The Ashtabula City Police
Department's origin can be traced back to1881, before the city was
incorporated and while still a township. Police Constables
patrolled the township until 1891 when the City of Ashtabula was
incorporated and established a formal police department of their
own.
Around the turn of the 20th Century, with its large
capacity docks and railroad system, Ashtabula was a thriving port, and
with it, came the need for police protection. As the
population grew, so did the need for additional police officers and
resources. In 1904, The Ashtabula City Police Department
adopted Ohio Civil Service Rules for hiring and promotions within the
department taking away political favoritism hiring and promotional
practices. During the 1920's and 1930's, the police
department supplemented foot and motor vehicle patrol with two
motorcycles.
In the 1940's, the first two-way radios were
installed in the police cruisers. During the 1960's and
1970's, the Police Department grew in size and technology.
In the late 1960's, additional officers were hired to help bolster the
need for manpower and service. Hand-held portable radios,
speed-measuring devices such as "Vascar" and
"Radar", and a completely new base and mobile radio system
were purchased. Additionally, a fully equipped, in-house
crime lab and photo lab was built.
The 1980's proved to be a devastating
decade, not only for the police department, but also for the entire
community. Recession, loss of Federal Revenue Sharing Funds
and loss of city-based industry caused a significant population decrease
to the City of Ashtabula, which directly led to a reduction in size of
the Police Department through attrition and lay-off. Police
services were curtailed in an effort to provide basic police
coverage.
The 1990's saw a turn around for the City of
Ashtabula and with the Police Department. Economic growth on
the local level helped erase the negativity experienced the previous two
decades. The economic climate changed allowing for hiring
additional police officers, acquiring new, updated equipment and most
importantly, the construction of a new Justice Center and Jail
complex.
The Ashtabula City Police Department entered
the new millennium with hopes of continuing service to the community
through an aggressive, proactive updated law enforcement approach.
In 2005, Records Software was installed
in the department and in 2006, Mobile Data Terminals (MDTs) were
installed in the Police cars.
