1940s

Fort Wayne Police Department: Policewoman's Uniform

The Old City Building housed the Fort Wayne Police Department from 1893 until 1971, before the Allen County-Fort Wayne Historical Society refurbished the building into the History Center in 1980-but the story of law enforcement in Fort Wayne starts much earlier. City Council, realizing that there was inadequate protection for its citizens in a growing town, established a professional police force in 1863. It consisted of three men, a lieutenant and two patrolmen who patrolled from dusk to dawn.

During the 1870s, Fort Wayne endured a wave of crime, particularly pickpockets, gamblers, and thieves, which earned the city the title of "Most Lawless City in Indiana" in the Chicago Tribune. Notable improvements in organization and discipline took place in 1883 and 1894 and by 1900 the force was developing into a professional police department. The first police station was established in a small brick building that stood opposite the courthouse on Court Street. This building was used until completion of the new City Building in 1893.

The first female associated with the Fort Wayne Police Department was Fannie Winch, who was ap-pointed Fort Wayne's first Police Matron in 1913. This policewoman's uniform dates to the early 1950s. Officer Velma Moser is shown wearing the complete uniform with a purse containing pouches for a gun and handcuffs.