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HOUSE RESOLUTION


 
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    WHEREAS, The Decatur Police Department celebrates the 
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150th anniversary of its founding on January 7, 2006; and

 
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    WHEREAS, Officers will wear a specially designed 
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commemorative 150th anniversary badge during the year of 2006; 
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and

 
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    WHEREAS, The first city marshal was elected to office 
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January 7, 1856; the marshal was the sole law enforcement 
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officer for the city until the mid-1860s, when a deputy marshal 
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was elected to assist him; by 1876, the police department 
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consisted of the marshal, a deputy marshal, and 5 officers; by 
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1882, the city marshal and deputy marshal were no longer 
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elected officials, but appointed by the mayor; the title of 
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city marshal disappeared in the late 1890s and was replaced 
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with the title of chief of police; by 1900, Decatur had 12 
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sworn officers; and

 
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    WHEREAS, In 1960, the police chief formed the first formal 
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detective bureau for the police department and the civil 
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service rank of detective was created; and

 
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    WHEREAS, The police department was located in the county 
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courthouse on the southeast corner of Water and Wood Streets 
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until 1927, when it moved into a building across the street on 
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the northwest corner of Water and Washington; in 1939, when the 
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present county courthouse was constructed in the 200 block of 
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East Wood, the police department moved back in; in 1964, the 
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police department moved into the city's municipal building 
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located at 707 East Wood; in 1989, the police department moved 
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into the newly constructed Law Enforcement Center in the 300 
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block of South Franklin; and

 
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    WHEREAS, As of this time, the Decatur Police Department has 
 


 






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a force of 164 sworn officers, including 102 patrol officers, 
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36 detectives, 17 sergeants, 5 lieutenants, 3 deputy chiefs, 
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and a police chief; therefore, be it

 
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    RESOLVED, BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE 
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NINETY-FOURTH GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that 
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we congratulate the Decatur Police Department  on the occasion 
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of its 150th anniversary and express our sincerest best wishes 
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for the future; and be it further

 
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    RESOLVED, That a suitable copy of this resolution be 
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presented to the  Decatur Police Department as an expression of 
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our admiration and esteem.