After the turn of the century police practices and procedures changed rapidly. A new platoon system of three eight-hour shifts was instituted. Thereafter, crime seemed the decline in the level of criminal activity stemmed in part from the increasing size and organization of the police force and, in part, from the disappearance of the "open whiskey saloon."
Police forces throughout the years have always tried two types of aid in their fight against crime, and the Waterloo police were no different. They used hounds as one of these aids. Two of these incredibly talented animals came to the Waterloo area in 1912. Their names were Roger and Topsy, and both were of English descent. They were among the best in the country as trail finders. These dogs had the ability to track scents three or four days old and trails forty to sixty miles in length. The dogs were used on almost all occasions in which a fugitive was on the run. One of the dogs’ first assignments in the Black Hawk County area was to track suspects accused of robbing the Hudson Savings Bank. The dogs led officers to a car used by one of the suspects, a discovery which helped to solve the crime. The dogs proved to be a valuable asset to law enforcement. By 1920, the Waterloo police force had established a motorcycle unit. The unit consisted of three officers, who each had a high-powered Harley-Davidson motorcycle. The main duty of the motorcycle unit was to respond to traffic violations and to enable officers to react quickly to any other problems that arose. Because they were rather vulnerable if they were involved in a collision, these officers were at a higher risk than those patrolling on foot or in cars.
An important member of the early twentieth century Waterloo law enforcement team was the police matron. She handled many of the clerical duties of the police department. In addition, she inspected dances, visited rail stations and hotels to note moral conditions, and attended to any situations that involved females.
By the late 1930s, the police force was much larger and better organized than in the early years of the century. Forty men along with the matron were responsible for the protection of the city, the population of which had risen to 53,000 citizens. The territory for which the department was responsible included the area within the city limits, measuring 13.58 square miles.
A police department is only as good as its personnel and the Waterloo force has had its share of able officers. One person should receive special mention. One of these special men was Detective Emil Steffen. He served on the force for well over a quarter of a century. During this period he was Chief of Detectives. Steffen instituted a system of "fingerprinting and recording." He also wrote the Police Manual that was put into effect in 1941. Steffen, along with Detective P. E. Walker, received nationwide attention in 1934 in the shooting of Tommy Carroll. Carroll was a well-known criminal who was "a member of the notorious Dillinger gang." Steffen received even more national press when he cracked the case of a Cedar Falls pilot who was part of a plot to drop a bomb on an Illinois city.
The Waterloo Police Department has always tried to take advantage of the most up-to-date equipment and technology. One of these technologies was a quality patrol car radio. The system cost about $5,800 and allowed communication between patrol car and headquarters, as well as between patrol cars. This type of communication was vital to officers in the age of motorized vehicles.
In the late 1960s, the department saw dramatic internal changes, due mainly to the results of a study conducted by Michigan State University. The study, which cost the city $4,000, helped establish two new bureaus; one was the Field Operations Bureau and the second was the Services Bureau. Field Operations included patrol, traffic, detective, and youth divisions. The Services Bureau included the laboratory and identification divisions. In addition, an Administration and Community Relations Department were established.
New recruits were now being trained at Hawkeye Institute of Technology. The recruits were also subject to an extensive background check. Hawkeye Institute of Technology offered night classes for the already working officers. Two former officers, now devoting their time to instruction, provided the education.
A new manual was written that included guidelines and rules for officers. This revision was somewhat overdue, since the manual had not been revised since the early 1940s. The force was now nearing 120 officers and a detailed guide to procedures had become a necessity.
New plans and equipment became one of the main goals in the Waterloo Police Department in 1971. A new communication system was installed that allowed transmissions to be received throughout Black Hawk County. Officer communication was also upgraded. Officers were now equipped with a radio that could be attached to their belt with a microphone on their chest. The accessibility of communication was a vast improvement and welcomed by the officers. Another new technology that was introduced was the computer. It was beneficial for record keeping and quick accessibility to databases.
The Waterloo Police Department over the years has grown from a trio of officers and a shanty jail on the river to a present-day force of nearly 140 men and women. They have Patrol, Traffic, Crime Lab, Investigation, and Canine units. Members of the force are also designated as Field Training Officer, Tactical Unit Member, Crime Scene Investigator, Crisis Negotiator, Bomb Technician, Mounted Officer, and Bicycle Officer. Waterloo can be proud of the law enforcement personnel who protect it.
