Cedar Falls Police Department
by
Timothy Owens
The Beginning (1851---1938)
Local law enforcement began in the 1850s in Cedar Falls. Initially, community government developed slowly. It was a decade before the first city council was established. The first mayor of the city was J.M. Overman. It is not clear whether he created any type of police organization in Cedar Falls, but within ten years the town appears to have had a marshal. Evidence of, at least, some measure of law enforcement within the city is apparent from the fact that the town built its first jail on the corner of First Street and Washington Avenue in 1861. Fitzroy Sessions was the first Cedar Falls police officer, according to local documents. During the late 19th century, Cedar Falls law enforcement revolved around the local marshal. Many small towns had a similar type of organization. The marshal could be compared to a police chief, and he was supported by a group of constables that acted as patrol officers. Cedar Falls apparently had only two constable positions from 1870 to 1893.
The position of city marshal changed hands in 1893, when Henry Phillies assumed the position. The constables during this time were M. Hammond and Edward Boss. Marshal Henry Phillies retained the position until 1903.
In 1903, Cedar Falls reorganized its law enforcement system, establishing the Cedar Falls Police Department (CFPD). Nathan Enlow was the first chief of police for this new department. Even though the community now had a "police department," it was rather different from that of today. The CFPD did not have any communications with or between its police officers, nor did the department own any squad cars to patrol the residential areas of the city. The lack of communication and transportation created a dangerous situation for officers, because if they handled a call and had a problem with a subject or situation, there was no way to call for assistance. No transportation meant longer response times to incidents, which also meant that the criminal had ample time to elude officers responding to the call. While the department differed from that of today, the CFPD continued to grow and adapt to changing times.
Today, public servants are paid for their service in the community. They do not receive a cut of every ticket they issue or a fee for every criminal they apprehend. The idea of having a police officer getting a commission today would be considered unethical and most likely unconstitutional. Until the 1920s, however, the CFPD was a commission-based department. Officers received pay for the cases they handled and an "arrest bonus" of ninety-five cents per arrest. This bonus system lasted until 1928 when the State Auditor banned the arrest bonus, stating that it was illegal. The Cedar Falls City Council then was forced to raise the wages of all peace officers to compensate for the lost wages resulting from the banning of the bonus.
