The roots of the Syracuse Police Department date back to 1825.
Following the opening of the Erie Canal and the boom of the
thriving salt industry, Syracuse became a bustling metropolis and a
jumping-off point for pioneers, entrepreneurs, and adventurers. The
first constable, H.W. Durnford, soon faced the problem of roustabouts,
gamblers, and robbers preying upon the canal and warehouse workers
along lower James Street. While the community experimented
with village and night watches, special constables, and patrolmen,
no permanent solution was found. On January...