How the Framingham police department has changed in 35 years
Positions 1973 2008
Chief 1 1
Deputy Chiefs   3
Captains 2 1
Lieutenant 6 13
Sergeants 10 13
Patrolman 68 86
Provisional patrolman 16  
Maintainenance man 1 1
Civilian clerks 4 4.5
Dispatchers   5
Animal Control Officers   3
Parking Enforcement Officers   1
Crossing Guards   17
Totals 108 148.5

The town population in 1973 was about 64,068.

The town population in 2008 was about 64,786

It's interesting to see how functions like Dispatchers, Animal Control
and School Crossing Guards morphed into the police department over time.

We also doubled our lieutenants and acquired 3 deputy chiefs.

The department has the following divisions and sections:

  • Police Chief's Office
  • Internal Affairs
  • Police Prosecutor
  • Licensing Division
  • Records Bureau
  • Bureau of Investigative Services
  • Street Crimes
  • Crime Scene Services

    These are the guys that draw chalk outlines around bodies.

  • Safety Division
  • Patrol Division
  • Day Shift
  • Evening Shift
  • Overnight Shift
  • Animal Control
  • Emergency Management

There exists in the British Museum a plaintive letter written on papyrus in A.D. 288, signed by Servaeus Africanus, addressed to the district governors of Middle Egypt and reading as follows:

It is apparent from the accounts alone that a number of persons wishing to batten on the estates of the Treasury have invented titles for themselves such as controllers, secretaries or superintendents, whereby they procure no advantage to the Treasury but swallow up the profits.

(Papyrus 752)

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