Dating back to the days of the Wild West, Salinas has had a violent history. From the late 1890s, when the first night watchmen patrolled the streets on foot and without training or weapons, to the state-of-the-art department of 2005, the exceptional men and women who framed the early department are the subjects of many of the legends told in this history. Mae Eisemann was the first policewoman in Salinas and the first female to have a foot patrol in California. As such, she forged the way for other females in law enforcement. The rise of a detective division, the many personalities of the...

Murder has long been part of the history of the City of Salinas. From the deaths of innocent children to the horrible and savage mutilation of wives, shop owners and neighbors, Salinas has been rocked by the horror of dozens of murders in the years since the city fathers voted to hire the first police chief in 1903. In addition to being home to one of the first known female serial killers, Salinas has long fought a reputation of being the gang murder capital of California. The truth is that Salinas has had more victims of murders in non gang- related cases than its residents perhaps would...