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History of the Police Department in Niles, Ohio

Ward — Thomas Museum
Home of the Niles Historical Society
503 Brown Street Niles, Ohio 44446

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Phone: 330.544.2143
Mail: PO Box 368 Niles, Ohio 44446

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History of the Police Department.

Volunteer policemen protected the Niles community from 1850 to 1864. That year Niles was incorporated as a village with H.H. Mason as the first elected village mayor. A police department was established at that time with a Marshall at the head of local law enforcement. The 1875-76 Niles directory listed Edward Seiple as an ex-Marshall. Very early police officers included Jack Windsor, Tom Williams. Bill Stack, Tom Nicholas and Link Round, just to mention a few of them.

On February 6, 1894, the town council passed the necessary enactment to advance the village of Niles to a city. At that time all of Niles' public officials automatically lost their positions. In other words, the political slate was "wiped clean" and there were sixteen positions to be filled. An election in the fall of 1894 gave David J. Woodford the honor of being the City of Niles' first mayor; at that same time. J. S. Caldwell was elected Marshall.

As early as 1896 discussions were held, wherever city officials or concerned citizens gathered, regarding the appointment of a police chief. At the July 1899 city council meeting, the matter of appointing a chief of police was brought to the floor, but no action was taken at that time. During the years 1894-1899 no action was taken to appoint a chief. April 1900 rolled around and E. L. Boynton was elected mayor. On the 5th of April, city council passed an ordinance establishing the salary of the chief of police at $50 per month. Then, on April 26th, council held an important session to consider appointing a chief of police. Mayor Boynton's recommendation, John Bruder, was rejected on each of five ballots, with the same vote -- 3 to confirm, 3 to reject. Another vote was cast and when the result was the same as the five previous ballots, the subject of a chief was tabled until a later date. Actually it was tabled off and on for the next year as the deadlock continued.

During the first week of May 1901, just four months before President McKinley was assassinated, city council held its regular meeting; approving of Mayor Boynton's recommendations for John Neitheimer, Chief of police; William Turner and John Bruder as regular policemen. Then during early January 1902 our first chief of police, John Neitheimer, was suspended.

On January 13th, during council meeting, the majority of the police committee recommended that Neitheimer be reinstated, but their recommendation was rejected by a 3 to 2 vote. The results of the vote made it necessary to schedule another meeting; but, before council could take care of that matter, Neitheimer resigned. Lincoln (“Link”) J. Round was immediately appointed “Acting” Chief. The Civil Service exam was passed by congress in 1883 creating the foundation of the American civil service system. In February 1902 Chief Round passed the exam and became Chief of Police.

Following excerpt is from Grace Allison's pamphlet about the Niles Chiefs of Police.
"Niles City Council had a very important meeting on October 5, 1900; at that time the deadlock existing for the past six months between Mayor Boynton and council was broken. John Neithmeier was elected to fill the position of Nile’ first chief of police.

During the first week of May 1901, just four months before President McKinley was assassinated, city council held its regular meeting; at that time Mayor Boynton presented his recommendation for policemen: John Neitheimer, chief of police’ William Turner and John Bruder as regulars. City council approved the mayor’s recommendation.

At the same meeting, Mayor Boynton named the following men for special duty on the police force: James P. Lally, George Stein, Henry Reiter, and William J. Davis; but councilman Williams asked that this matter be deferred until council’s next meeting.
During early January 1902, our first chief of police, John Neitheimer, was suspended for being drunk while on duty and for fighting with Sanitary Policeman James McBride in police court.

On January 13th, during council meeting, the majority of the police committee recommended that Neithmeimer be reinstated; but their recommendation was rejected by a 3 to 2 vote. The results of the vote made it necessary to schedule another meeting; but before council could take care of that matter, Neithmeimer resigned.

Lincoln (Link) J. Round was immediately appointed Acting Chief and in February 1902 he became Chief of Police. Chief Round passed the Civil Service exam with a grade of 100.

In 1883 Congress had passed the Civil Service Act which created the foundation of the American Civil Service System. For instance, civil service positions must be filled from lists of qualified candidates in competitive examinations open to all citizens, and examinations are held for specific positions, as the need arises. Candidates are graded by points up to 100; and appointments are made on merit from the appropriate list of those who passed the examination without regard to race, religion, color, national origin, sex, or politics.

When Link Round joined the police force in 1895, the police department did not have a patrol car. On one occasion Chief Round related how, when he arrested drunks, he often borrowed a wheelbarrow from someone’s yard to transport the drunks to jail. That was especially true when he caught the culprits some distance from the jail, such as in the vicinity of Wintergreen Hill, between Niles and Girard.

Link Round served as chief from February 1902 until November 1903, when William Turner became Chief under Mayor W. F. Thomas. Turner served in this capacity until November 1907, when John Bruder was appointed chief of police under Mayor W. F. Thomas.

Bruder was born in Osceola, Clare County, Ireland September 28, 1867 and came to Niles with his parents before he was one-year-old.
Bruder was sworn in as a policeman May 5, 1900; he was unsuccessful in obtaining the appointment of chief of police in 1900-1901, but he did become chief in 1907.

In 1909 John Bruder was chief, Lincoln J. Round, night lieutenant; William Neiss, James P. Lally, Thomas Kelly, and Louis Pepe were patrolmen.

John Bruder was the first police chief to die while in office; he died July 11, 1911 at his home on Hartzell Avenue. Bruder’s funeral was one of the largest funerals for an official held in Niles up to that time. All city offices were closed during the hours of his funeral; city officials, members of the fire and police departments, and city employees met at City Hall and attended Bruder’s funeral as a group. They marched from Bruder’s home and carried the casket to St. Stephen Church. After a Requiem Mass, a long cortege made its way to St. Stephen Cemetery.

Pall bearers were Charles Crow, Lincoln Round, Richard Neiss, Bernard L. Hogan, James O’Connell and John J. O’Connell.
Link Round served as Acting Chief from the day of Chief Bruder’s death until two weeks later, July 26, 1911, when he was appointed Chief by the Board of Public Safety.

Link was born in Niles in 1865. He joined the police department in 1895; he served as night patrolman and then as a regular patrolman. In 1902-03, Link was Niles Chief of Police and between 1903 and 1911 he was a lieutenant.The Niles police department, under Chief Round, achieved a reputation for cooperation and quick action, two factors that were unusual in a city the size of Niles. Chief Round and his department were commended for the aid they gave other departments in apprehending criminals or supplying needed information."

Chief Round served 17 years on the force retiring with a pension of $100.00 per month.


Postcard of Niles police officers: Tom Fitzpatrick, George Stephen, Jug O'Brien, Charles Nicholas, and Dick Neiss printed by Ward Drug Store from a McIntyre photograph

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Back of post card.

Postcard of Niles police officers: Tom Fitzpatrick, George Stephen, Jug O'Brien, Charles Nicholas, and Dick Neiss printed by Ward Drug Store from a McIntyre photograph.

McIntyre photography was a downtown Niles business which took many historic images featured within this website.


 

Early 1915 photograph of the Niles Police Deptartment.

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Early 1915 photograph of the Niles Police Deptartment. Seated left to right - Officer Williams, Officer Link Rounds, Mayor F.E. Bryan (1914-1916), unknown, Officer Fitzpatrick. Standing left to right: Officer Wilhelm Ludwig Neiss, Officer Charles Mullet, unknown, Officer Lally. Officer Charles Berline, unknown, unknown and Officer Charles Nicholas.

"At this time, police were known as 'Dickies', hence Wilhelm Ludwig Neiss was known as Dickie Neiss", Shirley Neiss Harris, granddaughter of officer Neiss. Wilhelm Neiss was born in Niles on November 14, 1863.


1920 photograph of Niles Police Department.

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1920 photograph of Niles Police Department.

Standing L-R: Desk Sgt. Jackie Jones, Joseph Meere, Charles A. Gilbert, 'Hooker' Dale, Richard (Dick) Whittaker, William (Bill) Mullen.
Seated L-R: James Lally, Wilhelm Ludwig Neiss, Chief Lincoln (Link) Rounds, Al Casper,and Louis Muche.


1914 Niles officials.

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1914 Niles officials.

(L) On the front of the picture they are identified from L-R:
1. Police Chief Lincoln(Link) Rounds
2. O. R. Farror
3. Bert Holloway, Superintendant of Water and Light Department.
4. Mayor Frank Bryan

(R) 1915 photo taken of Howard Ohl, Sanitary Police, in his city building office.

1915 photo taken of Howard Ohl, Sanitary Police, in his city building office.

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A military funeral for Kenneth Davis, killed in action in W.W. I. This is taken on Second Street with the Niles Police in the foregound.

A military funeral for Kenneth Davis, killed in action in World War I. This is taken on Second Street with the Niles Police in the foregound. PO1.2073

To discover the streets named after WWI veterans killed in action, Click here: https://nileshistoricalsociety.org/w1vet.htm

The "Blue Knights" of the Niles Police force, as shown here, were always at the head of many parades that were organized for every public occasion. Leading a parade down East State Street toward the curve from South Main Street.Picture circa 1915.

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The "Blue Knights" of the Niles Police force, as shown here, were always at the head of many parades that were organized for every public occasion. Leading a parade down East State Street toward the curve from South Main Street.Picture circa 1915.

Members of the Niles Athletic Club. Seated: Davy Smith. Standing: unknown, Bill Pritchards, unknown, Police Chief Nicholas, Billy Thomas, unknown, unknown. Mascot: Jacky Phillips.

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Members of the Niles Athletic Club. Seated: Davy Smith. Standing: unknown, Bill Pritchards, unknown, Police Chief Nicholas, Billy Thomas, unknown, unknown. Mascot: Jacky Phillips.


Two different views of the Niles City Building, built in 1895, which housed the horses and fire apparatus with the fire and police departments on the first floor.

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Two different views of the Niles City Building, built in 1895, which housed the horses and fire apparatus with the fire and police departments on the first floor. The second floor was for council and city officials offices and a large meeting room.

The color postcard shows that only the front had doors for the fire department. In the black/white image, doors have been added for the fire department on Franklin Alley.

Two different views of the Niles City Building, built in 1895, which housed the horses and fire apparatus with the fire and police departments on the first floor.

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In 1936 with Charles A. Nicholas as chief, the police department sponsored a Leap Year Police Ball to raise funds. There were seven men on the force including the chief and they needed equipment. The Niles guns were obsolete and the department had no machine guns and every patrolman needed new uniforms also the department’s gas bombs were out-dated. The Leap Year Ball was held at the McKinley Memorial with Emerson Henry’s Orchestra. Chief Nicholas died of a heart attack in 1947 at his home on Maple Ave. Mayor Fisher characterized Chief Nicholas as a true gentleman in every respect and a very fine friend of everyone. Mayor Fisher appointed Charles S. Berline as acting chief. When the Civil Service test was given, Chief Berline made the highest score on the exam.

Over the years there were many changes in the scope and problems of the city's police department, from the early years when the department's only equipment was an old horse-drawn paddy wagon to the late 1920s when bootlegging and all that went with it was the big problem. When Berline became chief, traffic had grown to be the major problem.

During Berline's tenure, the Niles Police Department acquired new motorcycles, a modern radio system, new patrol cars every several years, an increase in manpower with three sergeants and the establishment of three shifts each day, with one of the sergeants in charge of each shift. Also, the position of a department laborer was created in 1948, and a separate room was made available for female prisoners. Berline was responsible for the development of a fingerprinting and crime detection lab.

Matt J. McGowan was appointed Acting Chief when Chief Berline died. McGowan had enlisted in the Navy while a Junior in high school and was the first person to leave Niles for service in that war. Serving as a radio operator, he crossed the Atlantic nine times before receiving an honorable discharge. During the time McGowan was in the Navy, he won the boxing Atlantic Fleet championship in the 147 pound division. After returning to Niles and during his days as a patrolman, McGowan gained national recognition for his training of boxers. He organized and maintained a gym and developed a physical education program for local boys and over a decade of time, he cared for more than 80 boys. Several top boxers were trained in McGowan's program. McGowan was also an extremely capable police officer. During W.W. II, he worked closely with the FBI on subversive activities. Chief McGowan died April 5,1957 of heart failure; he was the fourth Niles police chief to die while in office.

John A. Ross served as Acting Chief upon McGowan's death until May 25, 1957 when he was appointed Chief of Police. Ross had served under three chiefs, all of whom died while in office. Ross joined the police force in 1946 as a patrolman on the midnight shift; the police station was on West Park Avenue at that time and Ross earned $2,100 annually. He checked parking meters and issued offenders tickets that carried a fine of $1.00 each. Those parking meters were eliminated in Niles during the 1970s.
Chief Ross, who was 86 years old when he retired, June 13, 1996, was the oldest police chief in Ohio according to the president of the Ohio Association of chiefs of Police. On November 12, 1996, Captain Bruce Simeone, was named the city's first new police chief in 24 years.

This information along with many more interesting facts about the Niles Police Department are in a booklet at the museum. The booklet is available from the Niles Historical Society for $5.00. For details call the Niles Historical Society office: 330-544-2143.

The new city administration building was built in 1928 on West State Street allowing for the renovation and expansion of the Police and Fire Departments in the old city building to take place in 1931. Photo 1974.

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The new city administration building was built in 1928 on West State Street allowing for the renovation and expansion of the Police and Fire Departments in the old city building to take place in 1931. Photo 1974.

Command center of police station in 1974.

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Command center of police station in 1974.

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The demolition of the original City Hall Building that housed both the police and fire departments that was built in 1895.

This occured during urban renewal in 1976.

 


John Scott and Police Chief Ross raising the flag at the new Safety-Services Complex on East State Street.

Unlisted

John Scott and Police Chief Ross raising the flag at the new Safety-Services Complex on East State Street.

Patrolman John Scott and police Chief Ross inspect a bullet-ridden car that tried to evade capture. 1969.

Patrolman John Scott and police Chief Ross inspect a bullet-ridden car that tried to evade capture. 1969.

Officer John Scott working with the students on the School Safety forces. Photo 1968

Officer John Scott working with the students on the School Safety forces. Photo 1968

Injury Light located at the side of Robbins and Vienna Avenues. Pictured are John 'Burgaundy' Marsico, Glen Smith, Police Chief Ross and John Scott. Photo 1959

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Injury Light located at the side of Robbins and Vienna Avenues. Pictured are John 'Burgandy' Marsico, Glen Smith, Police Chief Ross and John Scott. Photo 1959

Officer John Scott wearing the uniform of a motorcycle policeman in the 1950s.

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Officer John Scott wearing the uniform of a motorcycle policeman in the 1950s

Police chief Ross and officer Bernie Profato inspect the new tear gas equipment.

Police chief Ross and officer Bernie Profato inspect the new tear gas equipment.


Construction of the new Safety-Service Complex which houses not only the police and fire departments but also the city court.

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Construction of the new Safety-Service Complex which houses not only the police and fire departments but also the city court.

Construction of the new Safety-Service Complex which houses not only the police and fire departments but also the city court.

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Construction of the new Safety-Service Complex which houses not only the police and fire departments but also the city court.

A new Safety-Service Complex which houses not only the police and fire departments but also the city court which opened in 1977.

Unlisted

A new Safety-Service Complex which houses not only the police and fire departments but also the city court which opened in 1977.



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