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First Police Officer Killed in Line of Duty
HPD Chief William Murphy became the first officer killed in
the line of duty on April 1, 1910, when he was shot by former police officer
Earl McFarland. Since there were no eyewitnesses who could discredit McFarland's
self-defense claim he was found not guilty of the crime.
Houston Police Go Modern
Also in 1910, the department purchased its first police car.
Due to the large number of horses, motorcycles and automobiles, traffic had
become dense in the downtown area. This resulted in the formation of the first
traffic squad within the city. Officers mounted on both horses and motorcycles
worked to slow down speeders.
In 1915 police officers received their first pay raise since 1873. The pay
increase of $5 raised monthly salaries to $65. During the same year the workday
was shortened from 12 to 8 hours, beginning the three-shift system in the Houston
Police Department.
The First Policewoman
Eva Jane Bacher was the first woman hired to the Houston Police
Department in 1918. In 1921, Bacher worked in the Police Morale and Safety
Squad, making her the first female detective in HPD. Officer Bacher, along
with the other detectives in the squad received $5 more per month than patrol
officers.
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