Los Angeles City Marshal facts for kids
The Los Angeles City Marshal was like the first chief of police for the city of Los Angeles a long time ago. This important job helped keep the city safe and organized in its early years.
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What Was the City Marshal?
The job of City Marshal started in 1850 when Los Angeles became an official city. At first, the person holding this job was called the City Marshal, Tax and Licence Collector. This meant they were in charge of law enforcement and also collected taxes and fees for the city.
In 1871, the title of Chief of Police was added to the Marshal's duties. However, in 1876, the position of City Marshal was removed. After that, Jacob F. Gerkens became the first person to hold only the title of Chief of Police. J.J. Carrillo, who was the last Marshal, continued to work as the Tax and Licence Collector for a short time after the Marshal job ended.
Early Challenges and Help
The second City Marshal, Jack Whaling, was shot in 1853. This event showed that law enforcement in Los Angeles was very difficult and dangerous. Because of this, a group called the "Los Angeles Rangers" was formed. They were volunteers who helped the City Marshal and the County Sheriff keep order.
At this time, there wasn't much law enforcement in the city. The Marshal only had one small county jail to use.
Marshal's Duties and Growth
In 1869, William C. Warren became the City Marshal. He was given a small team of six officers to help him. His responsibilities included keeping the city safe and also collecting taxes. He even had to be the city's dog catcher!
For his work, he was paid a small percentage of the tax money he collected. For example, in 1875, he earned about $115 each month from this system. In 1872, a new city rule was made that required the City Marshal to register and license all dogs in the city.
List of Los Angeles City Marshals
Here is a list of the people who served as the Los Angeles City Marshal:
| Name | Years Served | Title | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Samuel Whiting | 1850 | City Marshal, Tax and Licence Collector | |
| Alexander Gibson | 1851 | City Marshal, Tax and Licence Collector | |
| William Reeder | 1852 | City Marshal, Tax and Licence Collector | |
| A. S. Beard | 1853 | City Marshal, Tax and Licence Collector | |
| George W. Cole | 1854 | City Marshal | |
| Alfred Shelby | 1855 | City Marshal, Tax and Licence Collector | |
| William C. Getman | 1856–1857 | City Marshal, Tax and Licence Collector | |
| F. H. Alexander | 1858–1859 | City Marshal, Tax and Licence Collector | |
| Thomas Trafford | 1860–1863 | City Marshal, Tax and Licence Collector | |
| J. P. Owenby | 1864 | City Marshal, Tax and Licence Collector | |
| William C. Warren | 1865–1867 | City Marshal, Tax and Licence Collector | |
| John Trafford | 1868 | City Marshal, Tax and Licence Collector | |
| William C. Warren | 1869–1870 | City Marshal, Tax and Licence Collector | |
| Francis Baker | 1871–1872 | City Marshal, Tax and Licence Collector and Chief of Police |
|
| R. J. Wolf | 1873–1874 | City Marshal, Tax and Licence Collector and Chief of Police |
|
| Juan José Carrillo | 1875–1876 | City Marshal, Tax and Licence Collector and Chief of Police |
