Series S202 - Prisoners' record books

Under the 1886 Act of Incorporation, the Board of Police Commissioners had the authority to appoint a Chief Constable and as many constables and other officers and assistants as were deemed necessary. The duties of the constables were "preserving the peace, preventing robberies and other felonies and misdemeanors and apprehending offenders." The structure of the Police Department consisted of a Chief Constable and three policemen. As the city grew in size and complexity, the functions and structure of the Police Department grew accordingly, with increasing emphasis being placed on crime prevention. The Chief Constable is responsible to the Board of Police Commissioners for the total policing of the City and for the control, direction and planning of the effective operation of the Police Department. The Department is divided into a Bureau of Operations and a Bureau of Support Services, with a deputy Chief Constable commanding each bureau and reporting to the Chief Constable. The functions of the Department are law enforcement; crime prevention; assisting the public; traffic control; support services; executive management services and; detention services. The first four functions fall within the responsibility of the Bureau of Operations; the last three are administrative functions, carried out by the Bureau of Support Services.