Sunday, November 29, 2009 9:03 PM CST
Mattoon police to observe department milestone with Dec. 12 open house
By HERB MEEKER, Staff Writer
hmeeker@jg-tc.com
MATTOON — It all started with two men wearing badges and working to fill the town jail with bad guys.
In 1859, that was the sum of the Mattoon Police Department for an upstart railroad town along the Illinois Central Railroad. M. J. Miller and W. M. Catro were the first law officers hired in Mattoon to keep the peace, based on research conducted by MPD of old city files.
They were not necessarily the “Dynamic Duo,” but their work could be challenging in those rough-and-tumble days. On Jan. 1, 1867, police Capt. John McKinstry was killed while attempting to maintain order at a dance in a saloon. He was reportedly struck in the head with a railroad coupling link, according to the Bicentennial History of Coles County.
To this day, McKinstry is the only Mattoon police officer killed in the line of duty.
The community and its police department have both come a long way in 150 years. And Mattoon police officers and staff will celebrate that milestone with an open house from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. Dec. 12 at the police department building at Wabash Avenue and South 17th Street.
“We’re having tours of the department and the public can meet our officers and get a chance to look at day-to-day operations,” said deputy chief Jeff Branson.
Today, there are 40 officers, including detectives, plus support staff. The officers have more than a badge and sidearm to assist or protect them. There is a wide array of technology to help solve crimes.
Now prisoners are detained for a short time before they are taken to Coles County jail cells or other correctional facilities.
But the open house will also reveal the past of the department. Branson said there will be old photographs on display, plus some equipment.
Dave Griffith is the 32nd police chief to head the department, but the title has evolved over the years. In April 1879, David McCaul was town marshal of Mattoon, based on city records. About a century ago, Mattoon had more than 10,000 residents and commerce was booming, creating the town’s nickname, “The Buckle on the Corn Belt.”
By 1913, the police department was located in the City Hall building on South 17th Street — where the Hunan Chinese Restaurant operates today — with city administrative offices and the fire department. The police department had seven officers for street patrol — on foot, of course — and two desk sergeants with the patience of Job, according to the Bicentennial History book.
The officers were battling thievery and demon rum through tavern raids. There was a tug-of-war over the saloons through the Prohibition era of the 1920s.
The two world wars brought military veterans back home into the police ranks, managed out of the former police station at the current City Hall. Training of officers was informal and on-the-job through much of the department history. In 1960, Mattoon officers benefited from the state-mandated University of Illinois Police Training Institute, based on MPD files. Today, regular training on various disciplines is a requirement for all officers as well as support staff.
Soon there were not just men in blue for MPD. Pauline Harriett Russell started in 1961 as the first civilian radio dispatcher. She served 18 years, and Mary Sturts, who joined the department in 1963, served 26 years. The first meter maid was Helen Ashworth, who served for 25 years.
These women and the work they did — plus the secretarial staff added in 1970 — freed up officers for regular patrol duties at the time.
In 1968, the MPD detective division was started. The first full-time detectives were Robert Devore and Robert O’Dell.
The first computer terminal was installed in 1977 at the department. Like all departments across the country and globe, computers revolutionized law enforcement in Mattoon. They also helped improve cooperation between small and large law enforcement agencies across the country.
“The biggest change through the years has been the technology. Just over the last 20 years, we’ve added mobile computers to the squad cars. We are able to do so much with technology now,” Branson said.
Training, technology and collaboration with other agencies were key in the securities fraud investigation known as Omega during the 1990s. Millions of dollars were recovered in the investigation that had the Mattoon department working closely with state and federal investigators.
These historical insights and more will be covered during the open house on Dec. 12.
Contact Herb Meeker at hmeeker@jg-tc.com or 238-6869.
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