The Wilmington morning star., 1947-02-23
Bv PHIL WRIGHT
Staff writer

Charles H. Casteen. chief of the
w;Imineton Police department
whose retirement has been accept
az nv the Police Pension boare
WAS Scheduled to leave the city
his morning at tbs o'clock a1tel
% wears service with the force.
Born in Wilmington January
10th. 1899. Casteen had his hrst 9or
IN the machine shops of the At
lantic Coast Line railroad here
where he served for a short time
as handy man until he learned tne
machinist's trade.
He was later promoted to wreck
inc engineer. duties of which con
sisted of repairing damaged cars
During his eight years service
with ACL, he was elevated 10 the
nosition of foreman Of the Wreck
ing department.
The retiring chief was educated
in the public schools OF New Han
over county and started to work
Immediately after completing his
high school education.
He came to the police depart
ment as a rookie in 1923 where he
served as an officer on the water
front patrol.
His beat consisted Of Water
street and the section lying be.
tween there and the waters edge.
It was known as number eight
and Casteen had the full swing
from well North of MI
street south to Greenfield.
During his stretch of duty or
the water he recalls that things
.'just rocked along from night to
night" He went to work at 7:45
pm. and was relieved at 4:45.
A policeman earned his money
back in those days" Gasteen said.
After a short time on the beat
he was shifted to the downtown
area where he had a regular beat,
later being given special traffic
assignments.
This beat was even quieter than
the waterfront rounds back III
! those days, because of the small
number of motor vehicles operat-
ing, Casteen said.
Real color came to his career
as an officer of the law Wher
about two years after joining the
force he was ''promoted" to the
bicycle patrol ION the hill he
recalls.
This was back in the days O.
the BLACK Maria" the early pa
troll wagon. In those days wher
a drunk was picked up OF the
streets. there was not a call box
handy for the boys to call the sta
ton and have the wagon pick ur
their hayward charge. The officer
had to lay down his bicycle,
trudge the eight to IS blocks to a
telephone. and hold his charge IN
til the wagon came. On the bike
patrol, officers usually work
cd their beats in relays.
Present : day policemen don't
know when they're well off, Cas-
ten says. Back il the old
days on these bicycles, in some
. of thore winter snow storms, our
= hands would freeze to the handle
bars, "he recalled.
He worked these beats with
James Jordan, retired assistant
chief who is constable of Whining
ton township, and Harry Fales. di'
rector of the New Hanover Bureau
of Identification.
Casteen was made sergeant Of
. the force in 1929, six years after
entering the service, and from
then on his promotions came rgu-
lar and rapidly.
Under Chief j. S. Lane, Casteen
was made lieutenant Sept. l, 1885,
and on Feb. 2, 1887 he became
captain of the department, a posi-.
ton which was later replaced by
that Of assistant chief.
He served as captain \ eigh1
months under Lane and under
former Chief Claude Cashwen, now
living in California. and former
Chief j. G. Ruark, under whom
he became assistant chief, Novem-
Der /. 1887.
He served with Ruark until June
!, 1941 when he was made chief
OF the department at the formers
retirement.
Casteen was married to Miss
Ruth Smith. He has two children.
His son, Charles Bernice, who
served in the armed Forces during
World War II, is now studying at
the Southern Junior college. Col
lege Dale, Tenn.
The daughter, Mrs. Frances
Schwantes. now lives in Indiana
polls, Ind. with her husband and
their daughter.
Il have been here nearly "a
years, and it has been a pleasure
working on the force. One be-
comes attached to it, and we have
been one big happy family" Cas-
teen said last night, on the eve
OF his departure for Fletcher.
where he will enter Mountain San
atorium for a rest.
He is neutral about his success
or, and emphasized that during his
years in administrative posts on
the force he had no favorites. He
said that he made 70 recommen-
dations.
4 felt that it was my duty 10
Ieave that up to officials, charged