by Dr. Radut

Patchogue - Police (Constabulary) History

Patchogue Police (Constabulary & Bay Constabulary) History
 

The legal status of the Patchogue Office of Safety and Code Enforcement, formerly its constabulary, formerly its police occasionally comes into question, since the County Police Dept. (and State Police) are technically the only legally constituted police forces within the county.   The jurisdiction of the bay constabulary has also been a matter of dispute.

---  Vertical File Sampler: 

  • "Fatal Casualty."  Brooklyn Eagle, November 5, 1851:  p. 3. -- An accidental beheading at John Roe's Cotton Factory.
  • "The Patchogue Poisoning."  New York Times, October 27, 1873:  p. 8.
  • "Good By[e] to Patchogue."  Brooklyn Eagle, January 9, 1879:  p. 3. -- Double arrest, release, recoup, escape.
  • "Store of M[ilton]. E. Wiggins, of Patchogue, was Recently Burglarized." Brooklyn Eagle, January 22, 1879:  p. 2.  -- Two young thieves considered of good parentage, take goods to Short Neck, serve 4 months, their names withheld, in the hopes that they'll reform their ways, and cease being a public embarassment.
  • "Long Island Notes."  Brooklyn Eagle, August 8, 1879:  p. 3. -- Robert Bland jailed and fined for contempt of court; and on another note:  "It costs $15 or 15 days imprisonment to get drunk in Patchogue."
  • "New York Policeman had to Buy Tag."  New York  Times, July 10, 1900:  p. 5. -- Licensed to ride his bike on a Patchogue bicycle path
  • "Heard $10,000 Damage Suit:  Justice [Wilmot] Smith Reserves Decision in Case Growing Out of Seizure of ex-Wall Street Broker's Furniture."  New York Times, October 14, 1901:  p. 3.
  • "J. Howard Davis" (Obituary).  South Side Signal, October 10, 1903:  p. 2. -- chief of police, since 1894.
  • "Young Thief Caught."  Suffolk County News,  August 21, 1908:  p. 8.  -- First arrest of a Patchogue thief, part of a gang, who active on the Isnad, after leaving the circus.
  • "Strikers Attempt Violence at Patchogue:  Police Officers Necessary to Protect Garment Makers in the Latest Business of that Town -- One Fined $5, andother $10."  South Side Signal, July 29, 1910:  p. 8.
  • "Army Ban on Patchogue."  Port Jefferson Echo, April 13, 1918:  p. 4.
  • "Hears Case and Fines Autoist by Telephone:  Constable Calls Up Justice of the Peace Lapsley of Patchogue and  is Ordered to Collect $10."  New York Times, May 10, 1922:  p. 18.
  • "Rips Jail's Roof, Free Boy Burglar:  Confederates Ply 'Jimmies,' Tinsmith's Shears and Saw Unmolested at Patchogue.  Constable Gets Surprise:  Prisoner Arrested while Asleep in House Closed by Funeral only a Day Earlier."  New York Times, October 6, 1924:  p. 22.
  • "Town Officials Whose Terms Run Out This Year."  Patchogue Advance, September 20, 1927:  p. 1.  -- Among 33 named people and positions, "Bay Constables -- William Kemp, Patchogue; Gregory Monanahan, Port Jefferson" are last to be mentioned.
  • "Arresting Animals No Fun for Police:  Baboon Chews a Detective's Finger as 16 Beasts in Act are Ha[u]led to Court.  Two Dodge Mule's Hoofs:  But Finally Get 'Prisoners' by Truck from Patchogue to City, Where Trainer is Accused of Larceny."  New York Times, November 30, 1931:  p. 40.
  • "Edward R. Senn Kills Himself in Patchogue:  Suicide in Hotel of Aviation Enthusiast Mystifies Friends -- Married a Month Ago."  New York Times, December 3, 1932:  p. 9.
  • "Police Chief Dismissed:  Patchogue Village Ousts [Charles F.] MacNeil on 3 of 5 Charges."  New York Times, April 15, 1938:  p. 15.
  • "Frank Everett Norton:  Suffolk Police Officer 33 Years, on Patchogue Force for 18" [obit.].  New York Times, April 27, 1940:  p. 21.
  • "Soldier 'Borrows' 3 Cars:  Camp Upton Youth is Captured in Chase -- Wanted to 'Go Home.'"  New York Times, January 20, 1941:  p. 11.
  • "Patchogue Man, 81, Ends Life."  New York Times, May 9, 1942:  p. 28.  -- Philip Stumps, retired farmer
  • "Girl, 2, Killed in Car:  Her Grandfather is Injured in Accident at Patchogue."  New York Times, June 15, 1942:  p. 21.
  • "Tire Thief Gets 180 Days:  Man Aided Stranded Woman, Driver Then Stole 2 Wheels."  New York Times, August 7, 1942:  p. 19. 
  • "Patchogue Man Held in Arson."  New York Times, October 8, 1942:  p. 15.
  • "Patchogue Man's Body Found."  New York Times, April 24, 1943:  p. 20.  -- Thomas (Scotty) Woods
  • "Police Dun Gets Major Abroad."  New York Times, July 25, 1943:  p. p. 22.  -- Maj. George W. Rice of East Patchogue receives notice of a $1.00 Patchogue parking ticket, while in England. He replied that he had never received the ticket, and that, "I hope that by now you have taken proper action to apprehend me.  A strong message should oblige me to take the next clipper to the good old U.S.A., and pay my debt to society." 
  • "Honor Roll is Defaced."  New York Times, September 12, 1943:  p. 13.  -- Patchogue Post American Legion and village police seeking valdals who defaced WW II Honor Roll Board and A.L. clubhouse.
  • "Many Rescuers Offer Help to Maidens in Distress."  Suffolk County News, August 18, 1944"  p. 6.  -- Brookhaven Bay constable, Marion Perkinson, towed girls adrift to Patchogue Creek.  The U.S. Coast Guard also offered help.
  • "Lies 96 Hours in Cold:  Patchogue Man Helpless After Fall in Woods Tuesday."  New York Times, December 23, 1945:  p. 2.  -- Herbert Waite
  • "Patchogue Leader Killed:  H.J. Schoenfeld, Candidate for Mayor, Dies in Auto Crash."  New York Times, March 2, 1946:  p. 14.
  • "Hurt on Way to Doctor:  Patchogue Girl, 19, Receives Concussion in Car Mishap."  New York Times, January 1, 1949:  p. 14.
  • "Duke, Just a Mongrel Dog Who Doesn't Know It, Really is a 100% Police Dog Out in Patchogue."  New York Times, April 20, 1949:  p. 17.
  • "Realty Man Found Dead:  Apparently Victim of Heart Attack in Long Island Home."  New York Times, April 8, 1950:  p. 19.  -- William F. Joline
  • "4,800 Volts Kill Lineman."  New York Times, July 4, 1950:  p. 28 -- Edward Hunstein
  • "Investigate School Fire:  Patchogue Police Officials Join Inquiry into Blaze."  New York Times, May 23, 1951:  p. 37.
  • "Held as 'Putty Burglar,' East Patchogue Youth Admits to 10 Robberies, Police Say."  New York Times, March 22, 1952:  p. 30.
  • "Bay Constable Given Faster Patrol Vessel."  Patchogue Advance, July 14, 1955:  p. 26.
  • "$2,000,000 Fire Destroys Landmark [Mills Building] in Patchogue Business Center."  New York Times, February 11, 1956:  p. 18.
  • "Bay Constable's 'Power' at Zero on Patchogue R."  Patchogue Advance, August 14, 1958:  p. 7. -- Patchogue Village Board requested the Brookhaven Town Board have the Brookhaven Bay Constable patrol the River for speeder, and Brookhaven wanted to comply, until it was revealed to the Town Board that Patchogue River lay outside Town jurisdiction.
  • "Teller Missing with $19,000."  New York Times, February 17, 1959:  p. 63.  -- William C. Radcliffe disappears with loot from Patchogue Bank
  • "Old Artillery Shells Upset Downtown Area."  New York Times, June 6, 1959:  p. 3.  -- Francis Bannerman & Sons, relocating to Patchogue, asked for help disposing of 50 vintage shells; that brought the NYC police, Army and Fire Dept. in a hurry to their abandoned Manhattan storehouse; the offending shells receiving a burial at sea.
  • "Patchogue Boy is Killed by His Grandmother's Car."  New York Times, August 15, 1962:  p. 17.
  • "Exploding Firecracker Injures Patchogue Priest."  New York Times, May 14, 1964:  p. 19.
  • Clines, Francis X.  "Bright Light Seen in Patchogue Sky:  U.F.O. is Called Multicolored by 5 Suffolk Policemen."  New York Times, October 22, 1966:  p. 20.
  • "Patchogue Girls, 14 and 2, Killed by L.I.R.R. Train."  New York Times, July 21, 1969:  p. 22.
  • "Suffolk County Police Set Up Organization in 1960."  Long Island Advance, 100th Anniversary ed., April 1, 1971:  p. 15.
  • "Suffolk Police Arrest Welder in Hit-Run Deaths of Couple."  New York Times, December 4, 1989:  p. B2.
  • Lyall, Sarah.  "A Police Officer is Still the Focus in Bomb Inquiry:  Cars Checked for Clues in Detective's Killing."  New York Times, August 4, 1990:  p. 27.
  • Rather, John.  "If It Walks Like a Cop:  Old Field and Patchogue Constablularies are Accused of Illegally Operating as Police Forces."  New York Times, July 25, 2004:  p. LI 1, 7.

---  PML Catalog Sampler: