История глав полиции Рочестера: от первого шерифа до современного начальника

Rochester was only a few years old when Thomas Ireland became its first chief lawman in 1858. A bricklayer who’d moved from New York, Ireland not only served as city marshal—he also laid the first chimney brick in Rochester. Ireland was one of 13 different men appointed to the post of Rochester marshal—the city’s lead law enforcer—from 1858 to 1877. ADVERTISEMENT In 1877, Rochester shifted from appointing its city marshal to electing one. Henry Kalb was the first person elected city marshal, a position he held for 22 years until 1899. That was the year that S. P. Fowler defeated Kalb in the election—586 to 567 votes. Fowler served as Rochester marshal through 1902, when George Brookner won the election and landed the job. In 1905—51 years after Rochester was founded—the city created the position of police chief. Since then, 19 men have held the official police chief position. Here’s who they are. 1905-1906 S.P. Fowler The position of Rochester police chief was initially established as a mayoral appointment. According to a 2004 Post Bulletin article, the position was used “as a political reward by newly elected mayors” for the first 25 years. Fowler, who served as city marshal from 1899 to 1902, was the first such appointee. Fowler resigned in May of 1906 “that he might devote more of his time to the insurance business in which he was engaged previously.” 1906-1908 John Gardner Gardner was immediately appointed following Chief Fowler’s resignation in 1906. “He is a man who ought to make good in the office of chief, and he undoubtedly will,” wrote the Post and Record in May of 1906. Rochester’s population was about 7,000 when Gardner was appointed as chief. To keep his growing city safe, Gardner worked with one day patrolman and three night patrolmen. He was paid $780 a year as chief—while the night and day patrolmen were each paid $720 a year. ADVERTISEMENT 1909-1910 J.E. Keller Keller’s role as chief included overseeing seven “special policemen to serve without pay” in addition to the four existing patrolmen. Perhaps that’s why the chief’s pay rate increased in 1909, with Keller earning $1,020 per year. (The paid patrolmen didn’t get an increase on their $720 salaries). “Chief Keller has received instructions to stop speeding in Rochester,” wrote the Olmsted County Democrat in 1909. “So far there have been no arrests.” The speed limit in the city limits in 1909? Eight miles per hour. 1911-1916 George E. McDermott McDermott had already been a longtime Rochester police officer when he was named chief in 1911. It was his first of four appointments as Rochester police chief over the next 17 years. By 1913, McDermott’s team had grown to five paid patrolmen. And in 1915, he added three “special policemen … for short periods to regulate automobile traffic.” 1917-1918 A.E. Gates Gates oversaw a department that included eight patrolmen and Rochester's first policewoman, Minnie H. Bowron. When his tenure as chief ended in 1918, he returned to serve as a patrolman. According to city council notes, Gates was removed from duty as a patrolman in November 1927 by mayor C.D. Brown “for reason of his illness.” 1919-1920 Earl T. Parker Described as “energetic, reliable and industrious,” Parker and his team made headlines for enforcing ordinances against roller skating in congested downtown areas. It’s also noted that he was the first chief to request a motorcycle for the police department. His salary, which started at $1,800, jumped to $2,400 by 1920. ADVERTISEMENT 1921-1922 George E. McDermott Five years after his first stint with RPD, McDermott was back in the chief's office—this time leading a team of 14 patrolmen and one policewoman. Under his leadership, the Rochester Police Department spent $20 for private detectives to “secure evidence on gambling and liquor law violations.” McDermott also added a second motorcycle to the department’s fleet. 1923-1924 Walter Newsome According to his obituary, Newsome “helped inaugurate the police civil service system and the district automobile license bureau” in Rochester. A Wisconsin native who lived in Rochester for 45 years, Newsome was a veteran of the Spanish-American war and a conservationist. An early member of the Isaac Walton League, he helped create the Crystal Springs Trout Hatchery near Elba. 1925 George E. McDermott In 1925, McDermott found himself back in the role for a third time—this time appointed by mayor-elect J.T. Lemmon. By then, McDermott had been a Rochester resident for 40 years. In May of that year, McDermott attended the International Police Conference in New York City, representing Rochester among leaders from over 500 police departments. ADVERTISEMENT 1926 Thomas Slatterly On May 15, 1926, the Post Bulletin reported that two young boys were “arrested” for gambling over whether Slatterly or McDermott was the current police chief. When it was confirmed that Slatterly was chief, one of the boys handed the other a dime—to which the sergeant said, “I’ll have to run you in for gambling.” The boys were placed in the jail … and then quickly released. 1927-1928 George McDermott McDermott returned for his fourth and final appointment as Rochester police chief—16 years after he first held the position in 1911. The department looked much different than it had when McDermott first served. In 1911, his team included five patrolmen. In 1927, RPD was made up of 15 officers. 1929-1931 H.H. Saholt Saholt was the last chief to be granted his job by mayoral appointment. In 1931, the Police Civil Service Commission was established—and Chief Saholt and several patrolmen were removed from their positions by the commission. Saholt sued the city of Rochester, which led to a Minnesota supreme court case that Saholt lost. One lasting accomplishment of Saholt's tenure was the purchase of the department's first automobile—a Whippet sedan. 1932-1939 Louis J. Claude Claude joined the force in 1922 under Chief McDermott. After being promoted to captain in 1931, he became the first chief appointed under the civil service process in 1932. In 1937, he created a juvenile division and hired the department’s first juvenile officer. Claude served until his death on March 11, 1939. ADVERTISEMENT 1939-1945 Harry Tompkins A 10-year veteran of the Rochester police force, Tompkins was promoted to the position of chief of police the day that Chief Claude died. Tompkins earned $3,000 a year to oversee a team that included an “assistant chief, three captains, assistant to the chief in charge of records, two detectives, three desk sergeants, one juvenile officer and 18 patrolmen.” Tompkins served until his death in 1945. 1945-1949 Arnold Nelson A longtime Rochester police officer, Nelson was promoted to captain and then assistant chief—in 1939, when that position was created—before being named chief. Nelson earned an annual salary of $4,360. Following his time as chief, Nelson returned to the position of assistant chief, which he held until his retirement in 1964. 1949-1986 James J. Macken Jr. Macken, who served as Rochester police chief for 37 of his 45 years with RPD, remains the longest-serving chief in the city’s history. A Rochester native, he joined the department six months before the attack on Pearl Harbor in 1941. He then enlisted in the armed forces, served in the Philippines during World War II, and returned to the department in 1946. He was promoted to chief after placing first in the Civil Service exam. ADVERTISEMENT 1986-1998 Patrick J. Farrell During Farrell’s tenure as Rochester chief, he addressed the city’s “developing gang problem,” saying, “It’s not one that should cause panic, but it’s one we shouldn’t ignore or be reluctant to say we have.” To address the gang problem, Farrell introduced a preventive approach to crime, called problem-oriented policing. 1998-2018 Roger Peterson As part of his 37-year career with Rochester Police Department, Peterson served as chief for nearly 20 years—focusing on intelligence-based policing and expanding technology. Known for building personal relationships and serving as a bridge between groups, Peterson notably joined a march against police brutality in 2014. 2018-Present Jim Franklin Franklin was appointed chief on July 26, 2018. Rochester’s 19th chief of police came to Rochester after serving as a captain with the Metropolitan Transit Police in Minneapolis. He also served as a lieutenant for the Administrative Division/Homeland Security with Metropolitan Transit, and spent eight years as a patrol officer and detective with the Plymouth Police Department.