JPD History
This compilation of JPD history was gathered through research of the City Council/City Assembly meeting minutes and Juneau Empire records.
- List of all known sworn police officers.
1900 – The Beginning
- June 12, 1900 – The headline in the Daily Alaska Dispatch read, “Alaska Bill Has Passed”. The bill moved the seat of government for Alaska from Sitka to Juneau.
- June 29, 1900 – The citizens of Juneau voted by a 161-19 margin to form a city. Juneau and Skagway were the first to incorporate in Alaska.
- June 30, 1900 – The first meeting of the newly elected and duly qualified Council for the incorporated City of Juneau was held at the rooms of the Chamber of Commerce, in the City of Juneau.
- Ordinance #1 dealt with garbage disposal and sanitation.
- Ordinance #2 provided for fire protection with the City taking over the volunteer fire department.
- Ordinance #3 required dogs to be licensed and set up a city dog pound on Fourth St. where the present-day Alaska Office Building stands.
- August 17, 1900 – The application of William Holm for City Marshal was received and placed on file.
- September 6, 1900 – The newly formed Common Council voted H.H. Folsom, Police Judge. W.S. Staley was elected City Marshal, with his compensation fixed at $50 per month plus fees.
- October 3, 1900 – Ordinance #5 became effective creating the Juneau Police Department.
- October 13, 1900 – Dan Kennedy was elected night watchman with a salary fixed at $100 per month. The night watchman’s primary duty was to watch for fires, but he also watched over the safety of the public in general during the hours of darkness.
1901
- January 31, 1901 – The compensation for the Marshal dropped to $40 per month and he was granted 35 days leave of absence. During his absence, B.J. Maguire acted as Marshal.
The City Clerk was ordered to notify L.W. Jones in charge of fire apparatus, the Pound Master, and also the fire wardens that the Council desired to make other arrangements and would accept their resignations.
- February 6, 1901 – The night watchman was instructed to make a list each night of all incandescent lights that were not burning and to notify the Electric Light Co. which was instructed that the night watchman’s notice must be observed.
- March 19, 1901 – The Marshal was instructed to notify the Franklin Hotel, the New York Restaurant, the Nevada Restaurant and others to stop dumping garbage on the beach and to file a complaint in the Police Court against those who did not comply.
To see more JPD History click on one of the links below:
Historic Image of Downtown Juneau
Image Ordinance of October 3, 1900
Dan Kennedy
