The City of Newark Division of Police was established by an ordinance passed in 1870. Newark had become a City just 10 years earlier. The Village of Newark appointed its first law enforcement officer, Marshall P. Morrison in 1835.
Horse drawn patrol wagons like the one on the right were used until 1915.
Early 1896, the Newark Police Division had grown to ten officers, and 19 more officers were added by 1912.
To accommodate Newark’s growing population and changing needs, the city increased its police force to 35 officers in 1948.
In July 2005, a ceremony took place to dedicate the new state of the art police facility, located at 39 South 4th Street. The 38,000 sq. ft. building was possible due to the support of the City of Newark citizens for their safety forces.
Today, the City of Newark has over 78 sworn officers as part of its Police Division. In addition to the officers, there are 23 full or part time civilian employees who fill vital support roles in areas such as dispatching, record keeping, and clerical assignments through out the Division.