Law enforcement can be traced to approximately 1879, when the Village of Clintonville appointed D.A. McNeil as Village Marshal. The position was often combined with other duties, such as Street Commissioner and Health Inspector, and was not well paid. The position was reappointed annually in April, and the individual holding it rarely remained in the role for more than one year.
On January 30th, 1884, the Village Council empowered the Village Marshall to employ a detective or special police officer for the purpose of maintaining order and suppressing unlawful acts. Thus forming the first "Police Force". This lasted only briefly, as the Village Council could not agree that the costs justified the expansion of law enforcement, and the Village Marshall's newly acquired authority was quickly rescinded.
In 1885, the Village Marshal's wage increased to $1.00 per day, or $365.00 per year, making the position slightly more attractive. Another wage increase in 1890 raised the wage to $1.50 per day and also introduced a new regulation requiring the Village Marshall to wear a uniform.
In 1885, the Village of Clintonville became the City of Clintonville, and to accompany the new government, a new title was created for the Village Marshal: City Marshal.
Personnel changes were still frequent until April 12th, 1892, when Fred Hess was appointed City Marshal. Before Fred Hess, the longest-serving Marshall, stayed in the position for only three years. Hess served for nine years until he was replaced on April 9th, 1901, by John J. Monty. John Monty became a legend in Clintonville law enforcement, serving until 1944, when he retired from the force. During John Monty's tenure, the position changed from City Marshal to Chief of Police. The City of Clintonville also established a Police and Fire Commission, and a formal police force began to grow. When Monty retired, the force changed from a one-person department in 1901 to a force of five full-time officers. The Department continued to grow in experience and size, becoming the organization it is today.
Here is a list of chiefs and their years of service to the City of Clintonville since 1944:
1944-1956 Ozwald Goerlinger
1956-1960 Leonard Manser
1960-1972 James Beggs
1972-1978 Milford Bodoh
1978-1991 Gerald Blum
1991-1995 Gerald Bartelt
1995-2016 Terry Lorge
2016-2019 James Beggs
2019-Present Craig Freitag