Police Department Annual Reports, 1894-2009

Overview of the Collection

Creator
Seattle (Wash.). Police Dept.
Title
Police Department Annual Reports
Dates
1894-2009 (inclusive)
Quantity
1.8 cubic feet, (5 boxes)
Collection Number
1802-H8
Repository
Seattle Municipal Archives
Seattle Municipal Archives
Office of the City Clerk
City of Seattle
PO Box 94728
98124-4728
Seattle, WA
Telephone: 2062337807
Fax: 2063869025
archives@seattle.gov
Access Restrictions

Records are open to the public.

Languages
English

Historical NoteReturn to Top

The position of Marshall was created by the 1869 City Charter, a position with traditional policing duties. The first time the word "police" was used in legislative language may be Ordinance 66 ("In relation to Police powers"), passed between November 13th, 1874 and January 22nd, 1875. The 1875 amendments to the City Charter gave the city power "to establish and maintain a day and night police" and provided that the city could elect or appoint as many police officers as deemed necessary. Concurrently, however, the language about a City Marshall was maintained. Ordinance 97 ("An ordinance concerning offenses and disorderly conduct"), passed March 3rd, 1876, still referred to a City Marshall and a Deputy Marshall. The City Charter Amendments of 1883 included a house cleaning section, stating that any reference in the Charter to the Marshall should be construed to mean Chief of Police, who had the authority to hire police officers. This amendment was the first time the term Chief of Police appeared in the Charter:

"The Chief of Police shall be the peace officer of the city, and must execute all process issued by the police justice […]. He shall execute vigilant control over the peace and quiet of the city; shall be the keeper of the city prison, […]. Wherever the word marshal occurs in said act the same shall be taken to mean Chief of Police […]." Until 1890, the Chief of Police was elected by voters of the City for a one-year term. The Freeholders City Charter of 1890 created a five-member Board of Police Commissioners to oversee and administer the operations of the Police Department. The Commission, chaired by the Mayor, had the authority to appoint the Chief of Police and appoint officers:

"The Police Department shall be under the management of a Police Commission, to consist of the mayor, who shall be chairman of the commission, and four (4) police commissioners [… who] shall hold the office for four (4) years."

Following allegations of corruption, the Board of Police Commissioners was abolished by the new Freeholders City Charter of 1896. The Chief of Police, appointed by the mayor, served as administrator of the Department:

"There shall be a police department, which shall consist of a Chief of Police and as many subordinate officers, detective officers, and regular and special policemen as the city council shall from time to time by ordinance prescribe. […] The mayor shall appoint the Chief of Police […] and may remove him in his discretion […]. The mayor shall prescribe rules and regulations […] for the government and control of the police department."

A City Charter Amendment in 1936 provided for the Chief of Police to be appointed for a five year term of office. A new Freeholders City Charter was adopted March 12, 1946. Under its provisions, the term of the Chief of Police was not specified.

In 1962, the Department assumed authority for policing the harborfront, formerly a function of the Harbor Department.

Content DescriptionReturn to Top

Seattle Police Department Annual Reports include a variety of statistics, including cause of arrests, occupations, nativity, and age of persons arrested. Police Court reports, where they exist, are included in this series. Police Telephone and Telegraph System reports are included in some years, as are reports of the Woman's Protective Division. The 1904 report of the Humane Officer is included in this series as well. By 1945, the reports include geographical statistics on crime rates and traffic division statistics by precinct; in 1955 the reports begin to include this information by census tract. Description of the Rehabilitation Camp, later called the Police Department Rehabilitation Project, begins in 1948 and ends in 1961 when the project ended. From the mid-1950s to 1970, the reports consist almost entirely of statistics with little narrative. Only two reports exist for the 1970s. Police Pension reports for 1964 and 1965 are included in this series.

Other Descriptive InformationReturn to Top

CF Project. A Comptroller or Clerk File (CF) can consist of correspondence, reports, petitions, contracts, agreements, etc. from elected officials, City departments, other government agencies, or the general public, which have been placed "on file" with the Office of the City Clerk (OCC). They are primarily permanent records, but also include routine material which is periodically purged. Beginning in 1987, certain archival records identified in the CF have been removed, arranged into records series, and incorporated into the collection of the Seattle Municipal Archives, a program of the OCC. A single accession number, 1987-048, was assigned to the transfer of the CF to the Archives. The initial transfer included records dating from 1895. These records remain in the CF series until approximately 15 years after they were filed with the OCC, at which point they are removed to the Archives. The transfer of CF records to the Archives is routine and regular. New accession numbers are not created when these transfers are made.

Use of the CollectionReturn to Top

Preferred Citation

[Item and date], Police Department Annual Reports, Record Series 1802-H8 Box [number], Folder [number]. Seattle Municipal Archives.

Administrative InformationReturn to Top

Detailed Description of the CollectionReturn to Top

Container(s) Description Dates
Box Folder
1 1 Police Department Annual Report 1894
1 2 Police Department Annual Report 1896
1 2 Police Department Annual Report 1895
1 3 Police Department Annual Report 1905
1 3 Police Department Annual Report 1904
1 3 Police Court Annual Report 1905
1 3 Police Department Annual Report 1900
1 3 Police Court Annual Report 1903-1904
1 4 Humane Officer Annual Report 1904
1 5 Police Department Annual Report 1908
1 5 Police Department Annual Report 1909-1910
1 5 Police Department Annual Report 1909
1 5 Police Department Annual Report 1913
1 6 Police Department Annual Report
CF_63200_12
1915
1 6 Police Department, Women's Protective Division Annual Report 1916
1 6 Police Department Annual Report 1914
1 6 Police Department Annual Report 1918
1 7 Police Department Annual Report 1925
1 7 Police Department Annual Report 1924
1 7 Police Department Annual Report 1925
1 7 Police Department Annual Report 1920-1920
1 7 Police Department Annual Report 1923
1 7 Police Department Annual Report 1922
1 7 Police Department Annual Report-Women's Protective Division 1920
1 7 Police Department, Women's Division Annual Report 1925
1 7 Police Department - Juvenile and Humane Division - Annual Report 1920
1 8 Police Department Annual Report 1926
1 8 Police Department Annual Report 1930
2 1 Police Department Annual Report 1935
2 1 Police Department Annual Report 1931
2 2 Police Department Annual Report 1937
2 2 Police Department Annual Report 1938
2 2 Police Department Annual Report 1939
2 3 Police Department Annual Report 1943
2 3 Police Department Annual Report 1940
2 3 Police Department Annual Report 1942
2 3 Police Department Annual Report 1941
2 4 Police Department Annual Report 1946
2 4 Police Department Annual Report 1945
2 4 Police Department Annual Report 1944
2 4 Police Department (Juvenile Crime Prevention) Annual Report 1946
2 5 Police Department Annual Report 1947
2 6 Police Department Annual Report 1948
2 6 Police Department Annual Report 1949
2 7 Police Department Annual Report 1951
2 7 Police Department Annual Report 1950
2 8 Police Department Annual Report 1953
2 8 Police Department Annual Report 1952
3 1 Police Department Annual Report 1955
3 1 Police Department Annual Report 1954
3 2 Police Department Annual Report 1956
3 2 Police Department Annual Report 1957
3 3 Police Department Annual Report 1958
3 3 Police Department Annual Report 1959
3 4 Police Department Annual Report 1961
3 4 Police Department Annual Report 1962
3 4 Police Department Annual Report 1960
3 5 Police Department Annual Report 1964
3 5 Police Department Annual Report 1963
3 6 Police Department Annual Report 1966
3 6 Police Department Annual Report 1967
3 6 Police Department Annual Report 1965
3 7 Police Department Annual Report 1968
3 7 Police Department Annual Report 1969
3 7 Police Department Annual Report (Statistical Report) 1970
3 7 Police Department Annual Report 1970
4 1 Police Department Annual Report (Statistical Report) 1971
4 1 Police Department Annual Report 1971
4 2 Police Explorer Post #943 Annual Report 1972-1973
4 2 Police Department Annual Report 1973
4 2 Police Department Annual Report (Statistical Report) 1973
4 2 Police Department Annual Report, Reserve Unit 1973
4 2 Police Department Annual Report (Statistical Report) 1972
4 3 Police Department Annual Report (Statistical Report) 1974
4 3 Police Department Annual Report (Statistical Report) 1975
4 4 Police Department Annual Report 1979
4 4 Police Department Annual Report (Statistical Report) 1976
4 4 Police Department Annual Report (Statistical Report) 1977
4 4 Police Department Annual Report (Statistical Report) 1978
4 4 Seattle Police Department Internal Investiations Section 1976
4 5 Police Department Annual Report 1980
4 5 Police Department Annual Report 1985
4 5 Police Department Annual Report 1984
4 6 Police Pension Annual Report 1965
4 6 Police Pension Annual Report 1964
4 7 Police Department Annual Report 1988
4 7 Police Department Annual Report 1986
4 7 Police Department Annual Report 1987
4 8 Police Department Annual Report 1989
4 8 Police Department Annual Report 1990
4 9 Police Department Annual Report 1991
4 9 Police Department Annual Report 1993
4 9 Police Department Annual Report 1992
4 10 Police Department Annual Report 1995
4 10 Police Department Annual Report 1994
4 10 Police Department Annual Report 1996
5 1 Police Department Annual Report 2000
5 1 Police Department Annual Report 1998
5 1 Police Department Annual Report 1997
5 1 Police Department Annual Report 1999
5 1 Police Department Annual Report 2001
5 2 Police Department Annual Report 2002
5 2 Police Department Annual Report 2003
5 2 Police Department Annual Report 2004
5 3 Police Department Annual Report 2008
5 3 Police Department Annual Report 2009

Names and SubjectsReturn to Top

Subject Terms

  • Criminal Offenses

Corporate Names

  • Seattle (Wash.). Police Dept.

Geographical Names

  • Seattle
  • Seattle (Wash.)