{"id":2913,"date":"2024-01-19T15:41:16","date_gmt":"2024-01-19T21:41:16","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/houston1.one\/?p=2913"},"modified":"2024-01-19T15:41:18","modified_gmt":"2024-01-19T21:41:18","slug":"the-history-of-the-houston-police","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/houston1.one\/en\/eternal\/the-history-of-the-houston-police-2913","title":{"rendered":"The history of the Houston Police"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p>The Houston Police Department (HPD) has long been the law enforcement leader in the United States. It is the primary law enforcement department in Houston (Texas, USA) and some surrounding areas. Read more about the history of the Houston police from its inception to the twenty-first century at <a href=\"https:\/\/houston1.one\/\">houston1.one<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div id=\"ez-toc-container\" class=\"ez-toc-v2_0_74 counter-hierarchy ez-toc-counter ez-toc-custom ez-toc-container-direction\">\n<label for=\"ez-toc-cssicon-toggle-item-6a2cd77ec16d6\" class=\"ez-toc-cssicon-toggle-label\"><span class=\"\"><span class=\"eztoc-hide\" style=\"display:none;\">Toggle<\/span><span class=\"ez-toc-icon-toggle-span\"><svg style=\"fill: #999;color:#999\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" class=\"list-377408\" width=\"20px\" height=\"20px\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\" fill=\"none\"><path d=\"M6 6H4v2h2V6zm14 0H8v2h12V6zM4 11h2v2H4v-2zm16 0H8v2h12v-2zM4 16h2v2H4v-2zm16 0H8v2h12v-2z\" fill=\"currentColor\"><\/path><\/svg><svg style=\"fill: #999;color:#999\" class=\"arrow-unsorted-368013\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" width=\"10px\" height=\"10px\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\" version=\"1.2\" baseProfile=\"tiny\"><path d=\"M18.2 9.3l-6.2-6.3-6.2 6.3c-.2.2-.3.4-.3.7s.1.5.3.7c.2.2.4.3.7.3h11c.3 0 .5-.1.7-.3.2-.2.3-.5.3-.7s-.1-.5-.3-.7zM5.8 14.7l6.2 6.3 6.2-6.3c.2-.2.3-.5.3-.7s-.1-.5-.3-.7c-.2-.2-.4-.3-.7-.3h-11c-.3 0-.5.1-.7.3-.2.2-.3.5-.3.7s.1.5.3.7z\"\/><\/svg><\/span><\/span><\/label><input type=\"checkbox\"  id=\"ez-toc-cssicon-toggle-item-6a2cd77ec16d6\"  aria-label=\"Toggle\" \/><nav><ul class='ez-toc-list ez-toc-list-level-1 ' ><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-1\" href=\"https:\/\/houston1.one\/en\/eternal\/the-history-of-the-houston-police-2913\/#The_establishment_of_the_HPD\" >The establishment of the HPD<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-2\" href=\"https:\/\/houston1.one\/en\/eternal\/the-history-of-the-houston-police-2913\/#The_first_workplace_fatality_and_improved_working_conditions\" >The first workplace fatality and improved working conditions<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-3\" href=\"https:\/\/houston1.one\/en\/eternal\/the-history-of-the-houston-police-2913\/#The_first_substation\" >The first substation<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-4\" href=\"https:\/\/houston1.one\/en\/eternal\/the-history-of-the-houston-police-2913\/#Non_female_profession\" >(Non) female profession<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-5\" href=\"https:\/\/houston1.one\/en\/eternal\/the-history-of-the-houston-police-2913\/#Technical_innovations\" >Technical innovations<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-6\" href=\"https:\/\/houston1.one\/en\/eternal\/the-history-of-the-houston-police-2913\/#Police_academy_and_Police_Officers_Association\" >Police academy and Police Officers Association<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-7\" href=\"https:\/\/houston1.one\/en\/eternal\/the-history-of-the-houston-police-2913\/#Expansion\" >Expansion<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-8\" href=\"https:\/\/houston1.one\/en\/eternal\/the-history-of-the-houston-police-2913\/#High_technologies\" >High technologies<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-9\" href=\"https:\/\/houston1.one\/en\/eternal\/the-history-of-the-houston-police-2913\/#Further_changes\" >Further changes<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/nav><\/div>\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"The_establishment_of_the_HPD\"><\/span>The establishment of the HPD<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Shortly after Texas earned independence from Mexico in 1836, two New York City brothers, Augustus C. and John K. Allen, bought land on the banks of the Buffalo Bayou River. It was here that the city of Houston emerged.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>On June 5, 1837, the Texas Congress enacted the Houston City Registration Act. In the same year, G. W. Holland was elected as the first city constable (the lowest police rank).<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>In the years leading up to the Civil War (1861-1865), the city was rarely patrolled. Following the war, Marshal Isaac C. Lord suggested to the City Council a set of specific requirements and rules for hiring police officers.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"The_first_workplace_fatality_and_improved_working_conditions\"><\/span>The first workplace fatality and improved working conditions<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>On April 1, 1910, Houston Police Department Chief William Murphy was shot and killed by former police officer Earl McFarland. Murphy became the first Houston officer killed in the line of duty. McFarland claimed self-defense, thus he was found not guilty of the crime.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>In 1910, the department bought its first police car. Police patrolled automobiles, motorcycles and even horse-drawn vehicles. In 1915, for the first time since 1873, the salary of police officers was increased \u2013 from 60 to 65 dollars a month. In the same year, the working day was cut from 12 to 8 hours, which marked the emergence of a three-shift system.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/cdn.houston1.one\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/53\/2023\/06\/za_yaqjl5ucbpi5i8bnveyei1ugu5hugwljzkfj5hdz_jnzksym0ulrrd0izpmyp736wl7uu-cgnslhze8kixtqt9tox-pf0d1r7mnafg9fefs70co0vlq79hpqf8vkmuwehhuejcdejle_x_z_q2i8.jpg\" alt=\"\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>By 1921, Houston&#8217;s population had risen to 177,920, and the city&#8217;s first traffic light was installed. It was overseen by as many as 22 officers. In the same year, the title of police chief was replaced with that of police superintendent, and the Police Burial Fund was formed.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"The_first_substation\"><\/span>The first substation<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>On October 19, 1926, the police opened their first substation, Magnolia Park, near the ship&#8217;s canal. It was during Prohibition, so the substation employees were primarily engaged in investigating violations of alcohol laws. In its first year of operation, the facility seized and destroyed around 142 gallons of whiskey and over 9,000 bottles of beer.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>In 1927, the first horse-drawn transport unit was created and the first automatic traffic lights were installed.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Non_female_profession\"><\/span>(Non) female profession<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>In 1918, Eva Jane Bacher became the first woman recruited by the Houston Police Department. In 1921, she became the first female detective in the Public Moral and Safety police unit. Bacher, along with the other detectives, was paid $5 more than patrolmen.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>In 1929, the position of a female police officer was discontinued because police chief McPhail believed that &#8220;a woman on the police force was unnecessary.&#8221; Women were only hired for dispatch, prison guard and clerical duties.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/cdn.houston1.one\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/53\/2023\/06\/0pn9jhhqugasx4rlckmrzzni65fs2lsklhircsscuxcbyse3zr1qno4a5ex-ayzfiawvc3iohmx8pv9ifqwg4399tiep1uv_peit1vakbl1omi6gtmscqfk8vjosrpcdrewadepxdz0afqxidgvdwyi.png\" alt=\"\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Technical_innovations\"><\/span>Technical innovations<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>In 1930, two officers were killed in the line of duty during the well-known robbery of the Touchy Furniture Store. Because the shots fired at the fleeing suspects did not penetrate their vehicles, the department requested more powerful revolvers for the officers.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>In the same year, the third North Side substation, the Homicide Division and the first advanced police school were founded. Two Thompson machine guns were purchased to apprehend the &#8220;desperate criminals.&#8221; 425 special (reserve) officers were sworn in. Also, the first &#8220;Shadow Box&#8221; was installed in the department, allowing victims to see the prisoners, while prisoners could not see them.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>In 1933, the police and fire departments were briefly merged to form the Department of Public Safety. In 1934, Chief Payne introduced weekly firearm inspections for officers. In 1936, HPD became one of the first five U.S. police departments to receive a license.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Police_academy_and_Police_Officers_Association\"><\/span>Police academy and Police Officers Association<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>In 1939, the first class of the police academy started in Houston. Classes lasted five weeks. The first written intelligence exam was passed by 597 applicants. One of the test questions was, &#8220;Why do you want to become a police officer?&#8221; Out of 362 applicants who passed the test, 50 were chosen to study in the first academy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>By 1940, Houston already had 466 officers. In 1945, the Houston Police Officers Association (HPOA) was formed. Although the association was created to assist officers, membership was not encouraged for the first two years. Before 1947, meetings were mainly held in secret.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Expansion\"><\/span>Expansion<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>On August 11, 1952, the new police administration and prison facility were opened. In 1957, Police Chief Carl Shuptrine canceled foot patrols in the city center. 70 officers were transferred to car patrol. In March 1960, the Houston Police Department welcomed its first German Shepherd. Officer R. D. Whitcomb and his dog detected a robber and pursued him four blocks away. They eventually found the suspect, who was hiding behind a chicken coop.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>In the same year, the Central Intelligence Division was established to combat fraud. In 1966, the first bomb squad was formed. In 1967, the Department&#8217;s salary was increased by 22%. Then the Community Relations Division was formed.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>By 1969, the department had expanded to 1,577 secret officers and 223 civilians. Women were allowed to apply for positions as long as they did not have preschool-aged children. In January 1970, a helicopter patrol division was founded with three leased helicopters. In addition, the local council authorized the purchase of 30 bulletproof vests. At the same time, they developed their first video training program for professional development.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/cdn.houston1.one\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/53\/2023\/06\/uivo8o5n6noopdvhftur4lgtve2xdaga-2wkntky504wsjiz5u1yw-tqrtw4macxobtmljnuqegepf3zmnrvwoinqbza6ug5ri7rvu00qcidogrzbkmfyqtl1a03xjp4edzrreswthgbzuzlk67b8o.png\" alt=\"\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>In 1975, the department formed a Special Weapons and Tactical (SWAT) Team. Two years later, the Internal Affairs Division (IAD) was formed. The first case of IAD involved the beating and drowning of 23-year-old Mexican Jos\u00e9 &#8220;Joe&#8221; Campos Torres. Jos\u00e9 was viciously beaten by several HPD officers, which led to his death. Police attacked the man after he was arrested for hooliganism.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"High_technologies\"><\/span>High technologies<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>In 1979, the Houston Police Department became one of five police departments in the United States that had an automated fingerprint identification system (AFIS). The database contained not only the fingerprints of the criminals but also some brief information. The system was capable of storing around 375,000 prints.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>In 1980, a new computer program known as OLO was introduced. This was an advanced and accessible system for processing offense-related information.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Further_changes\"><\/span>Further changes<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>In 1981, the department&#8217;s new academy opened. At the same time, three cadet classes of 70 students were held here. In May 1982, the Houston Police Museum was opened.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>In 1982, Lee P. Brown became the first African-American man to be appointed to the post of Chief of Police. Brown was not only the first African-American to be appointed as chief of police but also the first to hold a doctorate.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/cdn.houston1.one\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/53\/2023\/06\/zzfr-uyzby1d2gpdgxgm3bx3dxwk78nsgufxl4pl8rihetpqvkk9ntrtlxvcokxzztbrdw7d3sibcmpeqqazfmmughigbg6sdm0sucixi-rldysdlx_ckmlkqrpp8htnka9qcjnsext9ojysz0dpves.jpg\" alt=\"\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>On January 19, 1990, Elizabeth &#8220;Betsy&#8221; Watson became Houston&#8217;s first female police chief. In 1983, the department had 3,464 officers, including 266 women. In 1985, drug tests were administered to police candidates.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>The Houston Police Department (HPD) has long been the law enforcement leader in the United States. It is the primary law enforcement department in Houston (Texas, USA) and some surrounding areas. Read more about the history of the Houston police from its inception to the twenty-first century at houston1.one. The establishment of the HPD Shortly [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":333,"featured_media":1943,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_lmt_disableupdate":"","_lmt_disable":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[1168],"tags":[2135,2131,2134,2127,2130,2133,2129,2132,2125,2124,2136,2128,2123,2126],"moimportance":[78,81],"motype":[1158],"moformat":[93],"class_list":{"0":"post-2913","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-jobs","8":"tag-and-the-police-burial-fund-was-formed","9":"tag-houston-police-department-chief-william-murphy-was-shot-and-killed-by-former-police-officer-earl-mcfarland","11":"tag-lee-p-brown-became-the-first-african-american-man-to-be-appointed-to-the-post-of-chief-of-police","12":"tag-marshal-isaac-c-lord-suggested-to-the-city-council-a-set-of-specific-requirements-and-rules-for-hiring-police-officers","13":"tag-motorcycles-and-even-horse-drawn-vehicles","14":"tag-the-city-was-rarely-patrolled-following-the-war","15":"tag-the-department-bought-its-first-police-car-police-patrolled-automobiles","16":"tag-the-departments-new-academy-opened-at-the-same-time","17":"tag-the-establishment-of-the-hpd","18":"tag-the-first-substation","19":"tag-the-first-workplace-fatality-and-improved-working-conditions","20":"tag-the-history-of-the-houston-police","21":"tag-three-cadet-classes-of-70-students-were-held-here","22":"moimportance-golovna-novina","23":"moimportance-retranslyacziya-v-agregatori","24":"motype-eternal","25":"moformat-longrid-korotka"},"modified_by":"Inna Hananova","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/houston1.one\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2913","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/houston1.one\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/houston1.one\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/houston1.one\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/333"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/houston1.one\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2913"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/houston1.one\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2913\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":2914,"href":"https:\/\/houston1.one\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2913\/revisions\/2914"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/houston1.one\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/1943"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/houston1.one\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2913"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/houston1.one\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2913"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/houston1.one\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2913"},{"taxonomy":"moimportance","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/houston1.one\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/moimportance?post=2913"},{"taxonomy":"motype","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/houston1.one\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/motype?post=2913"},{"taxonomy":"moformat","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/houston1.one\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/moformat?post=2913"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}