Police Heritage Museum, Inc. - York, Pennsylvania

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York City Police Department
Chiefs of Police

York City Police historian John Stine has compiled a list of Police Chiefs and Commissioners that have commanded the York City Police Department.

Prior to 1855, the High Constable had charge of the Watchmen. 1855 found the first reference to the Chief of Police (actually found as Chief Police).

In Pennsylvania, a Police Chief (or Chief of Police) is the head of a police agency that has completed the necessary training as required by Act 120 to provide law enforcement in the Commonwealth. A Police Commissioner is the head of a law enforcement agency that is not Act 120 certified. Typically, a Police Chief will come up through the ranks within the department, whereas a Police Commissioner will usually be a person hired from outside the department to lead the agency.

Click on a photograph to view a larger image

J. K. Sharp *Chief Police* 1855	Samuel Warring *Chief of Police* 1857 1859-1861	James Ruby *Chief of Police* 1858
James Kendig *Chief of Police* 1861-1863	Frederick Zorger *Chief of Police* 1863-1886	H. Samuel Spangler *Chief of Police* 1887
George W. Powell *Chief of Police* 1888-1891	Samuel Bookman *Chief of Police* 1893-1896	Walter B. White *Chief of Police* 1896-1901
Jacob Hose *Chief of Police* 1902-1907	Charles A. Bush *Chief of Police* 1908-1911	Charles K. Binder *Chief of Police* 1912-1916
Fred W. Kottcamp *Chief of Police* 1916 1917-1918	Harvey C. Myers *Acting Chief of Police* 1916	J. F. Buttorff *Chief of Police* 1919-1920 1922-1926
William C. Craver *Chief of Police* 1920-1921	Adam H. Stevens *Chief of Police* 1926	Michael Schwint *Chief of Police* 1928-1932
C. P. Gerber *Chief of Police* 1932-1943	W. A. Eisenhower *Acting Chief of Police* 1943	Nelson Schultz *Chief of Police* 1944-1947
Jeremiah Sipe *Chief of Police* 1948 1949-1951	Jacob W. Hose, Sr. *Acting Chief of Police* 1948 *Chief of Police* 1951-1952	Gorman Christine *Chief of Police* 1952-1955
Richard K. Johnson *Chief of Police* 1955-1960	Ira W. Bohn *Chief of Police* 1960-1961	William H. Kapp *Chief of Police* 1964-1968
Leonard Landis *Acting Chief of Police* 1968-1970 *Chief of Police* 1970-1971	Elmer Bortner *Acting Colonel* 1971-1972 *Chief of Police* 1972-1974	Wayne A. Ruppert *Acting Chief of Police* 1974 *Chief of Police* 1974-1979
Thomas V. Chatman *Chief of Police* 1980-1981	William M. Hose *Chief of Police* 1982-1992	William Smith *Chief of Police* 1992-1994
Thomas C. Gross *Acting Chief of Police* 1994-1995 1995-1996	Russell Clanagan *Police Commissioner* 1995-1996	Herbert Grofcsik *Police Commissioner* 1996-2000
Michael R. Hill *Chief of Police* 2002-2003	Fire Chief John S. Senft *Acting Police Commissioner* 2003	Mark L. Whitman *Police Commissioner* 2003-2010
Wes Kahley *Chief of Police* 2010-