The History of the Holden Police Department
Although officially founded in 1741, it wasn't until the early 1890s that the Town of Holden began to take recognizable measures towards crime prevention and the apprehension of law breakers. According to town records, it was at the 1892 Annual Town Meeting that Article #19 was proposed, authorizing the building of a town lock-up. $500 was appropriated, and the lock-up was constructed on the site of the current Jefferson Service Station. Since there wasn't any expedient means of transportation to Worcester, the building was primarily used to detain the occasional intoxicated citizen or public disturbant. Holden was a quiet farming community, with little need for an official police force for many years.
Holden's first jail was built for $500 in the early 1890s. Located on the site of the present Jefferson Service Station, the building was razed on May 11, 1948.
 
The first Holden policemen were listed in the town records as "Special Police". These were citizens (usually two, but quite often only one) appointed by the Town Selectmen as law officers for the coming year. From 1897 to 1904, for example, only one policeman was appointed each year, with his title recorded as "Keeper of the Lock-up". The years 1912 to 1917 showed an increase in the number of Special Police appointed. This number varied from four to nine, with the higher years generally reflecting the amount of new road construction as opposed to an increase in crime.
 
The first Chief of Police listed in town records is Loring W. Hubbard, who was appointed along with eight Special Police in 1918. Chief Hubbard was reappointed to serve each year through 1920. 1921 saw Aaron L. Potter as Chief, and in 1922 Frank L. Niles was appointed, serving the town until Ernest E. Bennett took over from 1923-1924. Frank K. Packard was appointed Chief annually from 1925 through 1943. Under each of these Chiefs, the Special Police acted as an on-call or reserve force. They were called upon on holidays, special occasions (such as a dance at the Town Hall), or when the Chief needed an extra hand. Otherwise, the Chief handled nearly everything on his own.
An old Chief's badge.
 
It is interesting to note the funding (or lack thereof) earmarked for police work through the early part of the 20th century. Other than the $500 set aside for the construction of the lock-up in 1893, very little mention is made of police appropriations or expenditures in the town records through 1935. The proposed budget for 1937 was $500, and by 1941 the amount requested was $1200. At that time, an officer hired to be on duty at a Town Hall dance from 8:00 pm until midnight made $3.00, or 75¢ per hour.
 
In 1944, Wallace B. McInnis was appointed Chief of Police. A former State Trooper, McInnis recognized that in order to support Holden's growth, operational changes within the Police Department must be made; it was time for a much higher degree of organization. He began keeping daily logs of all police activity, tracking the number and types of calls and arrests. State Troopers, FBI agents, area Chiefs of Police, and other experienced professionals were brought in to provide training to Holden officers.
 
The first regularly scheduled patrol duties began in 1943. Patrols were consistently in place on Friday, Saturday, and Sunday nights only, from dusk until 1:00 AM. Patrolmen used their own private cars and were paid 5¢ per mile for doing so. Communications during the patrols presented problems, since there were no 2-way radios in the officers' personal vehicles. Patrolmen called in from time to time using nearby telephones, or they would stop at the Chief's house, which served as police headquarters. To help remedy this situation, Chief McInnis borrowed an idea implemented by the State Police in the nearby town of Northborough. McInnis had a blue light mounted above the center intersection of Routes 122A and 31, which he could turn on from his home, thus giving a signal for a policeman on duty to call or go to the Chief's house. During the week, when patrols were not scheduled, the Chief served as the entire Police Department. So except for weekend evenings, special occasions, and when he needed extra help called in, the Chief answered all calls for service himself.
 
On June 11, 1949, a special town meeting was held, at which residents voted to purchase the Damon House property at the corner of Highland and Main Streets for $22,000. Shortly thereafter, the building was put to use as Holden's first police station. Despite the acquisition of a real headquarters, communications continued to suffer until 1960, when the town applied for a radio license and acquired a 2-way radio system for the use of patrolmen. This was the beginning of a decade of unrest and revolution, as well as the birth of a flourishing illegal drug scene throughout the United States. Holden was not immune to these trends, and in addition the town's population had tripled during the past 35 years, ballooning from 3,436 residents to 10,101.
This painted wooden sign was salvaged from the Damon House when the Police Department moved to their current Main Street headquarters in 1975.
Except for the Chief, Holden's police force was completely part-time until 1964, with a total of fifteen employees. In 1965 the first full-time officers were assigned to duty. Holden's first full-time patrolman was James S. Oliver, who had been a member of the department since 1954. Patrolmen Elmer R. Pettis and James R. Hammond soon joined Oliver in full-time capacity, and eleven part-time patrolmen rounded out the force. At the end of 1965, Chief McInnis retired and Town Manager Edward G. McGann appointed James Oliver Provisional Police Chief.
Holden Police Department - 1965
L to R: Chief Wallace B. McInnis, Full-Time Patrolmen James S. Oliver, Elmer R. Pettis, and James R. Hammond

Within a short time, Oliver became permanent Chief under Civil Service. He had graduated 1st in his class from the State Police Training Academy, and was voted president by his classmates. At a 1966 town meeting, the citizens of Holden voted to accept the State of Massachusetts Civil Service standards for hiring their patrolmen.
 
By 1975, the Holden Police Department was still located at the Damon House. This facility offered no room for private interrogation, nor was there a lock-up facility there (or anywhere else in town). At that time, the full-time force consisted of the Chief, two sergeants, seven patrolmen, a secretary, and two dispatchers. The part-time force included twelve patrolmen (four of whom also served as dispatchers), seven part-time dispatchers, and two matrons. There were three marked cruisers in use, as well as a Chief's vehicle. With patrols running 24 hours a day, the department was seriously undermanned.
A 1988-91 Holden Police cruiser, exact year unknown. Dog is same approximate vintage as car.
To read how this car was dated,
click here.
In 1975, the Holden Police Department moved from the Damon House to it's current station at 1420 Main Street. By then, the annual budget had increased to about a quarter of a million dollars, and arrests numbered around 200 per year, with OUI the most common arrestable offense. Yet the force only numbered 10 full-time: the Chief, two sergeants, and seven patrolmen; the smallest full-time police department per capita in the state of Massachusetts. James Oliver continued his tenure as Chief at the new station until he retired in 1979, to be succeeded by Acting Chief Roger G. Lindfors. Chief Charles R. Hicks then served from 1980 through 1997.
The current HPD facilities at 1420 Main Street.
 
In 1987, the Worcester County Breaking and Entering Task Force was formed, creating a cooperative effort between 20-30 local, state, and Federal law enforcement agencies. Together, these investigators decrease the number of housebreaks in the Central Massachusetts area, and recover over $250,000 in stolen goods. The Task Force is still in force today, with the Holden Police Department an active member, both contributing and extracting valuable information to reduce crime.
 
The 1990s was another decade of dramatic change, as the increased use of computers generated scams and new crimes against juveniles, jail overcrowding resulted in early releases and a subsequent increase in housebreaks, and the D.A.R.E. program was introduced in Holden schools, the first of many and continued efforts fostering a consistent and positive police presence among our students of all ages. The decade also brought tragedy, when Paxton Police Chief Robert J. Mortell was killed in the line of duty in the woods off Reservoir Street on February 1, 1994 — one of four Holden murders that year.
1998 brought about the appointment of our current Chief, George R. Sherrill, whose commitment to community policing is well received by the residents of Holden. The police force continues to attempt to grow along with the population,and adapt as effectively as possible to the changing times and new challenges such as identity theft and other computer crimes.

For more detail about significant events throughout the years, check out our Timeline.
 
Many thanks to Anjie Coates and Amie Rapa for their contributions to this section of our website. Anjie wrote much of the narrative, which was included on our first website. As an intern, Amie compiled an extensive 1918-2003 HPD history notebook, which is a valuable resource for this page.
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Some photographs © Microsoft Corporation