appointed to the position and served in that capacity as well as the Juvenile Division for several years.

In 1978 the department’s Crime Prevention Unit was established under the direction of Officer J. William Taranto. This unit not only informs the public how to protect themselves against criminals, but enlists their aid in the overall fight against crime.

In September of 1977, the department’s operation section underwent a complete change in its radio and alarm equipment. A system called the Boston Area Police Emergency Radio Network (BAPERN) was installed. The system was to serve over two million people in twenty-four communities in the Greater Boston Area. The system not only enabled police departments to communicate with each other, but also allowed communications with fire departments and public works departments. This system allowed the police to coordinate operations during the "Great Blizzard of 78".

On September 10, 1978, Clare Schroeder was appointed the first woman police officer in the department’s history.

In November 1979, television monitors were installed in the front and rear areas of the police station as well as in the

Clare Schroeder

detention area. The installation provided continuous security monitoring of these areas by the officer in the communications section.

1979 found vandalism and public drinking on the increase in such proportions that a new unit was established within the department to deal with those problems alone. The new group was called the Neighborhood Unit. The unit originally started with one sergeant and one patrolman, but was so successful that it was expanded to one sergeant and three patrolmen. This unit was responsible for the massive reduction in the number of public drinking and vandalism problems.

Due to the fiscal problems created by the passage of "Proposition 2 ½", the department lost fourteen full time positions and several part-time positions from its compliment. These losses caused the department to re-structure, double up on assignments and eliminate some positions and duties altogether.

On June 1, 1982, Chief Sicotte retired after serving in the capacity for twelve years. Deputy Chief John R. Gallagher was appointed to the position of Acting Chief of Police. Chief Gallagher became the tenth man to sit at the helm of the department.

September of 1982, saw the department launch the first of its annual "Law Enforcement Day" expositions. Officer William Walsh of the Crime Prevention Unit put the program together to provide the public with a day with their police department. The program included all the services that are available to the public. Different parts of the program included demonstrations by the K-9 Units, SWAT units, Tactical Police Units, Mounted Police Units, ambulances, lock and alarm displays, Motorcycle Drill Teams, and various other law enforcement related displays. The program was the first of its kind in the area and is said to be the biggest of its kind in the country at that time.

That September also saw the installation of a Dictaphone Recorder in the operations section of the department. This recorder enabled the police to record all incoming and outgoing calls and radio messages. The major benefit of the system was that police could immediately replay emergency calls for assistance if there was any doubt about the message.

September of 1983 saw two major changes in the department. The
first change was the appointment
of Deputy Chief John F. Rooney, Jr.
as the eleventh Chief of the department. Chief Rooney had finished first on the Civil Service exam that was given after Chief

Chief John F. Rooney

Sicotte had retired. The Chief had over thirty years experience on the department when he took over the top spot.

The second major change was the city’s decision to bring to an end the ambulance service that the department had been providing for over forty years. Fiscal problems was one of the major areas of concern for the decision, but probably the most important subject considered was the advanced medical service that could be provided by a private company. The new company provided all Emergency Medical Technicians as well as some Paramedics.

One of Chief Rooney’s first actions was to create a Planning & Research Unit and to install computers. Sergeant Joseph Nixon was assigned to the new unit and immediately began storing department records such as wanted files, stolen motor vehicles, warrants, missing persons and property, etc., into the system. The planning stages of the system foresee smaller computer units being installed into every cruiser which will allow the "cop in the street" to have direct access to all records.

The year of the Centennial finds the department in the process of rebuilding its manpower and services. Although the ambulances are gone, the manpower has increased somewhat since the cuts of 1981. There are now 104 patrolmen, 16 sergeants, 11 lieutenants, 3 captains and one deputy chief. The Crime Prevention Unit and the Neighborhood Unit that were eliminated under "Proposition 2 1/2" have been re-instituted.

(compiled by William E. Lavash Jr. circa 1985)