1837 - Railroad surveyor marks future site of Atlanta: settlement originally called Terminus. 1843 - Name of settlement changed to Marthesville (December 23) 1844 - *Antonio (?) named first marshal of Marthesville 1846 - New name, Atlanta, Written into town charter 1847 - State legislature officially recognizes new name of Atlanta 1853 - First night police elected (January 28) 1858 - Number of policemen increased to 20 1860 Population of Atlanta: 9,544 1863 Deputy marshal Tim Shivers killed in duel by G. W. “Whit” Anderson; first Atlanta peace officer killed 1864 Burning of Atlanta 1870 Population of Atlanta: 21,879 1872 Officer M.W. Rasbury killed by Penn Bedell; first Atlanta Police Officer killed in the line of duty, March 7, 1872 1873 First board of police commissioners meets and names Thomas Jones as first chief of police 1874 *Thomas Jones elected to first full term as chief of the newly reorganized police department 1876 *James A. Anderson elected chief (January) 1878 *L.P. Thomas elected chief (April 4). Headquarters moved to three-story building on S. Pryor St. 1880 *Lovice T. Anderson elected chief(April 14. Population of Atlanta: 37,409 1881 *Arthur B. Connolly elected chief, April 1881 1885 Police board reorganizes detective bureau: 1 captain, 1 sergeant, 8 detectives: Chief Connolly calls for strong measures to juvenile crime 1886 First police wagon purchased 1887 Seal of the City adopted by Atlanta government. The emblem is a part of the Atlanta police Department uniform, worn as a patch on the shoulder. 1889 Eight-hour workday adopted for police 1890 Population of Atlanta: 65,553; police budget surpasses $100,000 1893 Opening of a new headquarters building on Decatur St., March 25 1893 1896 Detective department reorganized under Sergeant Bradley Slaughter. Bertillon system of identification through skeletal measurements used for first time by detectives 1897 *Chief Connoly dies. W.P. Manley elected chief, August 20. Bicycle squad organized 1900 Population of Atlanta: 89,872 1901 *John W. Ball elected chief (March 30): Chief Ball launches a campaign to prevent cruelty to animals and to rid the city of vagrants: Mary Bohnefeld hired as department’s first matron 1904 Juvenile Court and separate juvenile detention facilities established 1905 *Henry Jennings elected chief 1911 *James L. Beavers elected chief ,August 11; police department acquires first motorized vehicles; motorcycles and auto patrol wagons 1912 Chief Beavers attacks organized prostitution and announces plans for vigorous antivice campaigns 1915 *Chief Beavers resigns: William M. Mayo elected chief ,August 3, Chief Mayo establishes first police school of intensive instruction; publication of daily bulletin begins 1917-18 Eleven Atlanta police officers serve in armed forces during WWI 1917 Great Fire destroys 73 blocks, leaves thousands homeless ,May 21. James Beavers reinstated as chief, November 8 1918 Department completely motorized; first two policewomen appointed; Bureau of Identification established 1921 First traffic signal tower installed in downtown Atlanta; department acquired high-powered car for answering emergency calls; telephone exchange installed at police headquarters 1924 Women’s Bureau established ,January 1930 Population of Atlanta 270,336 1931 Police radio station begins operations 1932 *Chief Beavers announces retirement; Thurman O. Sturdivant elected chief, April 30 1937 *Chief Sturdivant resigns; Marion A. Hornsby elected chief, February 4 1942-45 One hundred and twenty-nine Atlanta police officers serve in WWII. Two are killed 1947 Chief Hornsby dies ,January 31; Herbert T. Jenkins elected chief, immediately begins vigorous reform campaign, February 2; mandatory retirement of 65 established; Klan-dominated police union abolished; Police Training Academy founded 1947 Detective department organized into specialized squads. 1948 First African-American police officers go on duty on Auburn Ave, April 3 1955 First noticeable crime decrease since WWII, major crimes decline seven percent; Howard Baugh and Ernest Lyons become first African-American police detectives. There are 15 Black officers on the force 1957 First women assigned to regular beats ,August 1 1959 Headquarters at Butler and Decatur streets completes and opened 1960 K-9 Corps begins patrolling, June; action of Chief Jenkins helps prevent violence during student protest march ,May 17; population of Atlanta: 487,455; helicopters used for traffic control 1961 Howard Baugh becomes first African-American superior officer (March 31); massive police effort helps bring about peaceful integration of Atlanta public high schools; APD receives praise from U.S. Civil Rights Commission; Claude E. Mundy Jr. 1961 First African-American officer to be slain in the line of duty 1962 Black officers authorized to arrest Whites engaged in criminal activities; use of one-person patrol cars expanded 1963 Fugitive Squad organized 1964-65 Metropolitan Atlanta Crime Commission thoroughly investigates city’s crime problem 1966 African-American officers assigned to regular patrols; crime prevention bureau established; Summerhill Riot ,September 6 1967 Five-day work week established for police officers, April; Chief Jenkins appointed to be President Johnson’s National Commission on Civil Disorders ,July 1968 Assassination and funeral ,April 9 of Dr. Martin Luther King 1969 Racial barriers were removed and Black and White officers begun working side-by-side. Numerous charges of police brutality result in change of supervision techniques and personnel in detention area 1970 Population of Atlanta: 487,533 1971 First African-American women officer hired, Linnie Hollowman 1972 *Chief Jenkins retires. Continues in role as head of police force under the title of police commissioner (January 8). John Inman takes office as Atlanta’s fifteenth chief of police (March 20). Herbert T. Jenkins named police chief emeritus for life 1974 The City of Atlanta creates a new Department of Public Safety to include the police, fire, corrections, and other functions. A. Reginald Eaves named as First Commissioner of Public Safety 1978 *Lee P. Brown appointed Commissioner of Public Safety, George Napper appointed Director of Police Services 1976-82 Freeze on hiring and promotion due to equal opportunity litigation 1979-82 The Missing and Murdered Children case dominated the city, eventually ending with the arrest and conviction of Wayne Williams 1982 *George Napper appointed Commissioner of Public Safety, Morris G. Redding appointed Chief of Police; First women, Beverly J. Harvard, to hold the rank of deputy chief in a major police department is appointed 1988 Atlanta chosen as site of the Democratic National Convention 1989 Red Dog Unit established ,June 1990 *Department of Public Safety abolished. Individual departments were reinstated for police, fire, and corrections. Eldrin A. Bell appointed Chief of Police 1991 First women in the department to obtain the rank of major, Thetus Knox and Blanche Nichols, are appointed. Atlanta chosen as the host of the 1996 Olympic Games, beginning the largest law enforcement planning effort ever conducted by APD 1994 *Beverly J. Harvard, first African-American women to hold the rank of chief of police of a major city, is appointed ,October. Atlanta chosen as host of the Superbowl 1995 Chief Harvard opens a state-of-the-art citywide 911 communications center with the Atlanta Fire Department, increases initiatives for Community Policing Atlanta; and establishes and expands the juvenile section, domestic violence unit and gangs and guns task force; Atlanta population: 411,204
1996 - 1996 Olympics and Paralympics mobilizes the city in preparation for the largest peacetime event in history