Eliot Ness’s “Save a Life for Christmas” campaign
When Eliot Ness became Cleveland’s Public Safety Director, Cleveland had the highest traffic fatality rate in the country. Ness developed a four-pronged approach to address this sad safety record: creation…
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The First Mr. Jingeling
Did you know that the very first Mr. Jingeling was a Cleveland Police Officer? Seems that back in the day, many of the department stores in downtown Cleveland used Police…
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19th Century Policing: The Night Toilers
In 1884, the Cleveland Daily Herald ran a feature on the “Night Toilers,” the Cleveland Police officers who patrolled the city’s streets during the evening hours. Below is a transcript…
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Traffic Unit: The Corner Men, Part 8
In 1921 the Cleveland Plain Dealer introduced to their readers the Cleveland Police Officers assigned the difficult task of directing vehicular and pedestrian traffic in the city each day. They…
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WE MUST NEVER FORGET: The Tragedy of Glenville, July 23, 1968
On July 23rd, 1968, three Cleveland Police Officers and one civilian “Good Samaritan” gave their lives protecting the residents of Cleveland. Twelve other Officers and a Police Tow Truck Driver…
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The History of the Cleveland Police Badge
by Lieutenant James J. O’Malley, Jr., Retired The badge is probably the most identifiable feature of the American Police Officer’s uniform. Today in the United States, police officers wear a…
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Fifth District: 1938 to 2020
In 1938, Safety Director Eliot Ness implemented an extensive reorganization of the Cleveland Police Department. The 11th Precinct building, located at 1963 East 105th Street, was designated as the Headquarters…
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Fourth District: 1938 – today
In 1938, Safety Director Eliot Ness reorganized the police force, transforming what had been eighteen precincts into five districts, which were further divided into 32 zones. The newly formed 4th…
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Police Beat: Cleveland Police on the Radio
Always in the forefront of new ideas and technology, the Cleveland Division of Police created another “first” when they partnered with WJW radio and the Euclid Avenue Business Association to…
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1918 Influenza Pandemic in Cleveland
After voluntary closures and suggested social isolation proved unsuccessful in keeping the case numbers down, the city and county mandated closures and quarantines. Calling the pandemic “the most serious menace…
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Police Buildings: Women’s Bureau HQ/18th Precinct from 1925-1953, 3735 Cedar Avenue
That same year, the City of Cleveland started the process of purchasing the old hospital building to serve as “a new detention home for girls and headquarters” for the newly…
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Women in the CPD
Women have a long and honorable history of service in the Cleveland Police Department. That service began in 1893 when the Chief Henry Hoehn established the Police Matron’s Service. The…
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Rose Constant: Cleveland’s First Female Officer
During her tenure, Mrs. Constant found deplorable conditions in many of the factories and stores she inspected. “One shop in which many young girls were employed had no drinking water…
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John Anderson, #175: Cleveland’s First Black Police Sergeant and Lieutenant
Patrolman Anderson demonstrated his marksmanship capabilities one morning while off duty. Contacted at 6 o’clock at his residence, to a mad dog threatening workers and neighbors on nearby Quincy Street,…
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Lloyd Patterson: Cleveland’s First Black Deputy Chief
Lloyd Patterson was born to Ambrose and Willa Byrd Patterson in 1931. They resided in Cleveland, Ohio, living at 8128 Central Ave. and 6005 Quincy Ave. Lloyd attended the Cleveland…
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