History: History of the Eau Claire Police Department, Eau Claire, WI, 1872 ==================================================================== USGENWEB NOTICE: In keeping with our policy of providing free information on the Internet, data may be used by non-commercial entities, as long as this message remains on all copied material. These electronic pages may NOT be reproduced in any format for profit or for presentation by other persons or organizations. Persons or organizations desiring to use this material for purposes other than stated above must obtain the written consent of the file contributor, or the legal representative of the contributor, and contact the listed USGenWeb archivist with proof of this consent. This file was contributed for use in the USGenWeb Archives by: Nance Sampson 5 April 1999 ==================================================================== Police Department Efficient, Well Equipped Modern police equipment, up to date crime investigation, instant communication and constant education are the hallmarks of the Eau Claire police department. The 54-man department answered a total of 17,373 calls last year from citizens involving everything from auto accidents to homicide. Under the direction of Police Chief Arvin Ziehlsdorff, the department is waging a campaign to receive greater citizen support in its war on crime and in its effort to cut down traffic accidents with resulting injury and death. Chief Ziehlsdorff has stressed citizen cooperation time and time again, noting, "the only way to stop crime is with their help." "There are only 54 of us and 40,000 of them and their aid goes a long way," he has said. In 1967 Eau Claire experienced only a 2.8 per cent increase in the crime rate compared to a national average of 20 per cent. The chief attributes much of this to increased involvement of citizens in reporting crimes and aiding the department in its investigations. The department is also engaged in a constant education program for its men. Regular in-service training meetings are held and many officers are sent to special police schools. At the present time 14 officers are enrolled at the local university and are carrying from three to 14 credits. An additional 18 men attended special police training courses from one to five weeks duration in 1967. Chief Zielsdorff believes in education and training of his personnel in an effort to keep up with the ever increasing crime rate and demands of the community. Organized in 1872 The police department was organized in Eau Claire on April 3, 1872. On motion of Alderman Schlegelmilch it was voted by the council to have a police force consisting of a police chief and two policemen. Mayor H. P. Graham then appointed Victor Wolf as the chief and Lewis Parish and James Harmison as the officers. Records in those early days revealed that one of the largest causes of arrests was for drunkenness. This caused the council to pass an ordinance on June 6, 1872, closing saloons on Sundays. Complaints of reckless horse driving led the council to pass an ordinance July 26, 1872, making it unlawful for any person to drive or ride a horse faster than seven miles per hour. In January 1874, the council set police hours from 6 p.m. to 8 a.m., a shift of 14 hours. There were now six policemen on the force. Wages were rather low at the time, in June 14, 1909, Chief Edward J. O'Brien reported there were 11 policemen and the total wages for one month was $872.09. In April of 1918 the council set the wages for the Chief at $120 per month, $90 for the captain and patrolmen received $70 monthly with an additional $10 after three months service. Policemen were then working 10 hours per day with two days off each month. Other early ordinances include one passed May 4, 1902, requiring a $3 license fee per day to tell fortunes. On July 15, 1903, an ordinance was passed prohibiting spitting on the floor of any public building, railroad or streetcar or on the sidewalks and streets. Traffic Law Adopted The first speeding ordinance for autos was passed Nov. 16, 1904, setting the limit at six miles an hour in the downtown section and 10 miles per hour on outlying streets. It further stated that care should be taken so as not to frighten horses. The first bicycle license ordinance was passed April 17, 1900, authorizing the city to construct and maintain bicycle paths along the streets. Bicycles were requited to be licensed at 50 cents per year. Police headquarters in 1874 were housed in Fire Engine House No. 2 on the northwest corner of Eau Claire and So. Farwell Sts. There were six jail cells in the basement. About 1904 or 1905 headquarters was moved to 313 S. Farwell St. and remained there about 10 years. When the new city hall was constructed in 1917, headquarters moved to the basement of the structure and remained there until occupying its present site in the safety building in 1942. A patrol wagon was donated to the city by a group of businessmen April 17, 1901, but was not put in use until April 26, 1907, because the council refused to accept stipulations set by the donors. Other equipment purchases in those days were six flashlights in 1902 for $18 and 11 helmets and five pairs of handcuffs in 1903. It appears the first motorized vehicle was a motorcycle purchased in 1917. Bird Whipple was appointed motorcycle officer and from this day on the budget would include gas and oil instead of hay and oats. First Car in 1922 In 1922 the council purchased a used Ford car at Mondovi. It need extensive repair. It was reupholstered and the doors were replaced with sheet metal. It became known as the armored car. The health department used the car until noon and the police had its use the rest of the time. Two of the men who made considerable use of the vehicle were Detectives Isaac LaChappelle and Isadore Lennie. It led to a saying around town that "There goes Ikey and Izzi in the old tin lizzy." By 1924 the department had a Buick, a Ford and one motorcycle. The three vehicles traveled a total of 29,320 miles that year and used 1,700 gallons of gas and 64 gallons of oil. IN 1967 the department's 10 cars and two motorcycles traveled 475,306 miles and used 50,642 gallons of gas and 1,172 quarts of oil. On May 12, 1941 a total of 329 parking meters went into effect and the police department was placed in charge of their care and enforcement. By 1962 there were 1358 meters. The two-way radio system went into operation here at 12:01 a.m. Jan. 22, 1941 and one car was equipped with the instrument. Now all cars are equipped as well as the cycles and several portable radios are in use. The department also operated an ambulance service from 1944 through 1948 when it was again turned over to private operators. The first recorded arrest in the city was on April 22, 1872, when a John Johnson was charged with being drunk and disorderly. He pleaded guilty and was ordered to pay a $2 fine plus costs of $4.63. The first recorded case of speeding was Nov. 8, 1872, when a Charles Olsen was fined $6.60 for driving two horses at a rate faster than seven miles an hour. Early Complaints Some of the first complaints received by the department regarded cows, pigs and chickens running loose. Many complaints were made of horses hitched to a sleigh or wagon and left standing for hours in front of saloons. In 1906 the department received an average of two calls per day. In 1962 the total number of calls was 10,721 and in 1967 this had grown to a total of 17,373 calls. Only one police officer has been killed in the line of duty. He was Chief Elmer Sundby, who was shot July 25, 1921, and died the following day. Sundby was appointed to the force May 23, 1908, and was named chief on March 16, 1913. An employee at the street car barn in the 1100 block of Menomonie St. had been robbed July 25, 1921 of $1,037, the previous days receipts. Chief Sundby and other officers cornered the suspect on the Chippewa River bank near the area of the present Clairemont Ave. A gun battle ensued and the chief was shot and died the following day. The suspect swam the river and was never apprehended. Police Chiefs of the Eau Claire department include: Victor Wolf, 1872 - 74 and 1878 - 79 Michael Fleming, 1874 - 75 A. M. Sherman, 1875 - 76 Thomas Donnelly, 1879 - 1891 John Higgins, 1891 - 1907 Edward J. O'Brien, 1907 - 09 Lafayette Elliott, 1909 - 16 Elmer Sundby, 1916 until his death in 1921 Chris Laursen, 1921 - 1950 Bernard Garmire, 1950 - 57 Harold MacLaughlin, 1957 - 1966 (is now [1968] the Eau Claire county sheriff.) Arvin Ziehlsdorff, who was appointed Jan. 1, 1967 Chief Laursen was the first man from outside the city hired for the chief's job. He was a policeman in Racine for 11 years. He made $4 a day and resigned to take a job in a factory there for $8 per day. Force Increased Laursen immediately began improvements. He increased the size of the force from 14 to 21 men, created a records bureau and added to the motorized force. He was well known for his rigid honesty, sometimes quick temper and always for a sharp wit and humor spiced with his Danish accent. Garmire replaced Laursen and again was from outside the city. He was an inspector of police at Ft. Wayne, Ind., and resigned here to become a police chief at Tucson, Ariz., a position he still holds (1968). Both MacLaughlin and Ziehlsdorff are local products. MacLaughlin joined the department June 1, 1941, and was made a detective March 1, 1947. He became the detective lieutenant, Oct. 1, 1952 and on March 1, 1957 was promoted to major. Ziehlsdorff joined the department May 16, 1940. He was made a detective March 1, 1947, and was promoted to lieutenant Oct. 1, 1952. He became assistant police chief July 14, 1957, and was named chief after MacLaughlin retired. --Taken from the Eau Claire Leader / The Daily Telegram, Progress Edition, 1968