Published: April 05, 2008 11:23 pm            

EGGERT: The city police department — then and now

It is an honor to be invited by the Union-Sun & Journal staff to author this monthly column. The column will provide a wonderful opportunity to discuss some of the police related issues that have an impact on our community. Each month a particular topic of interest will be examined, based on local/national crime trends, police related events, or issues important to people in the city. At the end of each article, you are invited to contact the police department with questions or comments that will be addressed in the next column. The objective is to open dialogue that will bring greater understanding between the police and the community, address community concerns, and give citizens in our city a greater voice in issues that affect them the most.

The best way to begin this column is to examine the history of the Lockport Police Department and then discuss our course for the future. The Lockport Police Department has a fine tradition in providing quality police services to its citizens. First established in 1829 as a constable force for the emerging Village of Lockport, the department consisted of four constables hired to keep the peace. Ironically, 1829 was also the year that Sir Robert Peel was hired to organize the first ’professional’ police force in London, England. Peel is considered the father of professional police services. He established many of the standards that are reflected in our current professional/community policing initiatives. Prior to becoming a profession in the years after 1829, the job of police officer/constable in the United States was a low-paying job. It was considered by many as unskilled labor with only the uneducated or unwanted members of society seeking employment as a police officer.

In 1865, the City of Lockport was incorporated, and the Lockport Police Department was officially created. The staff consisted of a chief of police and eight constables. A number of ’special police’ were also hired at the request of prominent citizens and paid by those citizens to augment the force. In those days, the constables were not traditional police officers we know today. Their main function was to keep the peace, watch for fires, and help at fire scenes. The special police officers were charged with investigating crime and arresting the criminals. This type of police organization was common throughout the nation and did not change significantly until the early 20th century.

Today, the 51 men and women of the Lockport Police Department continue the long tradition of policing in the City of Lockport and take great pride in providing the best possible service to our citizens. However, we have come a long way from just watching for fires and keeping the peace. Along with our traditional police services of patrol and investigations, other ’non-traditional’ services are offered today that would be unheard of 180 years ago when our department was formed. Some examples of these current ’non-traditional’ services include: Bicycle registration programs, gun lock safety programs, pistol permit applications, School Resource Officer program, Neighborhood Watch, child identification/fingerprinting programs, child safety seat inspection/installation, Citizens Police Academy, and Junior Police Academy to name a few. A new and significant ’non-traditional’ service that hopefully will be offered in the near future is a novel and comprehensive diversion program aimed at keeping our children out of the criminal justice system. More information will follow as the idea takes shape.

Finally, we should look to the future of the police role in the city. In early January, a number of goals were established for the coming years. The most important of those goals, an increase in customer satisfaction, is exemplified in our new mission statement: ’Quality of life protection through aggressive law enforcement with an equal effort toward service to our customers.’ Our traditional and successful core role of enforcement and investigation will continue. However, the key change is that we will also increase our concentration on non-traditional services. The goal is to increase our customer satisfaction by offering programs that directly impact quality of life issues in the city. Hopefully our recommitment to non-traditional programs and this new emphasis on customer service will serve to enhance our community and keep it a great place to live.

Due to a recent increase in drug arrests and drug-related crime, the column next month will discuss illegal drugs.

Larry Eggert is chief of police for the City of Lockport. Direct questions or comments to chiefeggert@

elockport.com or 439-6633.

        

• Click to discuss this story with other readers on our forums.