EARLY HISTORY

       Prior to the formation of the Township of  West Seneca, law enforcement was place in the hands of respected citizens in the community.  This practice was very common across New York State.

     With the incorporation of the Town of West Seneca in 1852 this process was replaced with a system of part time Constables.  According to the minutes of the West Seneca Town Board on March 2, 1852, Astemus Baker, William Brownson, Charles Hess and George Reed were appointed as part time Constables.  This practice stayed in place till the Town of West Seneca Police Department was formed in 1932. 

     As you would assume crime was not rampant at that time but the need for a place to hold those under arrest did develop.  In 1908 the first record of a jail house in our town is mentioned.  The Town Board at that time rented a room in the old Union Fire Hall on Union Rd in West Seneca for $15.00 per month and placed two steel cells inside.  A horse and buggy were also purchased to transport prisoners to the county lock up.  A year later the jail was moved to 849 Ridge Rd. where a building and barn were rented for $30.00 per month to house those arrested.  This site later became the site of Father Baker's Infant Home. The location of our jail continued to move and expand over the years till we get to the facility we have today which is located within the Town of West Seneca Police Department.

     On June 28, 1932 the West Seneca Town Board adopted a resolution pursuant to Chapter 616 of the Laws of 1932 officially establishing the West Seneca Police Department. Chief George Lyons was named the first Chief of Police of the Town of West Seneca.  Over the years our department grew in size and scope but did not enter the age of specialists till 1958 when the first two police officers were designated as detectives.  Patrolman Roman Klein and Patrolman Raymond Rappold were the first two officers promoted to the position of Detective. Our specialization continued with the establishment of a Juvenile Aids Office in the late 60's and continues today with officers assigned to many varied positions both in uniform and plain cloths.  For more information on these areas check out our PATROL PAGE  and our DETECTIVE PAGE.

     With the increase need for police assistance as our town grew and with the improvement of communications the police dispatch area has grown also.  What was once a small one person operation that was manned by the lowest ranking officer on duty at time has expanded to a multi purpose area where a combination of police officers and public safety dispatchers handle the answering of calls and dispatching of patrols.  With the advent of the use of computers in law enforcement our dispatch capabilities like most in our country can communicate within seconds with police and other law enforcement agencies around the world.

     For more information on the history of the Town of West Seneca Police Department check back to our History Page as we continue to update our site.

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