Collection on the Waltham Police Department

Collection — Box: 1

Identifier: WPL-006

Staff Only

Scope and Contents

The Collection on the Waltham Police Department includes booklets, flyers, newsclippings, photographs, and programs. Of historical interest is a copy of the 1921 Rules and Regulations for the WPD, as well as a centennial history of the department covering 1884-1984.

The bulk of the collection consists of Waltham Police Association business directories. These primarily include advertisements for area businesses, but also include some departmental information, including photographs of officers and events. These span 1973-1991 (not inclusive).

Dates

1921 - 2023

Biographical / Historical

The Waltham (Massachusetts) Police Department was officially founded in 1885, but police presence in Waltham can be traced back to 1852, when James Coolidge was appointed as the first official police officer in the Town of Waltham. After Waltham became a city in 1885, an ordinance was passed to establish a city police department with one chief and seven patrolmen. The department received its first motor vehicle in 1917. The department has grown significantly since its inception, with 147 officers (as of 2017) plus civilian and auxiliary employees in a number of divisions.

Extent

.3 Cubic Feet (1 manuscript box)

10 Volumes : 10 volumes of the Waltham Police Association Business Directory are unboxed and shelved with rest of WPL-006

Language of Materials

English

Subjects

Finding Aid & Administrative Information

Title: Guide to the Collection on the Waltham Police Department
Subtitle: WPL-006
Status: Completed
Author: Dana Hamlin
Date: June 20, 2024
Language of description: English
Script of description: Code for undetermined script
Edition statement: This finding aid replaces the original written by Melissa Mannon. Original finding aid can be found in WPL-001, the records of the Waltham Public Library.