A group of school children have their picture
taken with a Ford Mainline, circa 1951 - 1955.

Our History

The City of Ripon was incorporated in 1945. The first Police Chief, Avon Graham, was appointed on February 1, 1946. Chief Graham was paid $150.00 per month and received five cents a mile to use his private vehicle.

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Past Ripon Police Department Chiefs

Chief Richard A. Bull	Sept. 2000 through Aug. 2010
Interim Chief Dean Shelton	February 2000 through Sept. 2000
Chief Thomas J. Scheidecker	February 1992 through February 2000
Acting Chief William "Dale" DeBie	August 1990 through February 1992
Chief Elden "Red" Nutt	May 1982 through June 1991
Chief Harvey Douma	October 1963 through May 1982
Chief Bonnie W. Carver	August 1956 through September 1963
Chief John Brown	May 1955 through June 1956
Chief Oran Zellmer	September 1951 through June 1954
Chief Arthur Stuart	February 1951 through August 1951
Chief Louie Rogers	February 1948 through February 1951
Chief Howard Welsh	November 1946 through January 1948
Chief Avon "Tobe" Graham	February 1946 through June 1946

$200 a Month!

Officer - old photo

Harry Miner, the City's first patrolman, was hired in May of 1946. Chief Graham, citing dissatisfaction with the law enforcement program, resigned his position in June of the same year. Patrol Miner's salary was increased to $200.00 per month, provided he was available and on-call 24 hours per day and would be directly responsible to the Acting Police Commissioner.

Supply shortages during the war made it difficult for Patrolman Miner to acquire needed equipment, such as a siren, for the fledgling department. Patrolman Miner did purchase a desk, chairs, and phone for the jail, as well as a typewriter, a pair of hand cuffs, and a coal-burning stove. Patrolman Miner dealt mostly with petty crime and juvenile delinquency.

First Department

Old Jail

This is a photo of the old police department office building. A 1965 Ford patrol car can be seen under the carport.

This building was later used as a classroom, until it burned down in the 1990's. It was located next to the old city hall building on First Street. The old city jail is still on site, at the Veterans Memorial Park on First Street.

In 1978 there were seven sworn positions. The population of Ripon was approximately 2,500.

Relocated to the Fire House

new location The move to the Ripon Fire Department in 1980 was a great improvement for the Department.

In 1988 there were 9 sworn positions and the population was approximately 3,500. The town and the Department were on the verge rapid growth and space in the Police Department and City Hall was already limited. Plans began to build a new City Hall and Police Department at 259 N. Wilma Ave.

RPD Today!

In 1990, the move to a new building combined the Department with City Hall at 259 N. Wilma, but the space was still cramped. Authorized for 21 sworn positions and 3 community service officer positions, our department was proud of staying on the cutting edge of the law enforcement arena. We always strive to reach the highest professional standards in the State of California. Leadership, extensive training, and excellent equipment, enable our officers to achieve the standards required by our department.

The building was expanded in 2006, and the department now has 26 sworn officers and 4 CSO's. The Ripon Police Department moved into a new era with the installation of a Mesh Enabled Architecture (MEA) Mobile Mesh Network that was originally designed for battlefield communications. In Ripon, the MEA mobile mesh network carries wireless broadband data, including real-time, high-resolution, full screen video transmitted from surveillance cameras located throughout the city.

Ripon is proud to have the lowest crime rate in the county.

Official Site of the Ripon Police Department

Useful Links

Safety Information

Vehicles

External Links

San Joaquin County