Swayzee Police History

The complete history of the Swayzee Police Department has never been fully studied or recorded. Recently however, I began researching this history through various resources including archival government records, newspaper articles, and personal interviews. Much research remains to be done. What follows is a brief history of the Police Department based upon information learned thus far. The Swayzee Police Department story begins in 1890 when the townspeople of Swayzee voted to incorporate their small community, thus forming a town government. The elected Mayor and Board of Trustees (Town Council) established a book of ordinances to govern the town, and appointed the first town marshal to enforce the laws.

The Sims Township was forty-five years old and the town was nearly ten years old in 1890, having grown from James Swayzee’s original homestead of the 1880's, into a thriving farm community with a prosperous flourmill, a post office, and two railroad depots. Little information is presently known about law and order in Swayzee before 1890. Any serious crimes were likely to be investigated by the Grant County Sheriff's Department whose deputies might live in the area, or travel to Swayzee by train or on horse from the county seat, which was situated in Marion at that time.

The first real law in the township was a Justice of the peace and a constable. Through out the history of the Swayzee Marshal’s Office or Swayzee Police Department, a complete record of those who have served the town as law enforcement officers has never been kept. I have done my best to list as many of them as I could find during my research.

Through out the 116-year history of the Swayzee Police Department the positions or ranks have included Constable, Day Watchman, Night Watchman, Marshal, Night Watchman Assistant, Special Police Night Watchman, Street Commissioner, Deputy Marshal, Traffic Officer, Dog Warden, Part-time Deputy Marshal and Police Commissioner.

In the beginning of the Swayzee Police Department, there was a Marshal and from time to time a day and night watchman, as needed. However by 1903 there was a Marshal and a permanent Night Watchman. In 1929, there was a Marshal, 6 Deputy Marshals and a Night Watchman. From 1933 to 1939 there was no department. In January of 1939 a Street Commissioner with arrest powers was instituted, and in August of 1939 the office of Marshal was re-instated. In 1957 the Night Watchman position was officially changed to Night Marshal, and again changed to Deputy Marshal in 1964. In 1957 the department had a Marshal, Night Marshal and 2 Traffic Officers. Swayzee also had a Civil Defense, which was later organized into the Swayzee Auxiliary Police. The department has also had a reserve unit at different times. As far as personnel, the Department has ranged in size from one person to at times 16 officers.