rothkennedy2012

@Book{ rothkennedy2012,
    author = {Mitchel P. Roth and Tom Kennedy},
    title = {Houston Blue: The Story of the Houston Police Department},
    address = {Denton},
    publisher = {University of North Texas Press},
    year = 2012,
}

Chapter 3 (pp. 17–29) covers Civil War and Reconstruction, noting roots of the department in slave patrols of the antebellum years.

p. 17:

At the outbreak of the Civil War, John Proudfoot was city marshal beginning in 1860. His main duties included enforcing the Sabbath prohibition against the sale of liquors. Legislation at the end of 1861 summarized the duties of patrol officers and delegated the duties of the chief of police, then known as the marshal, as well as the patrol officers. The position of marshal fell under the administration of the mayor’s office and the police department.

p. 20:

On September 3, 1863, a city ordinance formalized the establishment of the Houston police force consisting of sixteen men under the control of the mayor and city marshal, but subject to the regulations of the Board of Aldermen. The marshal was expected to have at least three men in each ward between the hours of 9 a.m. and 4 p.m. He was supplied with thirty rattles, which were doled out to each officer.

Duties of “night policemen” described in a May 12, 1864, ordinance.

p. 21: says that a federal Provost Marshal only in charge from June 20 to November 1865.

p. 24:

By 1866, the position of city marshal remained an elected office. The rest of the police force was appointed by the mayor following recommendations made to him by the Police Committee. This august group was composed of city aldermen appointed by the mayor. That same year a decision was made to send Marshal I. C. Lord to New Orleans “for the purpose of procuring such information that would facilitate him in the organization of an effective police force.”¹

p. 25:

By January of 1867, the city aldermen and mayor had enlarged the police force to nineteen, including the city marshal, the largest number up until that time. But movement was afoot to undo all of this. On May 30, 1868, the Daily Houston Telegraph reported the rumor that the “sages in the Board of Aldermen” were to introduce a bill that evening to reduce the police force down to its original number of ten."

J. J. Reynolds tried to remove Lord in 1867 and 1868; on September 29, 1868, the Houston Times defended Lord by saying that he had recently spoiled “the well planned game of the radicals for a riot in this city.” See also Lord’s defiant response to his removal in Times of October 1.

p. 27 reports on the 1872 Police Committee draft report that called for growth of the police department and hiring of Black officers.