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Officer Paul Levinson

Thursday, 13 June 2013 08:30
Officer Paul Levinson

The late Officer Paul Levinson of the Baltimore City Police, formerly of the Northern District Station who, as a historian and collector of Baltimore Police badges, was unequaled in the field; and as such, I credit him as a contributor to this project. That we owe the greatest debt of gratitude to quench, the thirst of knowledge, he Is missed by his brother officers in the role of the thin, blue line. Something else most don't know, if Paul pretty much wrote the book on Baltimore City Police Badge History, he contacted manufactures, talked about who owns the rights to the Baltimore Police badge, What various changes meant. He had similar findings when it comes to our Patch, pointing out things we should have seen but many of us didn't, thinks like, the meaning of the blue field on the background of the patch, the gold boarder, The shape of the Maryland Flag that is embedded into the design, it might be more obvious had we still been using the 4th issue badge, or when they changed badges in 1976, they would have also changed the badge on the patch, but they didn't so it may have to be pointed out to some, that the shape of our 4th issue badge is cut into the patch. He covered why we had the word CITY on the patch and where it went, or more important why... He also covered the Rocker patch, first issued in 1952, prior to the 1952 shoulder patch, we had no patch, but once we got the patch is was soley to be worn on the left sleeve of the coat, we didn't have a shirt patch, that said we learned from newspaper articles, that there were plans to have a second shoulder patch, it would have been white, with blue stitching. See our Patch history under the History drop down in the top menu. 

Published in Strength

Walk the Straight and Narrow Path

Tuesday, 28 May 2013 07:16
Walk the Straight and Narrow Path

When lines were first painted in the streets to let cars, know where to stop and pedestrians where they can walk. What are those white lines painted on the street, stretching right across the asphalt, mean? Scores asked the men who were painting, hundreds have looked at them, stopped and wondered.Thousands who walks through the business district of the city have noticed recently at the street intersections of Baltimore Street from the Fallsway to Howard Street, and on Howard from Baltimore Street to Franklin, these heavy white lines on all four sides of the intersecting streets. The lines extend from curb to curb, those on the north and south sides of the street running East and West, and those on the east and west sides of the streets running north and south.

Published in Eyewitness

Phoenix Shot Tower

Monday, 27 May 2013 09:54
Phoenix Shot Tower

The Shot Tower at the corner of Front and Fayette Street was built in 1828, and it said to be the finest early specimen of brickwork on this continent. It raises 220 feet above the pavement and has a foundation 17 feet in depth, resting upon solid rock.

Published in Neutrality

Commissioner William P. Lawson

Monday, 27 May 2013 09:54
Commissioner William P. Lawson

The standard chunk of Lorem Ipsum used since the 1500s is reproduced below for those interested. Sections 1.10.32 and 1.10.33 from "de Finibus Bonorum et Malorum" by Cicero are also reproduced in their exact original form, accompanied by English versions from the 1914 translation by H. Rackham.

Published in Neutrality

Officer Alonzo B. Bishop

Monday, 27 May 2013 09:53
Officer Alonzo B. Bishop

At the time Baltimore was a booming port city and accidents were a natural part of the busy streets of Baltimore. Western District’s Officer Alonzo B. Bishop and Wagon Driver William Smeak were patrolling the Western, a district of heavy footed drivers and rumbling street cars. The two were headed to answer a wagon call to call box #23 (Poppleton & Pratt) where they were to pick up a prisoner from an officer that had just made an arrest. As they began crossing Freemount Ave. they were struck by street car number #556 of the Freemount Ave. line.

Published in Fallen Heroes

NYPD Lieutenant Samuel Battle

Monday, 27 May 2013 09:53
NYPD Lieutenant Samuel Battle

In 1912, Samuel Battle was the First African American appointed to the NYPD. He rose to the rank of Lieutenant. Meanwhile, in Baltimore, African Americans had been pressuring Maryland Governor Harry Nice, Baltimore Mayor Howard Jackson, the Maryland General Assembly and the Baltimore City Council to hire black police officers. The effort was led by a Baltimore Real Estate Broker named Marse Colloway. Calloway had started a police training school to prepare African Americans to take the Civil Service Examination to be a Police Officer. Black leaders scheduled a rally at the Bethel AME Church (^) on Druid Hill Ave.

Published in Neutrality

Patrolman Herbert Bitzel

Monday, 27 May 2013 08:01
Patrolman Herbert Bitzel

Policeman killed by a fall Patrolman Bitzel tumbled from front platform of trolley car. Patrolman Herbert Bitzel, of the Northwestern district was killed by a fall from the front platform of and Edmondson Avenue car on Edmondson Avenue near Arlington Avenue

Published in Fallen Heroes

Baltimore City Hall

Monday, 27 May 2013 07:51
Baltimore City Hall

The history of City Hall started four years after Baltimore City was incorporated in 1797 by an act of General Assembly on 31 December the last day of 1796.  In 1881, the City Council passed an ordinance calling for the purchase of land for the building of a City Hall, but financial problems delayed the start of the project and the ordnance was canceled by the City Council in 1806.

Published in Eyewitness

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