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St. Paul Police Department Reform, 1933–1940

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St. Paul Police Historical Society
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Photograph of John J. O'Connor’s chief-of-police badge

John J. O'Connor’s chief-of-police badge, used in St. Paul ca. 1900–1920. Used with the permission of the St. Paul Police Historical Society.

After the intense violence of the first few decades of the twentieth century, the St. Paul Police Department (SPPD) experienced a period of steady growth and relative social calm in the 1930s. During these "quiet years," the department expanded, reformed its policies, and experimented with new ideas and technologies.

Three developments in the mid-twentieth century converged to bring about the greatest changes in the policing of St. Paul during the 1930s. The first was the repeal of Prohibition on December 5, 1933. With the end of Prohibition, mobsters' primary revenue streams stopped flowing and then dried up altogether, signaling the death knell of what had become known as the gangster era in the city of St. Paul. Reform-minded community groups and public officials came to the forefront, and under a new, progressive administration, the police department began to reshape its image as a "reform" agency. St. Paul was no longer a sanctuary city for big-spending mobsters; the John J. O'Connor Layover Agreement was a thing of the past.

The second major development was the creation of the first crime laboratory in the state on October 5, 1935, just three years after the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) established its own lab. The new laboratory improved criminal investigations by using up-to-date techniques and equipment. Under the direction of Dr. John B. Dalton, the new lab could analyze chemicals, examine documents and firearms, and compare handwriting samples and fingerprints, as well as study photographic and microscopic evidence. St. Paul offered the use of its crime lab to surrounding police agencies, including the Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension (BCA.) whose own forensic science laboratory did not become operational until January 1, 1947.

The third and final development—probably the most important for police administration— took place on June 15, 1936, when the City Charter Tenure Amendment was passed. The amendment changed the process for the selection of a chief of police, thus eliminating the political favoritism of former years. Sometimes referred to as "appointment by revolving door," the old process had granted the mayor total hiring authority. In the period from 1920 to 1930, ten police chiefs or acting police chiefs were hired in St. Paul by direct appointment, some with no previous police experience. In the two years prior to the tenure amendment, six chiefs were appointed.

Under the new guidelines, an independent committee established qualifications for the job. It examined candidates prior to an appointment to a six-year term, subject to removal for "just cause." The police chief now had civil service protection like the kind granted to rank-and-file employees since June 1, 1914.

In July 1935, St. Paul police completed a year-long internal investigation of the department that included wiretapping. As a result of the evidence gathered, the department disciplined several high-ranking officials. On June 5, 1936, the St. Paul City Council appointed Assistant Chief of Police Gustave H. “Gus” Barfuss the city’s commissioner of public safety. Barfuss instituted reforms and lobbied to end the department’s susceptibility to political pressure.

Three months later, Clinton A. Hackert was appointed the city’s chief of police for a six-year term. His appointment followed the guidelines established by the Tenure Amendment four months earlier. Like his friend and ally Assistant Chief Barfuss, Hackert was a reformer who fought against corrupt officers with ties to organized crime.

Although officers came to refer to the period between 1933 and 1940 (and later) as "the quiet years," the implementation and evolution of new units, procedures, and technology left an indelible mark on the department's operational structure. New squad cars replaced old, high-mileage vehicles. Advances in communications technology increased efficiency and mobility. Like other police departments around the country, the SPPD introduced new training programs at the entry level and in-service training for those already on the job. Through these actions, the SPPD took significant steps toward becoming a truly professional police department.

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Coles, Catherine. National COPS Evaluation of St. Paul. Cambridge: John F. Kennnedy School of Government, Harvard University, 2000.
http://www.spphs.com/history/COPS_eval2000/index.php

"Hackert Made Police Chief for 6 Years." St. Paul Dispatch, September 15, 1936.

“History of Police Department.” St. Paul Globe, July 3, 1904.
http://www.spphs.com/history/stpaulglobe_1904.php

Maccabee, Paul. "The Big Cleanup." In John Dillinger Slept Here: A Crooks' Tour of Crime and Corruption in St. Paul, 1920–1936, 248–259. St. Paul: Minnesota Historical Society Press, 1995.

“Olsen Offers Combined Liquor Plan; Asks $5,000,000 to Feed Destitute." St. Paul Dispatch, December 6, 1933.

“Police Amendment Gets 541 Majority." St. Paul Dispatch, June 16, 1936.

“Repeal Brings 'Experiment' of New Type." St. Paul Dispatch, December 5, 1933.

St. Paul Police Department. "In the Beginning." In Saint Paul Police Department: A Historical Review, 1854–2000, 17–61. Paducah, KY: Turner Publishing Company, 2000.
http://www.spphs.com/history/2000/index.php

St. Paul Police Department. The Long Blue Line: St. Paul Police Department, 1854–1984. Charlotte, NC: Delmar Publishing, 1984.
http://www.spphs.com/history/blue_line.php

St. Paul Police Historical Society. Musings on Lieutenant Gerald Anthony Hanggi, Sr.
http://www.spphs.com/history/hanggi/index.php

St. Paul Police Historical Society. John Joseph O’Connor and the ‘Layover Agreement.’
http://www.spphs.com/history/oconnor/index.php

St. Paul Police Historical Society. Oral Histories.
http://www.spphs.com/oral_history/index.php

St. Paul Police Historical Society. SPPD History.
http://www.spphs.com/history/index.php

Selection and Tenure of Police Chief and Fire Chief. In St. Paul, Minnesota – Code of Ordinances, St. Paul City Charter, Sec. 12.12.
https://library.municode.com/mn/st._paul/code_of_ordinances?nodeId=PTICICH_CH12PE_S12.12SETEPOCHFICH

Woltman, Nick. “‘Dapper Dan’ Hogan: A Go-between for Criminals and Corrupt Cops.” St. Paul Pioneer Press, December 5, 2015.
http://www.spphs.com/history/dapper_dan.php

——— . “Enter Prohibition...and the Gangsters.” St. Paul Pioneer Press (Brew Town Premium Section), October 2015.
http://www.spphs.com/history/prohibition_gangsters.php

——— . “John Dillinger's Great (St. Paul) Escape.” St. Paul Pioneer Press, April 1, 2016.
http://www.spphs.com/history/dillinger_escape.php

Related Images

Photograph of John J. O'Connor’s chief-of-police badge
Photograph of John J. O'Connor’s chief-of-police badge
Scan of St. Paul Police patch
Scan of St. Paul Police patch
Black and white photograph of a police raid on slot machines, St. Paul, 1935. Photograph from the St. Paul Daily News.
Black and white photograph of a police raid on slot machines, St. Paul, 1935. Photograph from the St. Paul Daily News.
Photograph of Dr. John B. Dalton demonstrating a comparison microscope
Photograph of Dr. John B. Dalton demonstrating a comparison microscope
Lie-detector test
Lie-detector test
Photograph of St. Paul Chief of Police Clinton A. Hackert
Photograph of St. Paul Chief of Police Clinton A. Hackert
Photograph of Dr. John B. Dalton
Photograph of Dr. John B. Dalton
Photograph of a St. Paul Police worker revising police records
Photograph of a St. Paul Police worker revising police records
Photograph of police officers with motorcycles, St. Paul, 1941.
Photograph of police officers with motorcycles, St. Paul, 1941.

Turning Point

The repeal of the Prohibition Act on December 5, 1933, weakens the grip of organized crime on the city of St. Paul, and corruption within the police department begins to decline.

Chronology

January 16, 1919

The Eighteenth US Constitutional Amendment (the Prohibition initiative) is ratified, to take effect a year later.

October 28, 1919

Congress approves the Volstead Act, providing for the enforcement of the Eighteenth Amendment.

January 16, 1920

Prohibition begins as the Eighteenth Amendment and the Volstead Act make the sale and consumption of alcohol illegal. The gangster era—in which bootleggers become wealthy entrepreneurs by supplying illegal alcohol to the public—also begins.

October 29, 1929

The Great Depression begins as a result of the stock market crash (Black Tuesday).

May 3, 1932

William J. Mahoney is elected mayor of S. Paul and promises to eliminate the influence of "organized, sinister, and invisible" gangsters.

March 22, 1933

The Volstead Act is repealed. The gangster era begins to come to an end, and under a new administration, the police department begins to rebuild its image as a “reform” agency.

December 5, 1933

Prohibition ends with the repeal of the Eighteenth Amendment as the New Deal begins, restoring public faith in government and the US economy.

May 18, 1934

Congress passes Attorney General Homer S. Cumming’s anti-racketeering legislative package. It expands the FBI's jurisdiction, enabling the bureau to pursue gangsters in cities such as St. Paul.

June 6, 1934

Congress passes a final piece of anti-racketeering legislation that allows for reward money to be offered for the capture of wanted criminals.

October 5, 1935

The first St. Paul police crime laboratory—also the first in the state— is created. The force’s radio services are upgraded.

July 24, 1935

Following a yearlong investigation that involves the bugging of police headquarters, several high-ranking police officials are disciplined; a few are removed from service.

June 2, 1936

After being elected to the St. Paul City Council, Assistant Chief of Police Gustave H. “Gus” Barfuss is appointed commissioner of public safety. Known as a reformer, Barfuss lobbies to eliminate politics from the police department.

June 15, 1936

A Tenure Charter Amendment is passed, changing the process for selecting a chief of police in St. Paul and eliminating the political favoritism of former years.

September 15, 1936

Clinton A. Hackert is appointed chief of police for a six-year term under the new selection process. He is an ally of Barfuss in the fight against corrupt officers with ties to organized crime.

1939

All twenty-six of the St. Paul Police Department’s squads are equipped with two-way radios.

ca. 1940

St. Paul is one of the most modern police agencies in the country.