| The Norwalk Police Department, as it
exists today, was organized in October 1913, following an election by which the former
cities of Norwalk and South Norwalk were consolidated into the present City of Norwalk.
The new Department succeeded the original department and constabulary that had previously
existed. William R.
Pennington, who had been chief of the South Norwalk Police Department, was elected by the
Common Council as the first Chief of the consolidated department. Thomas R. Leatherland,
who had been chief of the former Norwalk Police Department, was named to head the
Detective bureau with the rank of Detective Sergeant. Captains Thomas E. Hunt of Norwalk
and Harry J. Gibson of South Norwalk, were named Sergeants.
From 1913 to 1927 the
Department was under the control of the Common Council, one member of which was Chairman
of the Police Committee. In 1927, the Board of Public Safety was created and took over the
management of both Police and Fire Departments.
The officers patrolled the
city on foot until 1920 when the first piece of motorized apparatus was purchased, a
motorcycle first ridden by the late officer Jarvis S. Murray. The first police cruiser was
a Model T Ford purchased in 1925. While police cruisers have evolved and are still in use
today, motorcycles were discontinued in 1932. From the original Model T, the department
fleet has grown to today's present size of 32 marked vehicles and 46 unmarked vehicles
prisoner transport van, mobile police precinct, emergency Services vehicle, four wheel
drive vehicle, animal control vehicles, 3 police boats, and 15 police mountain bikes. Two
way radios were installed in the police cars in 1941. Prior to that time, officers used
call boxes to receive calls for service. Today's force consists of 179 sworn officers, 25
civilian personnel and 3 police dogs.
Chief Pennington retired in
1933 and was succeeded by Chief Jerry Dorney. In 1936, the department management was again
changed when the Board of Police Commissioners was created and appointed to manage the
department. The three member Police Commission, comprised of the mayor and two mayoral
appointees, is responsible for the overall management of the department, and conducts its
regular business meetings on the third Monday of each month.
Since,the department's
inception in 1913, 4 members have been killed in the line of duty. They are: Sergeant
Frank Stratton, killed 10/13/30; Patrolman Sherrold Gorton, killed 6/20/62; Sergeant
Nicholas Fera killed 9/9/71; and Patrolman Marco Carias killed 3/20/82.
The Department moved into
their new state-of-the-art headquarters located at One Monroe Street, on May 1, 2005. |
Norwalk Department of Police Services
