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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Traffic Unit: The Corner Men, Part 6
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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The History of Commando, the Cleveland Police Museum’s horse
In 1983, Schneider’s Saddlery and Western Wear donated a black horse mannequin to the Cleveland Police Museum for a Mounted Unit exhibit titled “Working Partners”. The mannequin, a hollow fiberglass…
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The Vigilant: Cleveland Police’s First Boat
Beginning in the early 1900s, Chief of Police Frederick Kohler recommended to the Cleveland City Council that a naphtha patrol boat be purchased to safeguard the river and lake fronts. …
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East Ohio Gas Explosion, October 20, 1944: Police Response and Report
On the afternoon of October 20, 1944, disaster struck Cleveland. An explosion at the East Ohio Gas Company complex near East 55th and St. Clair Avenue killed over 160 people…
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Second District Headquarters, 3481 Fulton Road, built 1955
When Eliot Ness reorganized the police department in 1938, he transitioned the force from what were then eighteen precincts into five, larger districts which were further divided into 32 zones. …
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First District, 3895 W 130th St, 1973-present
When Eliot Ness reorganized the police department in 1938, he transitioned the force from what were then eighteen precincts into five, larger districts which were further divided into 32 zones. …
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Cleveland Police’s Star Trek connection
Did you know that Cleveland has a strong connection to Star Trek? In fact, the first public showing of Star Trek occurred at a sci-fi convention at the Hotel Sheraton.…
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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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Cleveland Air Police
The National Air Races began in 1920 and the first Pulitzer Trophy race was held at Cleveland Airport in 1929. This event helped make the races a major American event…
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Murals at Cleveland Police Headquarters, 1300 Ontario Street
“The Police play a role in the community,” says Jud Kline, “they keep everyone in the community safe.” This was the inspiration for the beautiful murals that line the west…
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