Guide to the Bureau of Police Station #7 (South Side) and #9 (Mt. Washington), Pittsburgh, Pa., Records, 1939-1962 AIS.1983.01
Arrangement
Repository
ULS Archives & Special Collections
Title
Bureau of Police Station #7 (South Side) and #9 (Mt. Washington), Pittsburgh, Pa., Records
Creator
Pittsburgh (Pa.). Bureau of Police
Collection Number
AIS.1983.01
Extent
19 microfilm_reels(plus 7 manuscript cases)
Date
1939-1962
Abstract
Records of Pittsburgh Police Station #7 (South Side) and #9 (Mt. Washington) which include magistrate's report, daily records, complaint books, magistrates dockets, offense reports, juvenile court case referrals, juvenile court motor vehicle violations, officer personnel cards, employee report of industrial injury, and officer's and physician's reports for motor vehicle operators from 1939-1962.
Language
English
.
Author
Archives Service Center staff.
Publisher
ULS Archives & Special Collections
Address
University of Pittsburgh Library System Archives & Special Collections Website: library.pitt.edu/archives-special-collections Business Number: 412-648-3232 (Thomas) | 412-648-8190 (Hillman) Contact Us: www.library.pitt.edu/ask-archivist URL: http://library.pitt.edu/archives-special-collections
Related Material
The researcher may also wish to consult the records (1896-1935) of the Pittsburgh, Pa., Bureau of Police (AIS.1972.11). That collection contains 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 the #10 (Hazelwood) district police stations.
Scope and Content Notes
The records (1939-1962) of the Pittsburgh Bureau of Police, Station Number 7 (South Side) and State Number 9 (Mt. Washington) document the daily activities of its operation. Part of the records are on microfilm.
The records include: magistrates dockets, 1940-1957; daily records, 1956-1962; inspector's reports, 1949-1958; employer reports of industrial injury, 1950-1958; officer's and physician's reports for motor vehicle operators, 1955-1958; offense reports, 1955-1956; supplement to offense reports, 1955-1956; juvenile court case referrals, 1955-1958; juvenile court motor vehicle violations, 1958; officer's personnel cards; and complaint books, 1939-1959.
The records provide a glimpse of what was happening on the South Side and Mt. Washington for the period 1939-1962 as far as the police were concerened. The complaint books, offense reports (1955-1956), juvenile court case referrals (1955-1958), juvenile court motor vehicle violations (1958), and officer's and physician's reports for motor vehicle operators (1955-1958) detail the crime that took place in a mostly blue collar community. Reports of domestic violence, strikes, burglaries and robberies, child abuse, drunken driving, runaways are all here. Particularly useful for this topic are the juvenile court case referrals, offense reports, and the physician's reports for vehicle operators. In addition to the circumstances of the crime or accident, information about the victim's or suspect's parents, home life or habits (for juvenile cases), occupation, race, sex, age, home addresses, and the makes of vehicles are recorded. Because of their relative recency, the juvenile court case referrals and the juvenile court motor vehicle violations are restricted for 75 years from date of creation; access can be granted by signing a confidentiality agreement.
Employer reports of industrial injury and officer's personnel cards give the individual officer's name, race, age,
sex, rank, home address, wages per month, week or day, days worked, languages spoken, how hurt, and how long off the job. Perhaps the most useful of these records for documenting an individual officer are the officer's personnel cards. Most of the cards, which are arranged alphabetically, contain the officer's former occupation, dates and place of birth, rank, date for next promotion, languages spoken, type of gun, address, ward, and district. Included, too, are the types of equipment issued and the inspection of such equipment.
History
The Pittsburgh Bureau of Police began in 1794 when the Borough of Pittsburgh was incorporated. Under the act of 1794, a High Constable and a night watch were provided for the borough. An Act of 1804 (November 5, 1804, P.L. 199) was created which placed constables and the night watch directly under the mayor's control. (At this time, city government was established with a bicameral council and the mayor's court.)
The Director of Public Safety was, in 1888, under the Select and Common Council. Under the Department of Public Safety were included the Bureaus of: Police, Fire, Electricity, Health, Building, Inspectors, Plumbing Inspectors, City Gauger, Police Telegraph, and Garbage Furnace. In 1901, an executive department was provided (March 7, 1901, P.L. 20) and the Department of Public Safety was included. At the same time, the mayor was responsible for appointing the Director of Public Safety. The Director, in 1901, managed the police, public health, fire, fire
alarm telegraph, creation of fire escapes, inspection of buildings and boilers, markets and food, and the construction, protection and repair of buildings erected for police purposes.
Later, the Director's responsibilities were limited. The director supervises the different bureaus, the heads of which are responsible to her/him. Under the Director is a general office which coordinates the different bureaus. These are presently, fire; electricity, building inspection, traffic planning, and police.
The Superintendent of Police is appointed by the Director of Public Safety. The superintendent is responsible for the divisions of the Bureau of Police which are: the Office of the Assistant Superintendent, Traffic, Foot and Radio Patrol, and Detectives.
Station Number 7 is located at 93 S. 13th Street in District 5 on the South Side of Pittsburgh. The South Side Magistrate's office is located in Station #7. In 1959, the City of Pittsburgh re-organized the Bureau of Police and several stations were assigned new numbers; Station #7 retained its original designation.
This history of the Pittsburgh Bureau of Police, South Side, Station Number 7 has been compiled from: Clarence Barclay Duncan, "The Evolution of the Government of Pittsburgh" (M.A. Thesis, University of Pittsburgh, 1929); William G. Willis, The Pittsburgh Manual (Pittsburgh, Pa.: University of Pittsburgh), 92-97; Pittsburgh Post-Gazette 14 January 1952; and ibid. 13 August 1960.
Acquisition Information
Records donated by Howard Eisner of Pittsburgh, Pa., January 1983.
Access Restrictions
The following records are closed for 75 years from date of creation: Juvenile Court Case Referrals and the Juvenile Court Motor Vehicle Violations. Permission to use these records can be gained by signing a confidneitality agreement.
Previous Citation
Bureau of Police Station #7 (South Side) and #9 (Mt. Washington), Pittsburgh, Pa., Records, 1939-1962, AIS.1983.01, Archives Service Center, University of Pittsburgh
Preferred Citation
Bureau of Police Station #7 (South Side) and #9 (Mt. Washington), Pittsburgh, Pa., Records, 1939-1962, AIS.1983.01, Archives & Special Collections, University of Pittsburgh Library System
Processing Information
This collection was processed by Burris Esplen in April 1992.
Subjects
Corporate Names
Pittsburgh (Pa.). Bureau of Police
Pittsburgh (Pa.). Department of Public Safety
Geographic Names
South Side (Pittsburgh, Pa.)
Mount Washington (Pittsburgh, Pa.)
Pittsburgh (Pa.)
Pittsburgh (Pa.) -- Social conditions
Other Subjects
Juvenile courts -- Pennsylvania -- Pittsburgh
Government
Crime -- Pennsylvania -- Pittsburgh
Police -- Pennsylvania -- Pittsburgh
Police stations -- Pennsylvania -- Pittsburgh
Police reports -- Pennsylvania -- Pittsburgh
Justices of the peace -- Pennsylvania -- Pittsburgh
