replaced by longtime police officer Daniel Donovan. Donovan stepped into Heraldâs salary, now up to $1,800 annually. Donovan held the chiefâs position until his death in 1934.
Following Donovanâs death, one of Conshohockenâs most colorful characters was appointed chief. Francis âBunnyâ Blake, who was born in 1900, was sworn in as a police officer in July 1929. Although he only served for four years as chief, he went on to serve more than twenty years as a policeman. Bunny was also a professional boxer, fighting more than 143 professional fights, including a fight with champion Tommy Loughran.
Walter Phipps Sr. became the boroughâs fifth chief of police in 1938 and served as a policeman for more than thirty years before retiring in 1959. A few of the more colorful policemen who served during the late 1920s and 1930s included Mike Bosco, Frank Jacquot, Samuel Himes, Henry Williams, Frank Stalone, Harry Snear, William P. Donovan and Ezekiel Kirkpatrick, just to name a few.
A little bit of police business back in 1937 included borough officials accepting the bid of E.F. Moore Chevrolet to furnish a Chevrolet Master Coach for use by the police at a price of $208.50. The old police car was used as a trade-in. Even back then, our borough leaders spared no expense for the police department.
In 1943, Councilman Kelly voted to increase the police salary raise percentage from 5 percent to 10 percent. All council voted in favor of the additional raise. After all, the police departmentâincluding Chief of Police Walter Phipps and officers Francis âBunnyâ Blake, Louis Haushalter, Harry Snear and Frank Staloneâhad just captured a gang of thieves. The only problem with the raise, according to Solicitor Arnold Forrest, was that it was illegal, as the budget had already been adopted by the taxpayers. The additional 5 percent raise was later stripped.
In 1944, that new police car purchased in 1937 was in a slight accident when it rear-ended a fire truck on the way back from a field fire. The police department was without a police car for more than two months. Fortunately, three of the boroughâs policemen had their own transportation, but the other three officers were left to capture the bad guys on foot.
In 1958, borough leaders managed to go one step further with a police department blunder than they had in 1943 when they decided to relieve Walter Phipps of his duty as chief of police. Council voted that all policemen with twenty years of service and who were sixty years old would be forced to retire with a handsome payment of fifty dollars per week. Chief Phipps was removed, and later reinstated, before retiring on his own.
Police pay was again the hot topic in 1960, when Chief of Police Charles Marwood was granted a raise, giving him $6,000 per year. Other officers in 1960âincluding Ray Alexander, Francis Blake, Matt Doughtery, John Boccella and Harrison M. âTankâ Langley, just to name a fewâwere pulling down $5,000 per year. In 1961, Sergeant Francis âBunnyâ Blake retired after serving more than thirty-two years as a Conshohocken policeman, and in 1962 William âPatâ Donovan retired after serving more than twenty-five years on the department.
By 1964, town council had grown out of the borough offices located on the corner of Hector and Forrest Streets. The combined borough hall and police station purchased in 1875 was antiquated with the four small cells; in 1875, the police force had consisted of one full-time officer and two-part time cops. By 1965, the department had swelled to eleven officers, including Samuel Cardamone, Adam Pagliaro, George Bland, Robert Watson, Frank Charlesworth, Carmen Canale and Jesse Zadroga. These officers were the benefactors of the new police station purchased by the borough located on the corner of Eighth Avenue and Forrest Street. One side note about the new police station was that the old jail cells were
Following Donovanâs death, one of Conshohockenâs most colorful characters was appointed chief. Francis âBunnyâ Blake, who was born in 1900, was sworn in as a police officer in July 1929. Although he only served for four years as chief, he went on to serve more than twenty years as a policeman. Bunny was also a professional boxer, fighting more than 143 professional fights, including a fight with champion Tommy Loughran.
Walter Phipps Sr. became the boroughâs fifth chief of police in 1938 and served as a policeman for more than thirty years before retiring in 1959. A few of the more colorful policemen who served during the late 1920s and 1930s included Mike Bosco, Frank Jacquot, Samuel Himes, Henry Williams, Frank Stalone, Harry Snear, William P. Donovan and Ezekiel Kirkpatrick, just to name a few.
A little bit of police business back in 1937 included borough officials accepting the bid of E.F. Moore Chevrolet to furnish a Chevrolet Master Coach for use by the police at a price of $208.50. The old police car was used as a trade-in. Even back then, our borough leaders spared no expense for the police department.
In 1943, Councilman Kelly voted to increase the police salary raise percentage from 5 percent to 10 percent. All council voted in favor of the additional raise. After all, the police departmentâincluding Chief of Police Walter Phipps and officers Francis âBunnyâ Blake, Louis Haushalter, Harry Snear and Frank Staloneâhad just captured a gang of thieves. The only problem with the raise, according to Solicitor Arnold Forrest, was that it was illegal, as the budget had already been adopted by the taxpayers. The additional 5 percent raise was later stripped.
In 1944, that new police car purchased in 1937 was in a slight accident when it rear-ended a fire truck on the way back from a field fire. The police department was without a police car for more than two months. Fortunately, three of the boroughâs policemen had their own transportation, but the other three officers were left to capture the bad guys on foot.
In 1958, borough leaders managed to go one step further with a police department blunder than they had in 1943 when they decided to relieve Walter Phipps of his duty as chief of police. Council voted that all policemen with twenty years of service and who were sixty years old would be forced to retire with a handsome payment of fifty dollars per week. Chief Phipps was removed, and later reinstated, before retiring on his own.
Police pay was again the hot topic in 1960, when Chief of Police Charles Marwood was granted a raise, giving him $6,000 per year. Other officers in 1960âincluding Ray Alexander, Francis Blake, Matt Doughtery, John Boccella and Harrison M. âTankâ Langley, just to name a fewâwere pulling down $5,000 per year. In 1961, Sergeant Francis âBunnyâ Blake retired after serving more than thirty-two years as a Conshohocken policeman, and in 1962 William âPatâ Donovan retired after serving more than twenty-five years on the department.
By 1964, town council had grown out of the borough offices located on the corner of Hector and Forrest Streets. The combined borough hall and police station purchased in 1875 was antiquated with the four small cells; in 1875, the police force had consisted of one full-time officer and two-part time cops. By 1965, the department had swelled to eleven officers, including Samuel Cardamone, Adam Pagliaro, George Bland, Robert Watson, Frank Charlesworth, Carmen Canale and Jesse Zadroga. These officers were the benefactors of the new police station purchased by the borough located on the corner of Eighth Avenue and Forrest Street. One side note about the new police station was that the old jail cells were
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