Los Angeles City Marshal

The Los Angeles City Marshal was the chief law enforcement officer of Los Angeles in the city's early years.

Californio politician Juan José Carrillo served as the last City Marshal from 1875 to 1876.

The City Marshal was an office created in 1850 upon the city's incorporation. The title was City Marshal, Tax and Licence Collector. The title of Chief of Police was added in 1871. In 1876 the position of City Marshal was eliminated. Jacob F. Gerkens as the first officer to hold the new title of Chief of Police.[1] J.J. Carrillo continued as Tax and Licence Collector in 1876 - 1877.

The second City Marshal, Jack Whaling, was shot in 1853. This led to the creation of the "Los Angeles Rangers", a volunteer force who assisted the City Marshal and County Sheriff. At this time, law enforcement was limited and the Marshal had use of but one small county jail.[1][2]

In 1869, William C. Warren was appointed as City Marshal and was given command over a force of six officers. He was responsible for being the city's dog catcher and collecting taxes. He was paid 2.5% of all tax monies he collected (in 1875 it totaled to $115 per month).[1] In 1872, a city ordinance was passed which required the city marshal to register and license dogs.

Name[3] Tenure Title Notes
Samuel Whiting 1850 City Marshal, Tax and Licence Collector
Alexander Gibson 1851 City Marshal, Tax and Licence Collector
William Reeder 1852 City Marshal, Tax and Licence Collector
A. S. Beard 1853 City Marshal, Tax and Licence Collector [A]
George W. Cole 1854 City Marshal
Alfred Shelby 1855 City Marshal, Tax and Licence Collector
William C. Getman 1856–1857 City Marshal, Tax and Licence Collector [B]
F. H. Alexander 1858–1859 City Marshal, Tax and Licence Collector
Thomas Trafford 1860–1863 City Marshal, Tax and Licence Collector
J. P. Owenby 1864 City Marshal, Tax and Licence Collector
William C. Warren 1865–1867 City Marshal, Tax and Licence Collector
John Trafford 1868 City Marshal, Tax and Licence Collector
William C. Warren 1869–1870 City Marshal, Tax and Licence Collector [C]
Francis Baker 1871–1872 City Marshal, Tax and Licence Collector
and Chief of Police
R. J. Wolf 1873–1874 City Marshal, Tax and Licence Collector
and Chief of Police
Juan José Carrillo 1875–1876 City Marshal, Tax and Licence Collector
and Chief of Police

Notes
  • A Beard was removed from office.
  • B Getman was killed in 1858 after being elected as sheriff of Los Angeles County.
  • C Warren was shot and killed in 1870 by one of his deputies, Joseph Franklin Dye.

Bibliography
  • Bailey, William G. (1995). The Encyclopedia of Police Science. Routledge. ISBN 978-0-8153-1331-1.
  • An illustrated history of Los Angeles County, California. Lewis Publishing Company, Chicago. 1889.

References
  1. "History of the LAPD: 1850-1900". Retrieved 2008-04-08.
  2. Los Angeles - Timeline and History
  3. Chronological Record of Los Angeles City Officials: 1850—1938, Compiled under Direction of Municipal Reference Library City Hall, Los Angeles March 1938 (Reprinted 1966)
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