Share Your MV Memories
Above : MVPD family barbeque showing the department members and their families at future MVPD Chief Art Nielsen ’ s house on Bush Street . Attendees include officers Jim Siegel , Larry Grilli , Vern Laveroni , Captain Art Nielsen , Sgt . Ken Hallmark , Chief Art Excell and Clerk Juanita Salinero . Photo Credit : Vincent H Salinero
Mtn . View Memories
Memories of a 1940s MV Police Clerk
By David P . Salinero MVHA Member
“ I need someone who can type and file — and can speak Spanish .”
This is probably what Police Chief Art Excell uttered in the spring of 1943 at a typing class of Mountain View Union High School on Castro Street . The teacher directed him to my mother , Juanita Salinero ( nee Bautista ), who was a graduating senior that year . Thus began her employment at the Mountain View Police Department ( MVPD ) and she would no longer work summers in the fruit sheds and canneries .
My mother would work in an office at the “ old ” Town Hall at 401 Castro Street until just before the birth of her first child in 1951 . When she started , she was the only bilingual employee in the office and sometimes the only female . So , as needed , she would help with the communication between the officers and the public .
Her duties included answering the phone , typing arrest reports , translating for Spanish speakers , registering bicycles , and other odd jobs around the office . One unique duty was flipping a switch that turned on a light hanging above the intersection of Castro and Villa streets . This was before police radios came into use at the MVPD . At the time , a cop was assigned to walk the downtown beat . If the policeman saw the light turn on , it was his signal that something was up , and he should call the office to find out what was the problem . Juanita would then relay instructions to the officer .
She also translated Spanish to English as-needed for the court located in the Town Hall building next to the police department . As you can imagine , there would be occasions when her help was needed when dealing with folks who only spoke Spanish and were in trouble with the law . Typically , the charges would have to do with drunkenness or fighting .
The police department was like a family at that time . The department in 1943 had only a few sworn officers . But the number of officers would increase by the late 1940s . Excell would later retire , and Art Nielsen took over as chief in 1952 .
LEFT : 1949 Mountain View Police Department . Juanita is in the first row on the far right . Others in the photo include Chief Excell and Captain Nielsen . Photo Credit : Vincent H Salinero
Come hear more stories from a Mtn . View police historian at our Summer 2024 meeting !
Share Your MV Memories
Help the MVHA preserve unique memories from Mtn . View ’ s past by sharing your family stories and photos in our newsletter ! Email submissions to :
info @ mountainviewhistorical . org
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