Hidden from the public eye until now, Sault Ste. Marie Police Department artifacts dating back to 1888 are now on display in a lit glass case at Chippewa County Historical Society (CCHS).
City police officers have collaborated with CCHS volunteers to show-off the department’s rich history, resurrected through black and white photographs, lignum vitae nightsticks, log books, past uniforms, and more. All items displayed are on loan from the department.
“We have helmets, badges, patches, and a very interesting Hancock collection,” CCHS Board President Carolyn Person said, excited to tell visitors all about the department’s long standing place in the Sault.
According to Police Chief Wesley Bierling, the items displayed were previously kept in a secure location at the police department. The station has changed locations several times throughout its 135-year-long presence in the Sault. It was most recently located on Court Street, where Chippewa County Sheriff’s Office is. Prior to that it was located in city hall on East Portage Avenue. Today, it is on Hursley Street.
City officers unanimously decided it was best that skilled CCHS volunteers clean and maintain the historic remanence of its foundation.
“We care very much about our future, and we care very much about our past,” Bierling said.
Needless to say, enforcing the law looked a tad different at the turn of the 20th century when less than 10 sworn officers made up the entire city force.
A 1936 police book logged the daily activities of Sault police officers on duty. One officer wrote about responding to a call involving a “stolen” case of beer.
Then again, approximately 25,047 people lived in the entire county of Chippewa in the 1930s, as recorded by the US Census Bureau. Population grew with time, bringing about all sorts of departmental changes. The city of Sault Ste. Marie, alone, had an estimated population of 13,410 on July 1, 2021.
“As population increases, crime increases,” Bierling said. “Over the years, more positions have been added to do more things."
To better serve city residents, the present police department consists of 24 sworn officers, one chief, one captain, one detective sergeant, two Detectives, four patrol sergeants, 14 patrol officers, and one Tri-County Narcotics Task Force (TRIDENT) officer to provide 24/7 law enforcement.
Believe it or not, many late 19th century department rules and regulations have carried on into today's version of policing in Sault Ste. Marie, such as maintaining proper dress, preventing criminal activity, knowing city ordinances, keeping proper documentation, and not drinking on the job.
Preserved on thin, yellowish sheets of paper are police department rules and regulations, as drafted by the city’s Board of Police Commissioners in 1899.
In order be be considered for hire, certain questions were asked that might appear unethical in 2023: What is your weight? If married, what family have you? Have you ever been a policeman?
If hired, a male officer was required to complete a one-month-long probationary period. However, "If at any time during the one month it should appear to the board that said officer is not capable or efficient, he may, upon a vote of the majority of the board, be dismissed."
An officer was entitled to annual vacation... possibly. Vacations were granted assuming duties were "faithfully" discharged. Officers could be reprimanded for entering a "house of prostitution" at leisure, laziness, mental or physical incapacity, talking with another member of the force when patrolling unless otherwise deemed necessary, etc.
“What has not changed is the dedication of men and women to the city and citizens of Sault Ste. Marie,” Bierling said, standing next to a uniform worn by former Sault Ste. Marie Police Chief Scott Fitzgerald.
Fitzgerald served the city from 1977 to ‘97.
“We are just as dedicated today as we were all of those years ago,” Bierling said. “I think that is pretty amazing.”
He thanked CCHS on behalf of the law enforcement officers of Sault Ste. Marie Police Department, past and present.
CCHS is open on Monday and Friday from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. The CCHS gift shop is open by appointment. Hours will be changing in May. Check its website, here, for updates pertaining to hours and other pertinent information. Chippewa County Historical Society is located at 115 Ashmun Street, PO Box 342, Sault Ste. Marie, MI. Its phone number is 906-635-7082.
