Chelsea Police Department 2013 Annual Report | Page 2

Photo: Renovated in 2000 as a Full Service Police Headquarters

History The Chelsea Police Department remains
one of the oldest police departments in the United
States. In 1834, the position of Constable was
established in the Town of Chelsea and given
statewide powers when serving warrants in both
civil and criminal cases. There was no regular salary
attached to this office but if called upon to “keep
peace at assemblies”, the constable was paid a fee
of one dollar for each activation. John Low and
Benjamin Shurtleff were both elected the first
Constables for Chelsea.
In 1847, a Night Watch was instituted by the town
fathers at a cost of forty dollars for the year. As a
result, the Town authorized the Selectman to
employ a Night Watch whenever “they deemed it
necessary.” A Police Court was subsequently
established in 1855 and was located at 220
Broadway with Hamlet Bates serving as the First
Justice of the Court.
In 1857 the first Chelsea "City" form of government
passed a city ordinance establishing a Police
Department comprised of a City Marshal and six
assistants. Erastus Rugg was appointed the first
Marshall at a salary of $800 a year with a total
operating budget of $4,450.

The first entry in the Chelsea Police Journal, made on
July 13, 1857, read "Write anything you think will be
interesting to the Police Department each day with
your name.-E. Rugg."
On July 7, 1871, the first death of a police officer,
killed in the line of duty, was recorded in the police
journal which read: "For no explainable reason a man
approached David Weber, on duty at the time, and
shot him in the region of the heart from which he
died."
In 1881 the title of City Marshal was changed to Chief
of Police, with two deputies and fifteen patrolmen.
As the population of the city continued to grow
through the years of the late 1800s to the early part
of the 20th century and to the recent waves of
newcomer immigrants to the City of Chelsea so too
did the size of Police Department. Today the Police
Department is considered a "Massachusetts Major
City Police Department" and is comprised of 96
Permanent Police Officers with Brian A. Kyes serving
as the department’s 20th permanent Police Chief.

Chelsea Police Department 2013 Annual Report
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