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The Moline Police Department, which was first established in 1872, has a long history of integrity and progressive policing. Below are just a few details about the department's history. View a full, detailed timeline about our agency's proud past.
On September 6th, 1872, the City of Moline passed an ordinance allowing for the establishment of a police force. The department consisted of Chief August Herkert and his deputy, James G. Wells. These two men were solely responsible for maintaining law and order in the City of several hundred residents. The chief’s salary was $600 a year and Wells drew $360 annually.
By 1900, the police force consisted of 9 men who worked 7 days a week (with no vacation time) in the City, whose population had grown to more than 16,000 residents.
In March of 1970, the Policeman-Pals program was started. The program allowed officers to interact with students at Grant Grade School. This was one of the first examples of what would later be known as 'Community Oriented Policing'.
On September 1, 1972, the Moline Police Department moved to its new home at the Moline Emergency Center, 1630 8th Avenue. The department had shared space with others at City Hall since the early 1900’s. Cost of the new Emergency Center was $1.6 million.
In July, 1987, the Moline Police Department established a tactical response team. Moline Police Department Crisis Containment Unit (CCU) has both a tactical unit and a hostage negotiator unit. Today, the CCU has expanded to include tactical dispatchers and tactical emergency medical staff.
The early 1990's saw the Moline Police introduce its bicycle patrol and its first school liaison officer at Moline High School. The department would later add three additional police liaison officers at other area schools: John Deere Middle School, Wilson Middle School, and Coolidge Alternative High School.
On January 9th, 2007, the Moline Police Department moved into a newly constructed, state-of-the-art police station. The 67,000 sq. ft. building cost $10.8 million and took nearly two years of construction to complete.