Hurricane damage at the Christian Science Church, South Flagler Dr., at Okeechobee Blvd., 1928

The permanent population of West Palm Beach in 1920 was 8,659. During the Winter season it almost doubled. West Palm Beach was one of the most prosperous and fastest growing cities in the State of Florida because of the tourist trade. Even the start of Prohibition didn't dampen the spirits of the visitors. Of course, there were plenty of people willing to provide "spirits" to the visitors, along with gambling and other vices.

In September of 1921, West Palm Beach changed its form of government from Mayoral to City Commission/City Manager, one that lasted for 71 years.

The earliest known recorded documents of the City of West Palm Beach Police Department are complaint log books. These large ledger books document assignments given to the officers and the outcomes. When an officer received an assignment or happened upon a situation, an entry was made in the log books.

Officer Roy Hobson Kemp and his "wheel"

In the early 20's, the duties of the West Palm Beach Police Officer were pretty much as they are today, though the methods and equipment of the times were different. The police officer would answer the call for police service by traveling to the location on his "wheel" (bicycle). Buildings were checked by officers during their tour of duty. If a door was unlocked, the owner of the business would be contacted to respond to the police station with the key so the building could be locked. Officers were responsible for checking the street lights and notifying the power plant when a light was out. They were also required to hang red lanterns to warn the motoring public of hazards ahead, such as fallen trees or holes in the roadway.

Traffic officers were responsible for the enforcement of traffic laws. Many motorist were cited for speeding while traveling 25 miles per hour. Accidents were also handled by traffic officers, and settlement of the damages was usually agreed upon by the parties involved. Accidents where vehicles collided with "wheels" were the most common type of accident.

A curfew of 10:00 P.M. was enforced by officers when complaints were received about juveniles being out that late. Complaints of horses, cows, mules, and chickens running at large were handled by having the owners of the animals "look after them closer."

Officers Newton Verner, Lewis A. Conner and Andrew M. Verner, circa 1926
Photo courtesy, Mrs. Zella Verner

During the research of this history, Mrs. Zella Verner was interviewed in her residence in Brooksville, Florida. Mrs. Verner, the widow of Andrew Marshall Verner, has been identified as the oldest living spouse of a former West Palm Beach Police Officer. A. M. Verner was one of three brothers on the Police Department during the early 1920's. H. T. Verner was, at one time, the Chief of Detectives and Newton Verner was an officer.

A. M. Verner was on the Department from 1924 until the mid 30's. Mrs. Verner told how A. M. and his dog, Fido, would make the rounds in the area north of Banyan Street. Fido was very protective of A.M. and would go everywhere with him. On occasion, A.M. would take Fido into the Grand Theater on Rosemary Street and the two of them would sit in the back of the "picture show."

Zella Verner and a friend were heading to Connie Mack Field on March 18, 1925 to meet A.M. and attend the Police Department Picnic. Arriving at the field, Zella observed all of the police officers hurrying off in the direction of Palm Beach. Mrs. Verner and her friend went to the edge of Lake Worth on the West Palm Beach side and watched as the Breakers Hotel and the Palm Beach Hotel burned to the ground.

Driver's License, issued 1936

One of the most important aspects of the Police Department in 1927 was the operation of the traffic division, which had arranged a system for controlling large volumes of traffic, reducing the number of accidents. Persons operating a motor vehicle in the City of West Palm Beach were required to obtain a drivers permit from the Chief of Police at the Police Department, which was located on the ground floor of City Hall at the northeast corner of Datura and Poinsettia(Dixie Highway).

It was unlawful to operate a vehicle of any kind on the streets of West Palm Beach without a license. Traffic laws dealt with parking violations, u-turns in the middle of the street, parking for longer than 5 minutes in front of the Post Office on Datura Street, and, most of all, exceeding the City-wide speed limit of 25 miles per hour.

On September 16, 1928 a very strong hurricane roared through Palm Beach County, destroying the areas around Lake Okeechobee. The officers' families and others rode out the destructive winds of the storm inside the city jail built in 1921 at the corner of Rosemary and Banyan Streets.

According to Mrs. Verner, officers from the West Palm Beach Police Department went out to the Glades area and assisted the local residents after the massive destruction caused by the hurricane. Mrs. Verner said her husband was out near Lake Okeechobee for days. Officer Verner assisted with the mass burials at the cemetery at 27th St. and North Rosemary Avenue and at 25th St. and Tamarind Avenue. Almost before the area could completely recover, the stock market crash of 1929 heralded the beginning of the Great Depression and the end of the Roaring Twenties.

Continue on: 1930's