THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Sunday, January 22, 1995 TAG: 9501220075
SECTION: LOCAL PAGE: B1 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: BY JON FRANK, STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: PORTSMOUTH LENGTH: Long : 109 lines
When Jerry Myers retired from the Portsmouth Police Department in 1983 after 28 years of service, he thought he'd left behind the life of collaring criminals and carrying a Colt.
For Myers, leaving was a mixture of pleasure and pain. Gone were the hours and danger. Also gone were the camaraderie with other officers, the friendly sound of patrol-car radio chatter, civilian buddies on the beat and the occasional adrenaline rush.
But old cops die hard, and Myers found that more than two decades on the force had not diminished his interest in the romance of police work and the paraphernalia that is a big part of it.
Myers, now an investigator with the public defender's office, found a way to stay connected. He combined a natural talent for collecting with his knowledge of police work to become the unofficial, but acknowledged, history expert of the Portsmouth police.
Being an ex-cop, Myers already had a start on an impressive collection of police memorabilia. He had his black instruction book given to all rookie cops. He had his uniform. He had his service medals.
In retirement, Myers began augmenting his personal collection by accumulating anything relating to the city's police department.
He collected old handcuffs - the ``come-along'' kind that can be used to nearly twist off a suspect's hand.
He found early service revolvers, including a Colt .38-caliber six-shooter with more style than punch.
And he saved from destruction irreplaceable daily police logs, which document, sometimes in great detail, the daily activities of every police officer in the city from 1871 to almost 1940.
Now, it appears that Myers' avocation may finally get its due. Chief of Police Dennis Mook wants to display a history of the Portsmouth police in a place where citizens can appreciate what one of the oldest departments in the state has done.
Mook, who took over as chief in the spring of 1994, has long believed that during his 20 years with the department, Portsmouth has ignored the history of its police force. Other cities memorialize their men and women in blue, Mook said, and he wants Portsmouth to do the same.
The new chief wants to create a display area at police headquarters for the kind of items that Myers collects. And he is appealing to Myers and others like him for help.
``This is an important part of the city's history that has been neglected,'' Mook said. ``I'd like to try and fix that.''
Mook knows that Myers will help. The chief also welcomes contributions from others with ties to police officers of the past.
Myers said it was not unusual for all the male members of a family to work for the police department. The homes of their relatives probably are filled with police memorabilia, much of its historical value unknown to the owners.
``There is no telling what is in the attics and houses of the city of Portsmouth,'' Myers said. ``We believe there are a lot of widows who have these things.''
By ``these things,'' Myers means photographs, police hardware, weapons and literature. They could help document what is a rich history in one of Virginia's oldest cities.
There is the story of John Wilson, said Myers, one of the first black police officers in Virginia who was serving on the Portsmouth force in 1871. During a political rally at the corner of High and Court streets, Wilson was shot in the forehead while on duty and was killed.
Wilson, Myers said, became the first black police officer killed while on duty in the country. But even more importantly, Wilson was the last black police officer hired in Portsmouth until after World War II.
Race also played a large role in the story of Officer William S. Winningder's murder in 1908, Myers said. Winningder was shot by a black prisoner, James Strong, on Aug. 11, 1908. Strong escaped, and during the search for him an unruly crowd nearly lynched the wrong man. The search for Strong also involved one of the only wanted posters sent out on a postcard to localities throughout the country. Strong eventually was captured.
These stories and many others from the turn-of-the-century Portsmouth Police Department have been compiled in the Police Blue Book, which was published in 1915 and is now a collectible item. Only about five of the books are known to exist, but Myers is certain there are others in the homes of people who have ties to retired police officers.
The biggest hole in the history of Portsmouth police, Myers said, is during the years just prior to, during and immediately after World War II. That is also a time when Portsmouth was in many ways in its heyday, and was at its most colorful. Taverns lined Crawford Parkway and a vibrant retail center radiated from the stores that lined High Street.
Those also were the years of the first female officers in Portsmouth, primarily because the war opened up opportunities for women on the home front while men were overseas. The war also made police cars a rarity. At one time, Myers said, there were only two police cruisers available for use in the city during the war. ``These police really lived a tough life,'' Myers said.
Myers would like to see the Portsmouth police memorialized with both a display at the police department and at one of the museums in downtown Portsmouth. But if that is to happen, the citizens of the city will have to donate their police memorabilia.
Eventually, that's what Myers intends to do.
``Down the road, I'll give it all to the police department,'' Myers said. ILLUSTRATION: RICHARD L. DUNSTON/Staff color photos
Jerry Myers' collection of police artifacts includes albums,
handcuffs, uniform buttons and a police revolver.
Jerry Myers, left, a retired police officer, and Det. R.L. Davis,
look at a city police log that covers activity from 1923 to 1939.
KEYWORDS: PORTSMOUTH POLICE DEPARTMENT HISTORY by CNB