Dialing Into The Past: The History Of Chicago Police Communication Systems
In an age where everything is just a click or call away, it may be hard to think of a time where security wasn’t at our fingertips. And in situations where details change by the second, having a way to communicate with others is crucial.
The Chicago Police Department realized this need–and set to work.
Today, we’re exploring the history of the CPD’s communication systems, and how they set the standard for departments nationwide.
The Origin of Police Communications
The city’s first revolutionary attempt at increasing police communication came in the 1880s. According to A Proud Tradition: A Pictorial History of the Chicago Police Department, “seven-foot-high octagonal booths, with street lights adorning their tops, were installed at prominent intersections throughout Chicago.” While they might have looked like an odd invention to passerby at first, they served as a vital lifeline for the Department.
Discover Chicago History, Every Month
Each booth utilized a telegraph machine, wherein a police officer could send out a request for help to a local station and await assistance. This invention was a marvel, increasing security across the city while maintaining accurate details that may have otherwise been lost in a scramble of distance and third parties. But the booths weren’t without rules.
To maintain security, the boxes were only available to whoever had a key–carried by members of the Chicago Police Department, or entrusted to reliable civilians. According to the book, “a clever trap lock” kept the key in place, only released once the call was finished and police were enroute.
Protocol required patrolmen to report to their nearest box every hour to check in with the station, and some patrol officers “were initially opposed” to the idea. Opinions started to shift once they realized that instant communication meant life-saving help was just a few minutes away.
As years progressed, call boxes ditched the telegraph system once telephones became available. A pullable alarm was installed, allowing policemen to arrive with police wagons ready to address the scene. A Proud Tradition describes this as “the first modern police vehicle,” supplied with “handcuffs, clubs, blankets, first aid supplies, stretchers, and lanterns.”
Since citizens were able to utilize these boxes, they were able to alert police about a variety of crimes in real-time, from fires, to robberies, murders, and brawls. This marked the first significant shift in crime reporting in the city, and it didn’t take long for the nation to notice. People traveled near and far to Chicago “to learn how to implement the innovative communications system in their own city or town,” the book notes.
Tuning In To Something New
As radios slowly became a desired addition to the household, the Chicago Police Department realized they could utilize a form of their own.
Spearheaded in the early 1920s by Police Chief Charles Fitzmorris, a new device rolled out across the city: a portable wireless telephone–the radiotelephone. Instead of racing to the nearest intersection to use a callbox, this device kept the police officer in communication with their local station. All the user had to do was dial into the correct radio channel, hold the device up to their ear, and listen in.
Our April Operations Calendar photo shows a policeman with this device. The transmitter itself was embedded in the officer’s shirt sleeve. The image caption on the back of the photo reveals more about the apparatus itself:
“Chicago may truly be called a leader. It is the first city to officially adopt the radio telephone for use in its police department, and by means of this newest development of the wireless age, is better able to cope with crime. The Chicago Police, under the direction of Chief Fitzmorris, has installed a system whereby officers out on patrol duty, are in constant touch with headquarters. Each patrolman is furnished a pocket wireless set by means of which he is able to pick up messages sent from headquarters. If a report is received at headquarters in connection with a holdup or murder, the alarm is sent out immediately and all officers are so informed.
A flying squadron of automobile radio stations also are included. These autos are fitted out with a full transmitting set and are able to send messages in addition to receiving. These pictures will introduce the various phases of the radio system now in operation in Chicago.”
The New York Times published an article about the groundbreaking initiative, explaining how the device operated: “The instrument, which can readily be held in the hand, has a receiver and when properly “tuned in” with headquarters permits the holder to hear his message as distinctly as from a call box under the present system…The signal that headquarters is calling him is given by a buzzing sound from the antennae, and he then places the receiver to his ear and receives the message.”
It’s easy to think that such technology pales in comparison to the smartphones and mobile devices we have today, but for the Chicago Police Department, enhanced communication was going to be a game changer. Still, the device came with a drawback: it was one-way.
Other areas of the Department, such as the rifle squad and patrol wagons, were supplied with wireless telephones capable for both users to communicate with each other. The portable radio telephone worn by policemen could only pick up transmissions from the Department, and could not transmit messages of their own.
Though this exact technology didn’t exactly catch on, for the brief time it was used, it provided a step forward for the Chicago Police Department. Patrolmen were able to take in information from where they stood, instead of having to chase down a call box, and proved that such technology could bolster the department’s resources.
Hiccups and Drawbacks
As time progressed, the Chicago Police Department kept experimenting with different means of communication. While conducting our research, we came across a chronological list of such experiments, such as a partnership with the WGN–one of Chicago’s first radio stations. At the request of a switchboard operator located at police headquarters, WGN announced live reports to police vehicles throughout the city. It wasn’t until the 1930s that the Department could handle transmitting these calls on their own, without help from the local radio stations.
While useful, this new mode of communication wasn’t without its drawbacks. Early radio signals were full of background noise and commotion, making deciphering messages rather difficult. Even more frustrating were signal mix-ups, where receptions overlapped with other departments a few cities or even states away. Some officers, thinking reports pertained to their specific area, reported to active crime scenes–just to realize there was nothing there. To help mitigate these mix ups, departments decided to create specialized gong noises to differentiate between agencies.
Investigations at the Source
Looking Toward the Future
Flash forward to today, and communication systems have undoubtedly progressed. Police departments communicate via encrypted radio stations, keeping messages secure. Call boxes have long ago faded away into obscurity, replaced with the advent of 911 in 1968 and modern day smartphones.
It’s hard to predict where technology will evolve next, but for us history buffs at the PONetwork, we’ll always enjoy dialing back into the past.
We’re excited to explore the historic changes within the Chicago Police Department, however we know that history isn’t always in the newsprint – it’s in the memories we share and the stories we tell.
Do you have any additional information regarding:
- Chicago Police Chief Charles C. Fitzmorris?
- Early Chicago police radio or telephone communications?
- The Chicago Police department members photographed in our calendar images?
Send details and photos to pon@ponetwork.com. Together, let’s dig deeper into history!
We appreciate your interest in the PONetwork. As a thank you, use the PROMO CODE: BLOG to receive a 10% discount on orders through our Gift Shop. From business cards, to calendars, and beyond, your purchase helps drive our mission of supporting the law enforcement community and bringing together police officers and the people who love them — both online and off!
Please note: all photos in this article, unless explicitly stated, belong to the PONetwork. Please do not re-use or re-distribute without permission.