The Waterbury Democrat., 1943-09-04
BY THE OUT EASTER

Timothy J. Callahan, a ser- geant of police, was retired from active service by the Board of Po- lice Commissioner on Wednesday last. This action means that he will now receive one half his reg ular wages monthly from the Board of Trustees of the Police- mems Pension Fund, of which Sergt. Jos. Reilly is the clerk, and therefore the pension boards paymaster.
 Many changes have taken place in the Police Dept. since the day the well built Tim appeared be- fore the Board of Public Safety, on May IS, 1906, in the tower of the old Leavenworth street fire station, and was appointed reg ular member of the board. Sitting about him then was the dapper William E. Thoms, newly elected Mayor, with his three Democratic appointees at his side, Wm. J. Spain, Henry W. Minor, and John J. Griffin. The two Republican members were Roland P. Andrews and Fred Margraff; the late Wm. H. sandland was the city clerk.
 Beach in Charge
 The personnel of the then po- lice dept. was Geo. M. Beach as Supt., Major Chas. R. Bannon as Captain, Thos. Dodds as Leuten- ant of detectives, John T. Pagan, Bernard Cahey and Frank L. Blakely as sergeants, Jack Ken naugh, Billy Keegan and Tom Colasanto as detectives. Such &C., tive and fine policemen as Mau- rice Noonan, Johnny Brickel, Joe Mccarthy, Pat Hayes. Hugh Flah- erty, and Sam Walsh comprised a portion of the patrolmen. Tom Lunny's famous horse drawn "Pie Wagon" was in service as the only patrol wagon. Only 37 pa- trolmen in all were on the force, with a population estimated at 75,000 persons.
 The railroad station was on It's way to completion at that time, and Supt. Beach worried greatly over the influx of criminals who will give us more or less trouble as they do in all cities where trunk lines are located" It was a plea for more policemen, but few, if any, were added at the time.
 Tim Callahan was made" a policeman in the days when the headgear of all patrolmen was the old fashioned black and gray hel- met. He and his associates wore the black helmet in the winter season and the gray helmet in the summer time. The helmet was in force in all cities on the theory that such hats were a protection to the police in case of serious trouble. And they were, too, there is no doubt of that, because the present "soft" cap worn by the po- lice of today was adopted by the HotchkisS board few years after, and at first when they were worn many of the city cops suffered from "big heads" following their battles in the so-called tough" spots of the city. The tour of duty per . formed by the police of years ago was 8 a. m. to 2 p. m., p. m. to 4 a. m. and g p. m. to 2 a. m. They were long and tiresome hours, and the posts of duty long in distance. The average yearly arrests was 5000, not small in numbers com pared to the few police the city had on its roster
 Pass Tests
 Tim Callahan was a big, strong robust man, as he strolled before the board for minute examination on the part of the "nosey" com- missioners of the period. A Board of public safety commissioner wore an expensive gold badge or insignia of office, and some times during meeting hours, the board displayed the insignia on the la- pei of the coat as a sign of rec- ognition of the powers of the office. They controlled both the police and fire depts. and in their whim. could, if they so desired, under the language Of the char ter, switch a man from the police to the Fire Dept. preeaution in ease of trouble that would give the city ample police authority in time of riot or tumult. This can- not he done today, for the reason that two boards now control these two depts. and each acts lndepen- dently of the other. That was the way it wes back in the Nlnetles before the Board of Public Safety was established. on the ground t was far better Co have one set Of commissioners in complete con- trol of both safety bureaus.
 Waterbury had some big police ln ihose days. Ike the military