History Watch - San Rafael Police Fun Facts

 

History Watch

 

San Rafael Police Fun Facts

Welcome to our first edition of SRPD Fun Facts.  They are not in any particular order, they are just out there.  Take a few minutes to read through them and enjoy a little bit of SRPD history. Some names have been removed to protect the guilty.

 

--Radios in San Rafael Police cars were first introduced in 1942.  It took a long time to get them as WW II was in progress. Officers had to take an FCC test to use them.

--The first police department in the County of Marin to get radios in cars was the San Anselmo Police Department.  Cars were dispatched to calls by the Berkeley Police Department as San Anselmo did not have a base station.

--SRPD Chief Sabin Kane, who served as chief from 1934 to 1939, developed a bullet proof shield for police cars.  He turned over his plans to the Ford Motor Company.

--In 1958, the police department’s first base station had the call letters of KSRC Station One.

--The call letters for SRPD base station in the 1960’s was KMA224 Station 1, call letters for the car was KE2162.  The SRPD base station could be heard by turning the dial to your AM car radio to 1610 KC, however you could not hear the cars as they were on another frequency. The call sign for Com Center was KMA224 and the Marin Sheriff’s Department was KMA224, Station A. In the late 1970’s the SRPD base station call letters were changed to KDG835.

--In 1939 starting pay for a police officer was $150 per month.

--In 1949 phone numbers to the following agencies were in effect: S.R. Fire 100, SRPD 5000, Marin Sheriff 45, Courthouse at Fourth & A Street 7300.

--In 1935 SRPD started wearing its own badges that said San Rafael Police.  Prior to that year, they wore sheriff’s badges.

--In 1944, parking meters were installed in town for the first time.

--In Oct. of 1944, SRPD received two new Nash police cars equipped with radios and other equipment.

--In 1944 an ordinance was put into effect ordering pawn shops to record their transactions.

--In 1946 all SRPD officers were trained by the FBI in judo to improve their defensive skills.

--In 1956 SRPD purchased its first radar unit.

--In 1957, the police department acquired its first pistol range located in the area of Windward Way in San Rafael.

--In 1958 SRPD purchased its first polygraph machine for $700. Inspector Nick Giampoli was trained to use it.

--Prior to the installation of police radios, SRPD hung red lights over the intersections of Fourth and Lincoln, Fourth and B Street and Fourth and E Street.  There was also a call box located on a phone pole at the northwest intersection of Fourth and E Street.  When the PD got a call, the dispatcher turned on the lights and any police car that saw them called the station to get the information on the call. After radios were installed, the lights remained in effect until the late 1960’s as they were used to notify officers on foot beat as portable radios were not introduced yet. The first portable radios carried by officers were put into use in about 1970.

--Up until the mid-1970’s the police department provided funeral escorts from churches to the cemetery free of charge.

--In the 1960’s officers were required to deliver council packets to the mayor and council members at their homes on swing shift, which took place two times a month.  The packets contained council agendas and other items.  This practice ended in the 1970’s, when one officer, prior to delivering the packet, opened it up to read what was inside.  While putting all the papers back in the packet after reading it, he accidently put his time sheet inside, which caused quite a stir.

--Up until 1969, payday meetings were held at the P.D. on the first of each month.  Officers were required to attend, regardless of when they worked.  Information was given to the troops by Captain Brusatori in the presence of Chief Chiesa.  If you had not qualified at the pistol range by the meeting, your paycheck was withheld until you went to the range and shot.

--The Marin County Sheriff’s Department jail is referred to as “45” which was the phone number of the jail until the 1940’s.

--Up until the late 1950’s there was the San Rafael Airport located on what is now Larkspur Street in the Canal area.  During nighttime hours, if a pilot flew in for landing, the pilot would fly over the police department to get an officer’s attention.  The officer would then respond to the airport and light up the runway with his car lights so the pilot could land safely as there were no runway lights at the airport.

--In the 1940’s through the 1970’s, officers got homeless persons out of town by putting them on the train that ran into town and then departed to parts unknown.  The only problem was that just as many homeless persons arrived by the same form of transportation.

--If officers found a person on the street in the 1930’s up to about the 1960’s, who had nowhere to spend the night, they could book the person into Marin County Jail as a lodger.  They would be released the next day with no charges.

--The first female police officer hired by the department was Judith Laskowski, who was hired in 1978.

--In the 1970’s and 1980’s there was an award that was developed by Sgt. Walter Kosta, which was given to officers who distinguished themselves in very special ways.  It was called the toaster award. Officers had to carry an old used toaster with them while on duty for three days to commemorate their actions.  Here are some examples of award winners:  An officer who took a 5150 to the hospital handcuffed, but forgot his handcuff key.  An officer for wearing mismatched socks to work. An officer for parking in the chief’s parking space on his first day of work.  Walt Kosta, awarded the toaster to himself, for wrecking a police car.  And an officer for backing over a police motorcycle on his fourth day of work.

--The first female police chief was Diana Bishop who was hired in 2012.

--Charles J. Chiesa was the last elected police chief who served as chief from 1959 to 1969. Chief Joseph Brusatori became the first appointed chief.

--During Chief Brusatori’s tenure, he would call you at home if your beat got burglarized the night before.  Questions, such as, “When was the last time you checked that building” were asked.  The chief didn’t care if you were sleeping or not.

-- Up until the late 1960’s, officers had to wear long sleeve shirts with a tie regardless of the weather.  This changed when Chief Chiesa allowed officers to remove their tie and roll up their shirt sleeves when the temperature hit 90 degrees. When this happened, dispatch put out a broadcast that was “Code 80” giving officers word that they could get a little cooler.

--The only SRPD officer killed in the line of duty was Constable Dennis Haley, who was shot to death on Fourth Street in 1893 while he was walking on foot patrol with another constable.  Haley encountered a man who started to argue with him, and the suspect pulled out a gun and shot Haley.  Haley died several days later. Constable Haley’s grandson, Judge Harold Haley, was shot to death at the Marin County Civic Center in 1970, while presiding over a trial of several San Quentin convicts who were being prosecuted for murder.  During an escape attempt from the courtroom, Judge Haley was shot and killed.

--The first real police car that was high powered enough to catch fleeing criminals was the Dodge Polaris, first purchased in 1965. They were purchased off the CHP bid and were required to reach a top speed of 130 miles per hour.  Many times, officers tested that specification on Highway 580 at the Richmond Bridge.

 

End of Report

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