The original SWAT team. L to R: Officers Mike Kennedy and Mike Fulk, Sgt. J.W. Davis, Officer Mike Pontieri, Sgt. Jerry Winebrenner, Officers Jim Wood, Alex Barret, Bob Mooney, and Tim Wagman. Not pictured: Ric Bradshaw.

Applicants for Chief of Police included seven members of the West Palm Beach Police Department, Inspector William Eaton, Major John Jamason, Captain Marvin Mann, Captain James Griffin, Captain Jack Boccanfuso, Captain Wayne Gunderson, and Lt. Mike McClure. A total of 150 applicants nationwide vied for the position.

In March of 1980, the list of candidates for the Chief's position was whittled down to three: Major John Jamason, Police Chief David Walsh of Colombia, Mo., and Lt. Col Warren Atkins of the St. Louis Police Department. On April 14, 1980 City Manager Richard Simmons selected Major John Jamason to become the first appointed West Palm Beach Police Chief. The selection was endorsed by a majority of the officers on the department.

The Fire Department moved into a new fire station at 4th Street and North Dixie in June of 1981. Sometime after that (and we promised we would never tell how long after!), an inventory was done of old equipment in storage. Much to their surprise, a shotgun was found. The firefighters who found it had no idea how it got in their equipment. Afraid it was stolen or worse, they called the police department.

After more than forty years, the police department's '97 Winchester riot shotgun had come home. The firefighters working the central fire station during World War II were apparently so fearful of invasion they put the shotgun in a trunk full of seldom-used equipment. This trunk was moved from the old Datura and Dixie station to the fire station at 2nd Street and North Dixie. Apparently, the equipment wasn't needed there, either, because the trunk was moved to the new fire station untouched. We want to thank the West Palm Beach Fire Department for "pack-ratting" equipment they didn't need or we wouldn't have an original riot gun in our collection!

Under the leadership of Chief Jamason, the department began trying different approaches to deal with the increasing crime problem. One of the first steps taken was the acquisition of a Police K-9. "Cliff Von Der Liferhaus" ("Cliff") and his handler, Officer William Fraser, began their duties during the early part March, 1981. The same month, "Salto Von der Hechtenbach" ("Sultan"), after being delayed in a snowstorm in Berlin, arrived in the states and began training with his handler, Officer Mike Pontieri. The City Commission passed a law making it illegal to interfere with a police dog, affording them the same protection as their human counterparts.

In May of 1981, facing a law suit over the conditions at the jail, the Commission voted unanimously to allow the Chief of Police to close the jail. The jail was opened again in November of 1981, but only for the filming of the movie Love Child, starring Amy Madigan and Beau Bridges. The film was about a female inmate in Broward County who bore the child of a jail guard, but refused to name the father.

Chief Jamason changed the color of the uniform worn by the West Palm Beach Officer from the old tan and brown to navy blue. Captain James Griffin is credited with designing a new shoulder patch to replace the palm tree patch. The police cars were repainted from all-white to a more-traditional black and white. Officers began wearing the blue uniforms in June of 1981. These small gestures led to an almost overnight increase in morale among the officers on the department.

In December, 1981 the 911 system began in the City of West Palm Beach. A few "bugs" had to be worked out of the new system, but it soon proved to be an indispensable asset for the citizen and the police.

December of 1981 also saw the conclusion of the first major narcotics trafficking investigation conducted by the department. Agents of the vice squad under Sgt. Jim Wood, assisted by members of the TAC Team and other officers, had spent seven months investigating a former football coach from Palm Beach/Twin Lakes High School. The investigation lead to applying for and receiving a court order to conduct a telephone wiretap on the suspect. The investigation concluded with arrests and the seizure of a kilo (2.2 pounds) of cocaine that was destined for the streets of Detroit.

In January of 1982, Governor Bob Graham worked as a West Palm Beach Police Officer during his first "workday" of the new year. Governor Graham reported to roll call on the day shift and then spent the morning patrolling with Officer L. G. "Cowboy" Harvey in downtown West Palm Beach. The Governor then walked the Palm Beach Mall beat with Officer Joe Gioia. An entourage of FDLE agents, Chief Jamason, and Sgt. Greg Parkinson, accompanied the governor for protection purposes. It turned out to be an uneventful day for the governor and the City of West Palm.

Gov. Bob Graham and Officer L.G. "Cowboy" Harvey. Governor's workday, January, 1982

In October of 1982, Chief Jamason took a step in the attempt to fight increasing problems with prostitution, gambling, and narcotics when he permanently combined the Vice and Tactical units into the Special Investigations Unit. The combination was made to enhance the departments ability to get into more sophisticated types of investigations. The new division was headed by recently promoted Captain James Gabbard (now Police Chief of Vero Beach) and consisted of 11 officers.

1983 and '84 saw several high-profile homicides related to drugs. Businessman John Trent and a Palm Beach physician, Dr. John Freund, were arrested for the stabbing death of an employee of Trent's who delivered narcotics to them. A retired City building inspector was doused with gasoline and burned to death after a robbery attempt at the pawn shop where he worked. Drive-by shootings become prevalent in the drug areas.

On January 21, 1984, we lost our seventh fellow officer killed in the line of duty. Officer Robert D. "Bob" Edwards was killed in a traffic accident at 36th St. and North Dixie Highway.

All that had happened took its toll on Chief John Jamason. In August, the Chief announced he was retiring October 2, 1984 after 24 years with the department. He expressed his hope that his successor would be one of the many qualified officers from within the department.

Applicants from the police department were Inspector Marvin F. "Mickey" Mann, Captain James Gabbard, and Lt. Jerry Winebrenner. Retired Captain Jack Boccanfuso also put his hat in the ring for the Chief's job. The search for an interim chief caused a split within the department which City Manager Richard Simmons felt would hurt the officers seeking the top job.

When Jamason left for vacation two weeks before his scheduled retirement date, City Manager Richard Simmons sought an old friend to step in and take charge until the selection process could be finished. Former Police Chief William Barnes returned to office on October 2, 1984, on five month contract. Upon hearing of the imminent return of Chief Barnes, veteran officers were overheard cautioning rookie officers to wear their hats, stay on their beats, answer their radios, and be aware on the midnight shift. The reason for this was found on a poster bearing an 8 x 10 glossy of Chief Barnes and the inscription "God is back, and is He pissed."

In March of 1985, George Siegrist, Chief of Police in Clarksville, Tennessee was selected to be the first chief appointed from outside the department.

Chief Siegriest deployed a new concept in policing soon after his arrival. He placed a five man team consisting of SWAT officers in service to combat street level drug dealing. One of the tactics used was calling code enforcement to inspect the buildings where drugs were being sold. By bringing pressure to bear on absentee landlords, it was hoped the drug dealers would be kicked out.

This first team was so successful that a second unit was formed. For two years, this TAC unit was extremely successful in suppressing street level drug dealing. In addition to the primary mission of drug suppression, the department was able to have a ready response unit in service for 16 hours a day. This concept was copied by several local municipal and county police agencies.

To assist in the fight against drugs, the department decided to acquire a narcotics K-9. In late 1985, Officer Chris Fahey was selected to attend the U.S. Customs Canine School in Virginia. After three months of intensive training, Officer Fahey and his new partner, a black Labrador Retriever named "PT", hit the streets. The value of the narcotics sniffing abilities of PT was soon proven with numerous seizures of narcotics and money from drug dealers.

Chief Siegrist promoted participation of the department in the annual Police Olympics competition first attended in 1982. New equipment was ordered for the gym. Officers were encouraged to improve their physical fitness. Chief Siegrist also began to look into the possibility of obtaining accreditation of the department from the Commission on Accreditation of Law Enforcement Agencies.

Chief Siegrist resigned in March of 1987. Major Ronald Albright was named interim Chief of Police while a replacement was sought. After a five month search, Billy R. Riggs of the Miami Police Department became Chief of Police in August, 1987. Chief Riggs inherited a department ranked by the FBI as number one in crime for cities of similar size in the United States. The statistic was misleading because it was based on resident population. Chief Riggs made it known the number of people served everyday far exceeded the number of people who actually lived in the city. Even so, there was still a serious crime problem.

Chief Riggs had to spend a tremendous amount of time reviewing policy and procedure, meeting with city officials, and planning the changes he would have to make. Many officers never saw him his first few weeks on the job. This gave rise to jokes about the "invisible chief." Two detectives had their picture taken with their arms around an empty chair. Posted on the wall, the caption under the photo read: "Detectives with Chief Riggs." Chief Riggs still has the photo in his scrapbook!

Walking beats, most of which were discontinued in the early '80's, were reinstated. A renewed emphasis was placed on crime prevention programs. In conjunction with the PBA, higher education benefits for officers to attend college are included in the contract with the City.

The department moved forward in its pursuit of accreditation. Lieutenant Jim Spatara and Accreditation Manager Ron Moses form the Planning and Research Unit. It is their job to assure the accreditation process is completed. The department instituted the D.A.R.E. (Drug Abuse Resistance Education) program in 1988, coordinated by juvenile officer Rick DeCarlo. He and officers Art Apicella, Luis Perez, Jerry Wells, and Delsa Bush become the first trained D.A.R.E. instructors in June. Each is assigned to a school to teach kids the truth about drugs. Instruction on how to resist peer pressure to try drugs and alcohol is a cornerstone of the program.

On August 22, 1988, Officer Brian H. Chappell stopped a vehicle for speeding. Within moments, he was killed by a single shot fired out of the window by the driver, an escapee from a prison work release program. Officer Chappell was the eighth officer killed in the line of duty. Let us hope and pray he is the last.

In March of 1989, a new communications center with computer-aided dispatch was placed in operation. The new $6.2 million system was designed to reduce response time for police and fire units and reduce the potential for human error. A computerized central records systems was installed at the same time.

The state-of-the-art radio communication system included Mobile Data Terminals installed in the cars. This system linked the police vehicle to national, state and local criminal justice information systems. An officer could now enter an inquiry on a car or person on the computer terminal in the patrol car and get a response in seconds.

Again, space in the headquarters building became non-existent. The communications center and Information Systems occupied all the former courtroom space, including the previously unused second floor courtroom expansion space. The classroom used for driver improvement classes when city courts were in session had long ago become office space. The former academy classroom had been divided in half, the other half becoming offices. Planning began for a new police station complex to carry us into the 21st Century.

Efficient use of resources prompted the department to investigate alternative ways to police. A system to free road officers of minor report writing known as Differential Police Response (DPR) was put in place. Minor reports are taken over the phone by civilians or injured officers on light duty assigned to DPR.

Civilian Police Aides were hired to investigate minor accidents and parking complaints. Their duties were expanded to include taking minor reports, such as lost or found property and abandoned autos. Of the first five Police Aides, four came from positions inside the department: George Franklin was a Prisoner Control Officer, Chris Robinson and Chuck Taylor were Parking Enforcement Officers, and Mike Shea was a Cadet. Shea and the fifth Aide, William Taylor, eventually became police officers.

In the late 1980's, Officer Brad Fidler bought a car that turned out to be the same Plymouth Cranbrook sedan as the police cars of 1951. He and Lt. Gary Robinson began restoring the car, with the idea of creating a reproduction of the police car. The department purchased the car as part of the Centennial preparations, turning the project over to Sgt. Richard Siciliano, an experienced car restorer. The car was finished in 1993 and will be used in parades and other events throughout the centennial year and well into the future.

Continue on: 1990's