Fourth District: 1938 - today - Cleveland Police Museum

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 4^th District, headquartered in the former 16^th Precinct Station House at 3600 East 131^st Street, included territory south of Woodland Avenue and east of E. 55^th to the city limits.

This building served as the Fourth District headquarters for another thirty years.

As early as 1966, the department asked for a new home for the 4^th District headquarters, to replace the “obsolete and totally inadequate” building on East 131^st. Unfortunately, the proposed location did not work out. Three years later, Director Joseph McManamon declared the E. 131^st building “an insult to the public and the service the deserve and expect from their police” and restarted planning for a new building.

*Fourth District station, 3600 East 131^st Street*

*Police officer rest room* and desk for writing up reports, circa 1967-1970

On October 1, 1968, the Plain Dealer ran a short article called The Cleveland Police: What’s on Their Mind. “It’s not the first thing they mention, but policemen soon get around to pointing out that the city’s six stations are punk places to work in. Even the newer ones.” The paper ran a number of photos of the Fourth District to illustrate this point. “Even the hippies complain,” said one Fourth District policeman.”

“Plaster is coming loose from the wall above the Fourth District sergeant’s head.” October 1, 1968 Plain Dealer

Jail cell housing recovered bicycles October 1, 1968 Plain Dealer

“Bad Score-Patrolman David R. Biehl shows how the Fourth District records its disabled vehicles. When the picture was taken a few days ago, seven cars were out of service, some as long as four months and some driven 150 to 200 thousand miles.” October 1, 1968 Plain Dealer

“Lounge for patrolmen in the Fourth District locker room” October 1, 1968 Plain Dealer

The 16th Precinct/4th District at 3600 East 131^st Street was torn down in ____ and remains a vacant lot.

Groundbreaking for the new station finally occurred in May of 1973 and two years later the new Fourth District Headquarters opened at 9333 Kinsman Avenue. Built by contractor Martini Construction Company, the building cost over 1.5 million dollars. A major summer storm shortly after the grand opening lead to flooding at the new headquarters, which “forced establishment of a portable communications unit” and led to “at least a dozen squad cars…submerged in water in the basement garage.”