THE SAUGUS ADVOCATE – FriDAy, JAnUAry 3, 2025 Page 5 A look back at Saugus History The town’s First Police Chief – Charles O. Thompson – began his duty in the basement of Town Hall By Janice K. Jarosz W hen any longtime Saugonian resident hears the names Mansfield, Joy, Stuart, Forni, Peters or Ricciardelli, the profession of police chief comes to mind. But what about the name Thompson? How many of you are familiar with the fi rst Saugus Police Chief, Charles O. Thompson, hired with nothing more than a small drawer in someone’s desk, somewhere in the basement of our Saugus Town Hall. I had never heard of him either until George Brown lent me an original Policemen’s Ball Program with Mr. Thompson’s picture in it. The date was 1905 and Thompson was not only the Chief of Police in Saugus, Mass., but also Chairman of the Ball Committee and President of the Police Relief Association. In 1890, with a population of 3,673, there was no organized police force in Saugus. A constable named Charles Clark was in charge of law and order. In the annual Saugus Town Report, Mr. Clark listed the following arrests for 1890: “A total of 18 consisting of 9 for assault and battery, 6 for drunkenness, 1 for non-support of family, 1 for stealing and 1 for surrendering of his bondsperson.” With the increase of population to 4,497 in 1894, and after a nationwide search, Mr. Charles Clark appointed his brother Francis F. Clark, a court offi cer, to add to the “police force.” The police – otherwise known as the Clark brothers – submitted the following arrest record dated 1894: “Number of arrests eighty-one, with the major portion of thirty-three attributed to drunkenness; riding bicycles on sidewalks fourteen, assault and battery eleven; being present at a cock fi ght four; present at game cards on the Lord’s Day three; cruelty to animals four; embezzlement one; bastardy one; larceny from a building one; using threatening language one; person arrested on a capias two; and liquor was found in fi ve places.” The receipts from the court ($509.00) nearly paid for the services of the police, otherwise known as the Clark brothers. By the following year, and with the population growing, HISTORY | SEE PAGE 14 SAUGUS’ FIRST POLICE CHIEF: Chief Charles O. Thompson only had one drawer in somebody’s desk to store police records after he was fi rst hired in 1895. (Courtesy Photo to The Saugus Advocate) Those arrested by Saugus police in the early days stayed in the jail in the basement of Saugus Town Hall. (Courtesy Photo to The Saugus Advocate) SABATINO/MASTROCOLA INSURANCE AGENCY 519 BROADWAY EVERETT, MA 02149 Auto * Home * Boat * Renter * Condo * Life * Multi-Policy Discounts * Commercial 10% Discounts * Registry Service Also Available Sabatino Insurance is proud to welcome the loyal customers of ALWAYS READY TO SERVE YOU: Our Staff are, Emma Davidson, Jeimy Sanchez, Josephine Leone, Marie D’Amore, Rocco Longo, Z’andre Lopez, Anthony DiPierro, Darius Goudreau, Laurette Murphy, Danielle Goudreau and Tina Davidson. PHONE: (617) 387-7466 FAX: (617) 381-9186 Visit us online at: WWW.SABATINO-INS.COM
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