MS-181 Dayton Police CollectionIntroductionThis collection was created through the efforts of several Dayton Police Department officers who rescued these documents from destruction. Because of a lack of an effective records management program in the department, most of the documents were earmarked for elimination. This collection resulted from the sorting and saving of documents over a number of years. Brief Agency HistoryThe Dayton Police Department traces its origin to the first constable, Cyrus Osborn, appointed after the settlement of Dayton in 1797. The Charter of 1805, which created the town of Dayton made provision for a marshal, who was required to maintain the peace within the new town. Until 1833, the marshal served as the town's only law enforcement officer. As demands for increased law protection grew, marshals were added until 1867 when the state legislature granted Dayton the privilege of organizing its own police department. This decree was repealed 11 months later, and Dayton returned to law governed by the marshal. In 1873, Dayton again was able to organize another police department with a chief, two lieutenants, a staff of patrolmen, and several officials responsible for operation of the municipal jail. The department was originally governed by a Board of Police Commissioners, however the board was later disbanded. The department was then governed by a safety director appointed by the mayor. After 1914, the Dayton Police Department became a division of the Department of Public Safety, as it is today. Scope and ContentContainer ListingThese records fall into five categories. Series I is the Bertillion Card file of the Dayton Police Department, and also a file relating to Dayton criminals in the Ohio State Reformatory and Penitentiary. The Bertillion System provided the fundamental identification method of criminals and each card includes the criminal's name, mug shot, crime, and identifying characteristics. Series II, the Arrest Files, contains a selection of routine arrest files as maintained by the Police Department. Each file varies in content, some containing mug shots, arrest reports, newspaper clippings and other miscellany relating to the individual's criminal record. Series III, the clipping file, is the newsbank created by the police department as investigations were being conducted. Because of its nature as a clipping file, the clippings tend to be haphazard in nature and do not follow any sequence other than chronological. Series IV, the Notorious Criminal file, contains the information which was stored at the Police Department regarding notorious criminals. This file contains the "records" of Clyde Barrow, Alfred Brady, Pretty Boy Floyd, Albert Fouts, John "Peanuts" Gourmey, Bugs Moran, and Virgil Summers. As a subseries is the police file maintained in Dayton relating to the Dayton capture and arrest of John Dillinger. The local police file contains mug shots and arrest reports, as well as informant statements and arresting officers' reports. The official correspondence file contains letters of inquiry from police departments nationwide, requesting information about Dillinger. Also in this file are the FBI letters under J. Edgar Hoover. Series I: Photographic/Bertillion System Cards
Series II: Arrest Files
Series III: Clipping File
Series IV: Notorious Criminal File
Series V: Miscellaneous
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