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.
The
photo above was taken in 1915. The
group photos at left and below were taken in 1959, 1965,
1985 and 1988 respectively. Click on them for
a larger view.
Today
your force consists of the Chief of Police, seven 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 including 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 or sports team, or simply pay us a visit to get
answers to any questions you might have. Whatever
the reason you decide to visit, we look forward to seeing
you!
Officer
Russell Rogers on his cycle and in an article about
the big snow of '38
Officers
Hafeman (left) and Van Straten (center) receive awards
for professionalism
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 PRIOR TO 1960, WE WOULD WELCOME
THAT KNOWLEDGE.
Charles
Crowley - Elected 1873
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.
