The City of Manchester’s Police Department has existed since 1846. According to an ordinance from the same year, the department exists to “preserve the public peace, and prevent all riots, disorders and unlawful practices within the City.” Early responsibilities of the department included administering the City’s ambulance services, observing defects in highways and streets, and reporting all causes of sickness and sources of filth. The department has worked throughout its history to serve the greater good by protecting life, property, and the liberties of Manchester’s residents and the community at large.
Collections
Michael Joseph Healy was the Chief of Police in Manchester from 1893-1937 (known as the marshal earlier in his career). He was a sergeant in the department from 1889-1892. This scrapbook was kept by Chief Healy. It contains clippings from newspapers relating to police affairs, including reports of raids, arrests, crimes, and police balls. A few pieces of memorabilia such as tickets to the police ball are included. There are some political cartoons and letters written to Healy also included. The dates on these items range from June 1899 to June 1901. Much of the material pertains to a controversy over the police commissioners and their lax and inconsistent enforcement of liquor laws. The contents of the scrapbook have been maintained in its original order, which is largely chronological.
This collection consists of nine handwritten bound volumes created by the Police Department. The volumes are daily logs of complaints received by the department from residents and visitors of Manchester. Each entry includes a date, a description of the complaint, and some include an abridged complaint description along the left hand column. Names of people and addresses are often included in descriptions; names of police officers are infrequently recorded. Entries in the volumes are in chronological order.
This collection consists of daily logs of Joseph A. Pouliot of the Manchester Police Department, with corresponding indexes. It offers a unique perspective of the daily routine, duties, and actions of a Manchester Police Officer during the early to mid-20th Century. It also documents specific crimes committed during the time period.
Naturalization Records, 1863-1888 (0412.007)
The Police Court of the City of Manchester processed the requests of individuals from foreign countries to become citizens of the United States. Male individuals would initially sign a declaration of intention to become a citizen and renounce his citizenship to his country of origin. After residing in the United States for five years, the individual could then apply for naturalized citizenship.
Digital Item: Database of Naturalization Records
The database contains the first and last names of individuals, their country of origin, and place of residence.
Police Court Records (0412.004)
The Police Court was named the Police Court-City of Manchester from 1846 to 1913, and was renamed the Police Court for the District of Manchester in 1913. In 1915, the name was changed to the Municipal Court of Manchester. The court was required to judge criminal and civil cases brought before it for both adults and juveniles. The collection includes records related to both civil and criminal cases brought before the court.
Reports created by the Police Department, including annual reports and ward crime reports. The collection offers general information and raw data regarding the department and criminal activity in the City of Manchester.