Department History

GOLDEN POLICE DEPARTMENT – 150 YEARS OF SERVICE

1859

Golden is founded

1871

Incorporation of “GOLDEN CITY”

1874

Town ordinance establishes OFFICIAL POLICE DEPARTMENT, although town constables had been appointed from the founding of the town.

1879

Golden City is changed to “CITY OF GOLDEN” upon reaching the statutory minimum population of 3,000.

1913

Mayor Richard Broad, Alderman George Parfet and Luther Hertel form a committee to investigate speed enforcement for autos, which were becoming quite the vogue machine for travel.

1915

Mayor Broad and City Alderman issue police badges to their constables to show authority

Leonard Larson was appointed motorcycle policeman to enforce traffic laws, with a salary of one-half of the fines collected for traffic offenses.

1920

An ordinance declared that “City Marshal” would be the name of the head of the police department and “Night Watchman” was the nighttime officer. Curfew Law said all “kids” to be off street by 9:00pm.  Also this month, Prohibition went into effect.

1924

Lee Hall was paid $100 to be a “speed cop.”

1926

Police trade in used motorcycle for traffic patrol truck, as it was considered “more useful”.

1928

Dog population kept in check with new ordinance requiring dogs to have licenses. However, the marshals still spend many years getting strays off the streets.

1929

Ordinance raises speed limit in residential areas from 12 to 20 miles per hour, but new law strictly enforced. 1st offense $6; 2nd offense $11.

1930

City purchases new Ford Truck for police from Golden Motor Co.

1931

Stop Signs are put up in Golden, but many people ignore them at first. Locals blame outsiders for the infractions, but the Marshals state that Goldenites are most often the culprits.

The city installed a red light atop the Rubey National Bank building to act as a signal for police officers in case of a crime in progress.

1932

Ashley Howard, former constable, died of pneumonia at the age of 89.

1933

Despite cuts to the city budget, the budget to the police was $1,500 for the 1932-33 fiscal year and would remain the same for the 1933-34 fiscal year.

Henry Golightly, Night Watchman for four months in 1908-09, died of a stroke and other ailments. He was 79.

1938

Charles White becomes Police Chief

Chief White oversees a series of training programs started at newly formed law enforcement training school in Denver. Officers are trained for the first time in a formal setting, which improves performance and knowledge of officers.

1941

Charles White takes leave of absence to serve in World War II.

First Police Benefit Ball is held at Golden Plunge Recreation center.  The ticket price of $1.00 went toward the purchase of a radio for the police car. This made the red light atop the Rubey Hotel obsolete.

1945

Charles White resumes role as Police Chief. Four officers and one Merchant Policemen on the force. Police department is expanding with Golden’s population.

1947

From May, 1947 to January 6, 1953, Golden suffered no fatal accidents within the municipal limits. For this distinction, Golden won the National Traffic Safety Contest Honor Roll in 1950, 1951, and 1952.

1951

Chief Charles White dies of heart attack in his office while on duty. Ed Dohlman and Everett Hall split his duties; Dohlman later becomes Chief.

1953

832 traffic tickets were issued, 20 summons for intoxication and disturbance. 10 arrests for driving while intoxicated, 171 vehicular accidents were reported and investigated, 69 misdemeanor and 27 felonious cases were investigated. Police ran 14 sick or injured people to the hospital, 38 missing persons, including children, were found. Six autos were reported missing and 6 were recovered. 106 merchant doors were found unlocked and reported, and 50,693 miles were driven by department members in protecting the city. The number of call back then was Golden 83.

1962

Population of Golden estimated at 8,000 (plus 1,200 Mines Students).

1963

Two police radios are in use. One is in the Chief’s office and was used to perform dispatch.  The second was the “Base Station” at City Hall. Also radios in cars.

1966

Georgia J. Waters becomes the Golden Police Department’s first “Matron,” a woman assigned to Records and Dispatch and Base Station radio.

1967

Everett Hall becomes Chief of Police.

1970

Golden City Police have 12 men, 5 patrol cars, and a number of men ready if a special force is necessary. Animal control department goes to full-time.

1973

John Mayo becomes Police Chief. All officers, current and incoming, to pass a rigorous training program within a year or be terminated, according to new Colorado State Law. All but 2 of the 21-man force pass.

Georgia Waters, Police Matron, gets a uniform so that she can perform pat downs of female prisoners, and her duties increase to those of day dispatch and police secretary.

1974

Golden Police Dispatch becomes 24 hour service. The first dispatchers are Cindy Cline, Carol Overton, Ann Kelly-Leach, Darlene Poole. Before they were hired, Colorado School of Mines students volunteered to perform after-hours dispatch functions.

1977

First Female Police Officer, Mary Nixon.

1978

Donald Jarvis becomes Chief of Police.

1988

Russell Cook becomes Chief of Police

2000

Census records show that the population of Golden has reached 17,159 people.

2002
William Kilpatrick becomes Chief of Police.
2004
Police cars change in color from white to black and white. The department  has 62 full-time, 3 part-time people, including 44 officers, not counting volunteers and reserves.
2008
July Golden Police Department becomes internationally accredited through CALEA.
2011
November Golden Police Department re-accredited through CALEA.
2012
Detective Stacy Galbraith recognized as “Officer of the Year” by the Colorado Association of Chiefs of Police.
2018
joe_page.png	Officer Joe Page is recognized as "Officer of the Year" by the Colorado Association of Chiefs of Police.
2022
bill-kilpatrick-400x600.jpg	After 32 years of service to the City of Golden, and 20 years as Chief of Police, Golden Police Chief Bill Kilpatrick retires on March 16, 2022.
chief_of_police_joe_harvey_03162022.png	Joe Harvey is sworn in as Chief of Police on March 16, 2022. Chief Joe Harvey joined the Golden Police Department in 2015, and served as Deputy Chief since 2018. Chief Harvey has more than 34 years of experience in Law Enforcement and is the first new Chief of Police in Golden in twenty years.