The Thin Blue line: Oklahoma City Police Department Pt 2

 

1889 Oklahoma City Police Dept. Flag
Wikimedia Commons, https://goo.gl/images/sf6CXK

 
By Alanna Radle Rodriguez and Judge Rodriguez


Hello Friends!
Thank you for joining us this month as we continue our series about first responders in our great state.

First allow us to say: we wish to pay our respects to the brave men and women of our military, and let them know our thoughts and prayers are with them, particularly those currently on deployment outside our country and away from their families.

However, we also wish to add our gratitude to those that serve outside of our military forces as well. Also called the thin blue line, this group of dedicated public servants serve to keep us, our families, and our property safe. Our hats are off to you, and our gratitude for all you do.
Last month, we recalled the story of the Oklahoma City Police department, up to when Bill Tilghman took over.
 

Bill Tilghman, 1912
Wikimedia Commons
https://goo.gl/images/rP8MJc

 Marshall Tilghman was the Chief of Police in Oklahoma City for two years (1911-1913), during which time he cleaned up not only the streets, but the police force as well. At the time crime was rampant, and Oklahoma City more closely resembled Dodge City in the mid-1870’s with brothels, saloons, and opium dens. At this time, there was also endemic corruption and brutality in the police force as well. In the two years Tilghman was chief, he was able to clean up not only the streets, but the police force as well. This had the effect of having OCPD be known as one of the most incorruptible forces in the US.
After Chief Tilghman left office, the officers of the OCPD continued his efforts, particularly with the prohibition of alcohol, prostitution, and drugs on the streets. During World War I, the police department established a motorcycle division, which survives to today. They also established a call-box system, in which officers on the beat were required to call in hourly status reports.

In the early 1920’s, OCPD added a mounted unit to patrol the residential districts. Around this time, the Sicilian, and Irish mafia had started gaining control of much of OKC. This prompted the police department to create a “raiding squad” which eventually became “Vice” and to increase the force from 90 officers, to 150. This also forced the department into becoming more of a force of professionally trained officers, rather than just a loose collection of “untrained badges”.

The OCPD Raiding Squad with shotguns and tommy guns. Front center: Detective "Jelly" Bryce
Wikimedia 

  
During the Great Depression, however, OCPD also started up their “radio units”, which was a collection of patrol cars that had radios in them. One of the most notable officers from this time period was D.A. “Jelly” Bryce, known for his dapper appearance and for being a quick draw. He was featured in Life Magazine and was timed electronically at two-fifths of a second. It was stated in the article “if a criminal blinked at him, he would die with his eyes closed”.

Thank you, for joining us this month as we discuss a part of the history of the Oklahoma City Police Department, and please join us next month as we cover the history of the Department from World War II further.

Born and raised in Edmond, Oklahoma, Alanna Radle Rodriguez is the great-great granddaughter of one of the first pioneers to settle in Indian Territory. Judge was born and raised in Little Axe, Oklahoma, the son of A.F. Veterans. Judge and Alanna love the history of the state and relishe in volunteering at the 1889 Territorial Schoolhouse in Edmond. Her first published story, part of a collaborative novella titled Legacy Letters, came out September 2016. Alanna and Judge live with her husband and parents in the Edmond area. They are currently collaborating on a historical fiction series that takes place in pre-statehood Waterloo, Oklahoma.
Facebook.com/authorAlannaRadleRodriguez Pinterest.com/alannaradlerodr/Amazon

The Thin Blue Line: Oklahoma City Police Department

1889 Oklahoma City Police Dept. Flag
Wikimedia Commons, https://goo.gl/images/sf6CXK

By Alanna Radle Rodriguez and Judge Rodriguez


Hello Friends!

Thank you for joining us this month as we continue our series about first responders in our great state of Oklahoma.

First, allow us to say: we wish to pay our respects to the brave men and women of our military, and let them know our thoughts and prayers are with them, particularly those currently on deployment outside our country and away from their families.

However, we also wish to add our gratitude to those that serve outside of our military forces as well. Also called the Thin Blue Line, this group of dedicated public servants serve to keep us, our families, and our property safe. Our hats are off to you, and our gratitude for all you do.

The history of the Oklahoma City Police Department begins even before the city does. In 1887, the Southern Kansas Railroad created a stop on their line called the “Oklahoma Station”, which had two railroad detectives / policemen stationed there. In December of 1887, the US Postal Service established a post office at the rail station.

When the land-run occurred in 1889, there were thousands of settlers that settled around Oklahoma City. At first, as the community was built on federal lands, the railroad detectives and US Cavalry shared the responsibility of “policing” the community.

The city was considered under Martial Law until in 1898, with the commissioning of the Oklahoma Police force. They started with 5 officers, one of which is the department’s first chief, Charles Colcord. They held court in a small tent near California Ave.

 

Oklahoma City's First Five,
Wikimedia Commons, https://goo.gl/images/YryPeZ

By the end of the century, however, public intoxication had become quite the problem. In the process of statehood, the citizenry approved the prohibition of liquor in Oklahoma City. During that period of Oklahoma City law, the appropriation of alcohol became desirable in foreshadow of the decades to come: the running of alcohol to drinking establishments became quite profitable.

With the signing of a new charter in 1911, The City Of Oklahoma City converted the chief of police to a Commissioner, and changed the position from being an elected position to an appointed position. When the new charter was signed, the city commissioners decided to bring in a well known US Marshall to fill the position of Commissioner of Police, by the name of Bill Tilghman.

Bill Tilghman, 1912
Wikipedia Commons,
https://goo.gl/images/QbNF9g

 

For those familiar with old west history, Tilghman is almost as well known as Wyatt Earp and Bat Masterson. For those that are not quite as familiar, he is known for the capture of Bill Doolin, and his heavy handed approach to law enforcement. For those of us that are not as familiar with old west history, but with cinematic history, Bill Tilghman was the inspiration for the character Rooster Cogburn, in the story / movies of True Grit.



Under Tilghman’s leadership, the Oklahoma City Police Department took a stand against the endemic corruption, booze-running, prostitution filled citizenry of Oklahoma City. During this time, the OCPD was considered one of the most brutal, incorruptible police departments in the nation.


Thank you for you joining us this month as we discuss the earliest roots of the Oklahoma City Police Department, one of the oldest in the state. Please join us next month as we cover more history of the OCPD from the nineteen-teens through to the Great Depression.





Born and raised in Edmond, Oklahoma, Alanna Radle Rodriguez is the great-great granddaughter of one of the first pioneers to settle in Indian Territory. Alanna loves the history of the state and relishes in volunteering at the 1889 Territorial Schoolhouse in Edmond. Her first published story, part of a collaborative novella titled Legacy Letters, came out September 2016. Alanna lives with her husband and parents in the Edmond area. She is currently working on a historical fiction series that takes place in pre-statehood Waterloo, Oklahoma.
Facebook.com/authorAlannaRadleRodriguez
Pinterest.com/alannaradlerodr/
Amazon