In the Beginning — 5

At the beginning of the 1920s, many Americans looked forward to new prosperity and the "Return to Normalcy" that Warren Harding had promised in his presidential campaign. Yet the Roaring Twenties, as they came to be known, would be anything but normal, especially in Saint Paul.

The use of motorcycles reached its peak in the 1920s. The Motorcycle Patrol was called the flying squads, each squad consisting of an operator and a cycle with a sidecar. The fifteen flying squads were assigned to substations, garages, and fire stations to provide maximum coverage at crime scenes. The unit operated until 1930 when it was suspended.

In June, 1920, John O'Connor left the Saint Paul Police Department for the last time. In the decade that followed, seven chiefs of police were appointed. At times, officers did not know who was chief until they arrived for duty. Saint Paul politics would continue to control who held the position of chief until 1936.

Meanwhile, Minnesota Congressman Andrew Volstead had lobbied successfully for passage of his Volstead Act. In 1920, Prohibition became law throughout the country. Some celebrated the benefits of the anti-liquor legislation, while others recognized an opportunity. Bootlegging and trafficking in illegal alcohol became a new, lucrative, underworld business, thrusting the entire country into a crime wave known as the gangster era.

Nationally, most major cities experienced the lawlessness of the era. According to A Short History of American Law Enforcement, the illicit liquor trade resulted in professional, organized gangs, who often settled territorial disputes by waging war in the streets. They also committed armed robberies, bank heists and kidnappings, and engaged in money laundering and prostitution. Police departments were ill-equipped to curb the crime sprees. Their vehicles and weapons were no match for the gangsters' high-speed cars and machine guns. In addition, "Many [police] worked under the heavy hand of domineering politicians who had entered into collusive relationships with gangsters to thwart, rather than suppress, liquor law violations."

In Saint Paul, the situation was similar to other parts of the country with one exception. During the eighteen years when John O'Connor had been chief of police, he had established a system for monitoring the activities of "known crooks." Accordingly, when they arrived in town, those with criminal pasts checked in with the Saint Paul Police Department, promising that they would not commit any crimes in the city. Many Saint Paul residents lauded this policy, feeling that it afforded them a safer place to live and work. According to the Police Department's 1919 history, this system documented those criminals who were not being pursued by other police departments. In the 1920s and 1930s, however, word had spread around the country that Saint Paul was a safe haven for all criminals. O'Connor's system of "organized crime with organized intelligence" which had protected St. Paul residents in earlier years, backfired. Saint Paul acted like a magnet, attracting the most notorious gangsters.

In the 1920s and early 1930s, Saint Paul's residents and businesses remained relatively untouched. Those gangsters who came to town lived freely and openly, committing their crimes in other Minnesota towns and neighboring states. Newspapers reported that witnesses who were asked which way the criminals went often said, "They headed toward Saint Paul." Newspapers headlined the ire of communities enraged over Saint Paul's policy of harboring criminals without apprehension. Minneapolis, especially, was outraged when the Barker-Karpis gang killed two police officers, as they escaped from a bank robbery in 1933. Andrew Volstead, sitting in his office in the Federal Courts Building [now Landmark Center], was able to observe first-hand the results of his Prohibition law.

The February, 1921, issue of The Policeman’s News reported that the policewomen of Saint Paul (Moore, Kelly, and Hessian) made 7,455 investigations for the year, including 770 cases against boys, 1,709 cases against girls, 625 visits to hotels and restaurants, 491 court cases, 872 visits to theaters and amusement places, 926 inspections at dance halls, 46 inspections at former saloons and wine rooms, 154 visits to pool rooms, 1,450 family calls, and 412 investigations for other cities.

In response to the growing problems with bootlegging, the Department developed a Purity Squad. Their duties included attempting to curb the illegal sale of alcohol. Many speakeasies were raided and their stills confiscated and destroyed.

By the late 1920s, the need for change was obvious. In 1929, a contract was authorized for a new police headquarters. The Police Department moved into its new building in 1930. During that year, the entire Department was reorganized and put on a twenty-four hour schedule for the first time. All administration was centralized in the new building. Cars were equipped with one-way radios, broadcasting calls over the FCC-licensed WPDS. A new Crime Investigation Squad and a new Records Bureau were created.

The Records Division was created in 1931 to handle all records, property, and missing persons. The Police Department added more personnel, established a Training Division, reorganized the Policewomen Division, and changed the color of the police uniform from blue to forest green.