.jpg "Roseville 1940s-Present")
CITY HISTORY AND ORGANIZATION
For hundreds of years, the rolling hills and grasslands of South Placer County were home to the Maidu Indians. In 1849, pioneers discovered gold in the foothills and an influx of prospectors, entrepreneurs, shopkeepers, laborers, and farmers began settling the surrounding lands. The face of Placer County would never be the same.
Finding "Junction"
In 1864, a track-laying crew from the Central Pacific Railroad came eastward across the plains from Sacramento, building the western half of the nation's first transcontinental railroad. They crossed a small rail line that linked the young towns of Lincoln and Folsom and gave the spot the unimaginative name of Junction.
For the next forty years, Junction evolved into Roseville, a small trading center for area farmers. It was greatly overshadowed in those days by its neighbor to the north, Rocklin, where the Southern Pacific Railroad maintained its Roundhouse facilities. In 1906, with the goal of expansion, Southern Pacific moved its facilities to Roseville, opening the door for Roseville to one day host the largest railroad switching yards west of the Mississippi.
Between 1864 and 1906, there were few incidents that required formal law enforcement intervention. Nevertheless, town fathers felt law and order should be a priority for this ever-growing spot off the railroad junction. As a result, township constables were awarded peace-keeping authority. The earliest recorded law enforcement officers in Township No. 1 (Roseville) were James Hobet and R. Flectcher. Their law enforcement responsibilities were largely centered on working on disputed land claims.
%20(3).jpg "Locomotive")
The first crime to be recorded in the vicinity of the newly established town occurred in January of 1869, when Mr. Cross, proprietor of the nearby 15 Mile House, reported being robbed of $100, his watch, some jewelry and other miscellaneous items. Law enforcement for the most part, however, proved to be relatively simple, for Roseville was inclined to be a peaceful community.
Building the "City of Roseville"
The City of Roseville was officially incorporated in 1909. Shortly thereafter, the new city council hired Roseville's first City Marshal, O.L. Legault, to help keep peace in town and address new issues that were arising from the recent relocation of Southern Pacific Railroad facilities and workers.
During the three-year period between 1911 and 1914, the citizens of Roseville erected more than one-hundred structures. In 1913, the largest ice manufacturing plant in the world was constructed in Roseville to chill fruits and vegetables being shipped from California to other parts of the country. In 1914, the Roseville Telephone Company (now known as SureWest) was formed. It was during this time the "jail" was built in Roseville, and a night watchman was added to assist the Marshal.
By 1929, the railroad employed nearly 1,500 people in its Roseville yard, assembling trains, repairing engines, and handling freight. Then came the Great Depression. It hit Placer County as hard as the rest of the country, but more than 2,000 of Roseville's unemployed found jobs in the Federal Works Progress Administration (WPA) paving streets, pouring sidewalks, and building storm drains. Many sidewalks in the older sections of Roseville still have "WPA" embossed in the concrete.
Population was rapidly growing, which meant the three-man police force would have to expand and evolve to keep up with the city's new pace. At this point in time, the town's current Marshal was Lou Allen. The first step to "reinventing" the department and get it up to date was switching Allen's title of Marshal to that of "Chief of Police." It was during Allen's time as Marshal they were able to buy the first city-owned patrol unit.
%20(2).jpg "RPD 1931")
In 1931, an official reorganization and expansion of the department led to Russel Carter being the first officer appointed as Roseville Police Department Chief of Police. To prepare for the new department structure, the police force expanded to employ five officers. Chief Carter's first day as acting Chief was November 25, 1931, marking the day the "Roseville Police Department" was born.
After the Great Depression years, the rail yards flourished, especially with the onset of World War II, and the subsequent post-war building boom. Prosperity returned to Roseville, seen in the form of upgrades to the city-owned electric system and constructions of a new city hospital. The years 1948-1950 saw the construction of the Washington Street underpass to accommodate traffic flow under Vernon Street and the Southern Pacific tracks.
An Expanding City and Police Department
The pattern of life changed during the 50's, as the railroad found stiff competition from airlines and interstate truckers in providing delivery of goods and services. Late in the decade, Interstate 80 pushed through Roseville, Rocklin, Loomis, and Auburn, linking Placer County with the rest of Northern California. Folsom Dam was completed in 1955, creating a reservoir eight miles east of Roseville that provides the city with dependable domestic water supply as well as an excellent recreational amenity.
In August 1956, an "auxiliary" police force was reactivated, now called the Roseville Police Department "Reserves." The Reserves force was comprised of volunteer officers who rode with patrol officers and provided security at various events, such as dances, county fairs, and auctions. By 1964, the 100-year-old city was peaceful, self-contained, had an official "Roseville Police Department," and embodied the ideas of a small American town. The publishers of Look Magazine recognized that fact when they named Roseville an All-American City that year.
In 1971, ground was broken for a new public safety facility that would house both Roseville Police and Fire Departments. By 1973, construction was complete and RPD's former City Hall headquarters were officially vacated to settle into their new facility at 401 Oak Street. It was during this time RPD Chief Hall introduced new equipment and patrol cars to the force and successfully established the area's first fingerprinting system for children. The police force significantly multiplied in staffing numbers by 1987, with RPD employing 66 members (including sworn officers and professional staff). Under Chief Cowart's leadership, the department now contained a Special Investigations unit and K-9 Unit.
.jpg "RPD 1960")
In 1995, the City of Roseville experienced devastating loss and was in desperate need for repairs after monstrous floods claimed part of the growing city. Several lives were lost, and homes and businesses were completely ruined.
The city and department experienced another devastating loss in 1995: the life of Roseville Police Department Officer Mark White. On February 10, 1995, a man entered the Police Department lobby and threatened people with a handgun. One of the police officers who responded to protect the public and his co-workers, Ofc. White, was killed. He was only 30 years old, and left behind his pregnant wife Liz, his five-year-old son, his parents and family, and a grief-stricken community. All were determined to ensure Officer White's story and legacy didn't end there. Mark is remembered as a joyful man who loved his family and assigned neighborhood. The City of Roseville went on to build a park in his neighborhood in his honor, and the new Roseville Police Department facility honors his memory and service by naming the community/meeting room the "Roseville Police Department's Mark White Community Room." Mark lives on in his family and will always be a part of Roseville' DNA and legacy.
Roseville Today
Today, Roseville finds itself a progressive city with a population of 150,000 residents. Numerous acres of former farmland have been annexed and placed within Roseville's sphere of influence, potentially doubling the current population in ten to fifteen years. While boasting the largest city population in all of Placer County, its retail, industry, and technology jobs have made Roseville less of a bedroom community and more of a destination for commuters who come for work, entertainment, and shopping, creating a significant increase in daytime population.
The current police facility, constructed in 1997, boasts approximately 70,000 square feet. However, the tremendous growth of our community demands ever-increasing service, requiring more personnel and places to house them. 2005 brought extensive remodeling and enhancement of systems and processes to the Roseville Police Department. With its goal of remaining a progressive department with state-of-the-art facilities and equipment, the challenge will be keeping pace with the growth of our community and proactively working toward its betterment.
The dynamic face of our community has a historical perspective, from its roots as a railroad junction, to today's self-contained metropolis. The challenge for public safety has always been and continues to be to meet the ever-changing needs of our community.
Under the leadership and direction of Chief Troy Bergstrom, the Roseville Police Department today remains committed to keeping Roseville a safe place for all to thrive. Thank you for your continued support for our department and commitment to keeping our community safe.
For a more detailed account of City of Roseville history, we encourage you to
visit the City's page.
.jpg "RPD Then and Now")