The
Negaunee Police Department has been serving the community
for well over a century, ever since the creation of
the first Special Police in 1868. That first force
had a staff of 5 men: Charles Crowley, Patrick Driscoll,
Peter Brown, George Smith and Jeremiah Donovan.
Work on the first town hall and jail building, which
cost $10,000.00, began in 1865 when Negaunee became
a village. And in 1873, when Negaunee became a
city, Charles Crowley
was elected to hold the first office of Police Chief,
with Michael Lobb, Michael O'Leary, Granville Lobb and
Hiram Peck being elected to the offices of Constable.
Today
the force is not much bigger, consisting of the Chief
of Police, six sworn officers and a civilian clerk;
however, our case load is vastly different from departments
of the past. We currently handle anywhere from
2,300 to 2,500 cases each year involving
larcenies, burglaries, assaults, sex crimes, child neglect,
narcotics and a myriad of other crimes and non-criminal
issues. In addition to handling complaints and
investigating crimes, the Negaunee Police Department
enjoys a strong relationship with the Negaunee schools
and organizations such as TRIAD and Irontown Association.
Look for your police department at community events
such as holiday parades, National
Night Out parties, Heikki
Lunta WinterFest and the Pioneer
Days celebrations. Our officers are committed
to working alongside other agencies to improve the quality
of life in our city.
For
those of you who have never been inside the police department,
we invite you to come down and see what we're all about.
Maybe you would like to arrange a tour for your child's
scout troop or sports team, or simply pay us a visit
to get answers to any questions you might have.
Whatever the reason you decide to stop by, we look forward
to seeing you!
Officer
Russell Rogers on his cycle and in an article about
the big snow of '38
(Photo
on left) Officers Hafeman and Van Straten receive awards
for professionalism
(Photo
on right) 1988 Negaunee Police Department
CHIEFS
OF POLICE THROUGH THE YEARS
THIS
LIST MAY BE INCOMPLETE AS RECORDS FROM THE DEPARTMENT'S
EARLY YEARS ARE NOT READILY AVAILABLE FOR RESEARCH.
THE YEAR EACH OFFICER BEGAN ACTING AS CHIEF IS LISTED
(IF KNOWN). IF YOU HAVE ANY INFORMATION REGARDING
THE PAST CHIEFS OF POLICE, ESPECIALLY PRIOR TO 1960,
WE WOULD WELCOME THAT KNOWLEDGE.
Charles
Crowley - Elected 1873
Bert
Agnoli - 1927 to ?
William
Newcombe - 1910's
Samuel
Ford - 1930's
Arne
Pynnonen - 1930's to 1950's
Kenneth
Roberts - 1950's to 60's
Ralph
Carlson - 1960's to 1970's
Donald
Robare - 1970's
Robert
Johnson - (Retired 1978)
Wayne
Parkkonen - 1978 (Retired 1981)
William
Treloar - 1981 (Retired 1989)
Paul
Waters - 1989 (Retired 2004)
Jay
Frusti - 2004 (Current Chief of Police)
CLICK
ON THE IMAGE BELOW TO VIEW A DRIVING LEAFLET DISTRIBUTED
BY CHIEF OF POLICE SAMUEL FORD. THIS PAMPHLET
IS ALSO ON DISPLAY AT THE DEPARTMENT.
