About the Junction
City Police Department
In May of 1858, the construction
of a new community began near the location where the Republican and Smoky Hill Rivers join. The new community was named Junction
City. Early law enforcement of the new community was handled by the County Sheriff,
City Marshall, and often the protective device of Army regiments from nearby Fort Riley. The Provost-Marshall of Fort Riley
was called upon to preserve the peace and maintain order. These early years were marked by many vigilante groups reported
to use violence as the quickest form of justice.
In 1867 a City Marshall was appointed
in Junction City to aid in the keeping of the peace, but it was not until a proclamation was made from the Mayor’s Office
that "no citizen, officer or soldier, except when on duty, shall carry on their persons any pistol, revolver, bowie knife,
or slug shot or other deadly weapon either concealed or otherwise, within the limits of Junction City", that civilization
began to take hold in Junction City.
In the early 1870’s, Wild
Bill Hickok was hired by the Mayor to clean up Junction City. Since that time, Junction City has had 28 different men appointed
to the position of City Marshall or Chief of Police. The terms City Marshall and Chief of Police were used interchangeably
in the early years. The role of Chief of Police has varied through the years even to include City Purchasing Agent and Street
Commissioner.
The Patrol/Operations Division
of the Junction City Police Department is the largest division in the department. It consists of the 36 officers who provide
the active uniformed patrol functions on the street and the 10 members of the emergency 911 dispatch center. The members of
this division are responsible for being the first line of defense in this community's fight against crime.
Source:
jcks.com/publicsafety
/police/index.html