Repository
ULS Archives & Special Collections
Title Bureau of Police, Department of Public Safety, Pittsburgh, Pa., Records Creator
Pittsburgh (Pa.). Bureau of Police
Collection Number AIS.1972.11 Extent
12 microfilm_reels
(1 oversize box and 12 vols.)
Date 1896-1936 Abstract Contain general orders, arrest dockets, complaint reports, reports of investigations and arrests, prisoner receipt books, duty roster, correspondence and criminal photo album for the #4 (Oakland) and #10 (Hazelwood) district police stations. Digital reproductions of portions of the collection are available online. Language
English
. Author Archives Service Center staff. Publisher ULS Archives & Special Collections Address University of Pittsburgh Library Systemhttp://library.pitt.edu/archives-special-collections Access Restrictions
No restrictions.
Scope and Content Notes Contain general orders, arrest dockets, complaint reports, reports of investigations and arrests, prisoner receipt books, duty roster, correspondence and criminal photo album for the #4 (Oakland) and #10 (Hazelwood) district police stations.
Existence and Location of Copies
Digital reproductions of the Criminal Photograph Album are available online.
Acquisition Information
Gift of Mike Coon, Jack Simpson, and Art Harger, September 11, 1972.
Custodial History
These records were discovered abandoned in the loft of the King's Court, 3807 Forbes Avenue, which at one time was the headquarters of the No. 4 (Oakland) police station. Mike Coon, Jack Simpson, and Art Harger, owners of a copying service on the third floor of King's Court and renters of the loft, gave these records to the Archives Service Center.
Previous Citation
Bureau of Police, Department of Public Safety, Pittsburgh, Pa., Records, 1896-1936, AIS.1972.11, Archives Service Center, University of Pittsburgh
Preferred Citation
Bureau of Police, Department of Public Safety, Pittsburgh, Pa., Records, 1896-1936, AIS.1972.11, Archives & Special Collections, University of Pittsburgh Library System
Processing Information
This collection was processed by Frank A, Zabrosky in February 1973.
Subjects Corporate Names Pittsburgh (Pa.). Department of Public Safety Pittsburgh (Pa.). Bureau of Police Geographic Names Homewood (Pittsburgh, Pa.) Pittsburgh (Pa.) -- Social conditions Pittsburgh (Pa.) Hazelwood (Pittsburgh, Pa.) Oakland (Pittsburgh, Pa.) Other Subjects Police stations -- Pennsylvania -- Pittsburgh Criminals -- Pennsylvania -- Pittsburgh Crime -- Pennsylvania -- Pittsburgh Police reports -- Pennsylvania -- Pittsburgh Police -- Pennsylvania -- Pittsburgh Government Container List Series I. Headquarters General Orders , 1923-1924, 1930-1932 Containers microfilm-cabinet 1 , drawer 6 microfilm-cabinet 1 , drawer 6 , reel 1 Scope and Content Notes Contains memoranda and communications from the Superintendent of Police to the District Police Commissioners. Subjects include: complaints of laxity of law enforcement, civilian intercessions on behalf of reassigned officers, transfers, promotions, lists of furloughed officers in pursuance of city ordinance decreasing number of policemen (Dec. 31, 1931), traffic violations, list of trial board cases, monthly statements or the Police and Detective Protective Association, depression relief fund (donations, disbursements, pledges).
General order #135, dated October 23, 1923, concerns plans for the visit of Lloyd George to the city. General order #95 dated, January 12, 1924, notes a complaint by the mayor, Hon. Wm. A. Magee, that he has been informed that there have been a number of violations of the law and that the police have been lax in the performance of their duties.
General order #3 A 31, dated Jan. 15, 1931, notifies the inspectors that the United States Government is anxious to secure an accurate census of the unemployed in the city of Pgh. and asks that instructions be issued to all police officers that they assist the enumeration in every way possible.
Criminal Photograph Album , ca. 1919-1920 Containers microfilm-cabinet 1 , drawer 6 microfilm-cabinet 1 , drawer 6 , reel 2 Scope and Content Notes Contains photographs of suspect, name of suspect, residence of suspect, crime, occupation, date of arrest, age, height, weight, and physical description.
Patrolman Assessment Book , 1921-1923 Containers microfilm-cabinet 1 , drawer 6 microfilm-cabinet 1 , drawer 6 , reel 2 Scope and Content Notes For each officer records permissions for bonds, special gifts, and police association dates.
Record of Recovery of Lost and Stolen Goods , Apr. 7, 1913-Jan. 4, 1932 Containers microfilm-cabinet 1 , drawer 6 microfilm-cabinet 1 , drawer 6 , reel 2 Scope and Content Notes Each entry contains: date, articles recovered, value of articles, from whom recovered, officer, by whom claimed, to whom delivered.
Wanted Poster , 1924 Containers microfilm-cabinet 1 , drawer 6 microfilm-cabinet 1 , drawer 6 , reel 2 Scope and Content Notes $50 reward offered for arrest and delivery of Wesley G. Burrow convicted of desertion; he had escaped from the U.S. Disciplinary Barracks, Fort Leavenworth, Kansas.
Series II. #4 Station, Oakland Subseries 1. Correspondence Scope and Content Notes Subjects include: instructions to officers on handling prisoners (searching, papers to be taken, prisoners to be separated if arrested and suspected of a grave offense); instructions on behavior of officers when giving testimony at hearings; instructions on arrest and docketing procedures, report or inspection of police station (1922; station found to be unsanitary, dirty and verminous); patrolman and detail assignments; traffic problems and instructions on arrest or summoning of traffic violation; raiding of hotels and business houses; violations of Sunday sales and labor prohibitions; wage scale for Pgh. policemen; citizens complaints; notices by individuals of absence from city and request for property watch.
File for 1921 contains a list of draft dodgers with note that there is a $50 award for each apprehension. In a letter of Oct. 31. 1921, John C. Calhoun, Police Commissioner, exhorts the officers of #4 station to get out the vote in the general election of Nov. 8, 1921. He admonished them to "See that those you get out [,] vote the republican ticket." He continues, "If we don't try to help those that help us [,] we are ingrates and should not have the positions we now hold, but should get out of the cities [sic] employ and hunt a new position."
Arranged chronologically.
Volume 1 , 1921-1923, 1926, 1931, 1933 Containers microfilm-cabinet 1 , drawer 6 microfilm-cabinet 1 , drawer 6 , reel 2 Subseries 2. [Arrest Docket] Commissioners Docket, Police Inspection Docket , 1893-1933 Scope and Content Notes Each entry contains: arrest no., name of prisoner, address, age, color, nationality, occupation, marital status, literacy, day and hour arrested, place arrested, arresting officer, charge, forfeit, magistrate, disposition, articles found on prisoner, signature. Monthly and annual recapitulation contains: no. of males and females, ages, nationalities, marital status, color, occupation, charges, dispositions. Arranged chronologically with monthly and annual recapitulation.
Volume 1 , Feb. 3, 1893-March 29, 1896 Containers microfilm-cabinet 1 , drawer 6 microfilm-cabinet 1 , drawer 6 , reel 2 Volume 2 , Feb. 1, 1903-Aug. 1, 1905 Containers microfilm-cabinet 1 , drawer 6 microfilm-cabinet 1 , drawer 6 , reel 2 Volume 3 , Aug. 1, 1907-Apr. 30, 1909 Containers microfilm-cabinet 1 , drawer 6 microfilm-cabinet 1 , drawer 6 , reel 3 Volume 4 , May 1, 1909-Aug. 31, 1912 Containers microfilm-cabinet 1 , drawer 6 microfilm-cabinet 1 , drawer 6 , reel 3 Volume 5 , June 1, 1915-Oct. 22, 1918 Containers microfilm-cabinet 1 , drawer 6 microfilm-cabinet 1 , drawer 6 , reel 3 Volume 6 , Oct. 23, 1918-Oct. 5, 1919; October ?, 1919-November 15, 1920; Feb. 5-6, 1925 Containers microfilm-cabinet 1 , drawer 6 microfilm-cabinet 1 , drawer 6 , reel 4 Volume 7 , Nov. 12, 1930-May 15, 1933 Containers microfilm-cabinet 1 , drawer 6 microfilm-cabinet 1 , drawer 6 , reel 4 Subseries 3. Record of Arrests , 1920-1923 Volume 1 , Aug. 1, 1920-Mar. 6, 1921 Containers microfilm-cabinet 1 , drawer 6 microfilm-cabinet 1 , drawer 6 , reel 4 Volume 2 , April 8, 1922-July 7, 1922; April 3, 1923-April 5, 1923 Containers microfilm-cabinet 1 , drawer 6 microfilm-cabinet 1 , drawer 6 , reel 4 Subseries 4. Reports or Investigations and Arrests Scope and Content Notes Details given include nature and character of crime (accident, suicide, robbery, suspicious person, drunkenness, visiting disorderly house), time of crime, location, names, evidence.
Volume 1 , 1924-1932, 1933, 1935 Containers microfilm-cabinet 1 , drawer 6 microfilm-cabinet 1 , drawer 6 , reel 5 Subseries 5. Complaint Reports Scope and Content Notes Gives crime classification, name and address of complainant, date or occurrence of crime, place of occurrence of crime, date and time crime reported by complainant, officer assigned to investigate complaint, details or complaint.
Volume 1 , 1935 Containers microfilm-cabinet 1 , drawer 6 microfilm-cabinet 1 , drawer 6 , reel 5 Subseries 6. Robbery Reports , 1934-1935 Scope and Content Notes Each entry gives: Serial No., time of report, method of report, name and address of complainant, occurrence time and place, patrolman on post at time or complaint, details of complaint, disposition, time transmitted by telephone.
Volume 1 , Sept. 1, 1934-Dec. 31, 1935 Containers microfilm-cabinet 1 , drawer 6 microfilm-cabinet 1 , drawer 6 , reel 6 Subseries 7. [Journal] Complaint Book , 1922-1923 Scope and Content Notes Daily log which contains complaints, reports, instructions to patrolmen and other miscellaneous information. Some volumes contain lists or stolen and recovered automobiles.
Volume 1 , Sept. 22, 1923-Mar. 3, 1924; Apr. 29, 1924-Dec. 1, 1924 Containers microfilm-cabinet 1 , drawer 6 microfilm-cabinet 1 , drawer 6 , reel 6 Volume 2 , Nov. 3, 1927-June 20, 1928 Containers microfilm-cabinet 1 , drawer 6 microfilm-cabinet 1 , drawer 6 , reel 6 Volume 3 , July 1, 1928-March 27, 1929 Containers microfilm-cabinet 1 , drawer 6 microfilm-cabinet 1 , drawer 6 , reel 6 Volume 4 , Mar. 27, 1929-Nov. 28, 1929 Containers microfilm-cabinet 1 , drawer 6 microfilm-cabinet 1 , drawer 6 , reel 7 Volume 5 , Nov. 20, 1929-Aug. 11, 1930 Containers microfilm-cabinet 1 , drawer 6 microfilm-cabinet 1 , drawer 6 , reel 7 Volume 6 , Jan. 1, 1930-Oct. 15, 1931 Containers microfilm-cabinet 1 , drawer 6 microfilm-cabinet 1 , drawer 6 , reel 7 Volume 7 , Jan. 27, 1933-July 16, 1933 Containers microfilm-cabinet 1 , drawer 6 microfilm-cabinet 1 , drawer 6 , reel 7 Volume 8 , July 17, 1933-Nov. 25, 1933 Containers microfilm-cabinet 1 , drawer 6 microfilm-cabinet 1 , drawer 6 , reel 8 Index , 1920-1923 Containers microfilm-cabinet 1 , drawer 6 microfilm-cabinet 1 , drawer 6 , reel 8 Subseries 8. Duty Roster , 1926-1933 Volume 1 , May 22, 1926-Feb. 28, 1927 Containers microfilm-cabinet 1 , drawer 6 microfilm-cabinet 1 , drawer 6 , reel 8 Volume 2 , Mar. 1, 1927-Dec. 21, 1927 Containers microfilm-cabinet 1 , drawer 6 microfilm-cabinet 1 , drawer 6 , reel 8 Volume 3 , Aug. 4, 1929-May 25, 1930 Containers microfilm-cabinet 1 , drawer 6 microfilm-cabinet 1 , drawer 6 , reel 8 Volume 4 , Mar. 19, 1931-Dec. 31, 1931 Containers microfilm-cabinet 1 , drawer 6 microfilm-cabinet 1 , drawer 6 , reel 9 Volume 5 , Jan. 1, 1932-Oct. 20, 1932 Containers microfilm-cabinet 1 , drawer 6 microfilm-cabinet 1 , drawer 6 , reel 9 Volume 6 , Oct. 20, 1932-July 31, 1933 Containers microfilm-cabinet 1 , drawer 6 microfilm-cabinet 1 , drawer 6 , reel 9 Subseries 9. [Patrolman] Time Roll , 1917, 1927-1931 Scope and Content Notes Each entry gives: name of patrolman, rank, days, rate per day, amount due, remarks.
Volume 1 , 1917; May 1927-Jan. 1931 Containers microfilm-cabinet 1 , drawer 6 microfilm-cabinet 1 , drawer 6 , reel 9 Series III. #6 Station, Homewood Photograph of Members of Homewood Auxiliary Police, Div. 5 , ca. 1930 Containers microfilm-cabinet 1 , drawer 6 microfilm-cabinet 1 , drawer 6 , reel 10 Series IV. #10 Station, Hazelwood Subseries 1. Record of Arrests , 1919-1920 Volume 1 , Oct. 8, 1919-Oct. 16, 1920 Containers microfilm-cabinet 1 , drawer 6 microfilm-cabinet 1 , drawer 6 , reel 10 Subseries 2. Complaint Reports Scope and Content Notes Gives crime classification, name and address of complainant, date of occurrence of crime, place of occurrence of crime, date and time crime reported by complainant, officer assigned to investigate complaint, details of complaint.
Volume 1 , 1929-1931 Containers microfilm-cabinet 1 , drawer 6 microfilm-cabinet 1 , drawer 6 , reel 10 Subseries 3. [Journal] Complaint Book , 1922, 1928-1933 Volume 1 , May 1, 1922-Dec. 31, 1922 Containers microfilm-cabinet 1 , drawer 6 microfilm-cabinet 1 , drawer 6 , reel 11 Volume 2 , Aug. 13, 1928-July 21, 1929 Containers microfilm-cabinet 1 , drawer 6 microfilm-cabinet 1 , drawer 6 , reel 11 Volume 3 , Oct. 15, 1931-July 17, 1932 Containers microfilm-cabinet 1 , drawer 6 microfilm-cabinet 1 , drawer 6 , reel 11 Volume 4 , July 18, 1932-Jan. 4, 1933 Containers microfilm-cabinet 1 , drawer 6 microfilm-cabinet 1 , drawer 6 , reel 11 Subseries 4. Receipt Book for Recovered Automobiles , 1928-1929 Scope and Content Notes Contains miscellaneous prisoners receipts, 1935-1936.
Volume 1 , Aug. 13, 1928-1929 Containers microfilm-cabinet 1 , drawer 6 microfilm-cabinet 1 , drawer 6 , reel 12 Subseries 5. Prisoners Receipt Book for Property and Forfeits , 1932-1936 Volume 1 , July 19, 1932-Mar. 28, 1935; Apr. 1935-Feb. 1936 Containers microfilm-cabinet 1 , drawer 6 microfilm-cabinet 1 , drawer 6 , reel 12 Subseries 6. [Patrolmen] Time Roll , 1909-1913, 1925-1932 Scope and Content Notes Each entry gives: name of patrolman, rank, days, rate per day, amount due, and remarks.
Volume 1 , 1909-1913 Containers microfilm-cabinet 1 , drawer 6 microfilm-cabinet 1 , drawer 6 , reel 12 Volume 2 , March 1925-June 1932 Containers microfilm-cabinet 1 , drawer 6 microfilm-cabinet 1 , drawer 6 , reel 12 Subseries 7. [Arrest Docket] Commissioners Docket, Police Inspection Docket , 1909-1916 Scope and Content Notes Each entry contains: arrest no., name of prisoner, address, age, color, nationality, occupation, marital status, literacy, day and hour arrested, place arrested, arresting officer, charge, forfeit, magistrate, disposition, articles found on prisoner, signature. Arranged chronologically with monthly and annual recapitulation.
Volume 1 , Aug, 1, 1914-Dec. 31, 1916; Oct. 26-31, 192? Containers microfilm-cabinet 1 , drawer 6 microfilm-cabinet 1 , drawer 6 , reel 12 Volume 2 , Feb. 2, 1909-Apr. 30, 1912 Containers microfilm-cabinet 1 , drawer 6 microfilm-cabinet 1 , drawer 6 , reel 12 