Department History
The earliest known policeman in Saratoga Springs was Joseph Bliven, who was a village constable in 1827. By 1887, Saratoga Springs had grown to a point where a Police Department was needed to ensure law and order. An act of the State Legislature created the Saratoga Springs Police Department on April 26, 1887. On June 1, 1887, eight men marked their first official work day in the new department. At that time, a Chief and two officers worked days and an Assistant Chief and four officers worked nights. During the summer the city population tripled, and the police force would increase to twenty-four officers.
Chiefs of Police in Saratoga Springs
George W. Blodgett * 1887 to 1898
Dennis Conklin * 1898 to 1901
James H. King * 1901 to 1909
Edward T. Carroll * 1910 to 1921
Edward Morrison * 1922 to 1925
James L. Sullivan * 1925 to 1927
John E. Armstrong * 1928 to 1930
Patrick F. Rox * 1930 to 1937
John J. A'Hearn * 1938 to 1939
Patrick F. Rox * 1940 to 1950
George H. West (Acting Chief) * 1950 to 1952
Robert F. Flanagan * 1952 to 1965
Anthony C. Scavone (Acting Chief) * 1965 to 1966
Peter Pemberton * 1967 to 1986
Kenneth E. King Jr. * 1986 to 2003
Robert J. Flanagan * 2003
Edward F. Moore * 2003 to 2009
Christopher J. Cole * 2009 to present
History behind our Department Patch
The Saratoga Springs Police uniform shoulder patch consists of the seal of the
City of Saratoga Springs, picturing Iroquois Indians drinking water from the
mound of High Rock Spring. As early as the fourteenth century Iroquois Indians
frequented the High Rock Spring. It is credited as being the oldest known spring
in Saratoga Springs, a city noted for its many mineral springs. It is the only
spring in Saratoga Springs that is not pumped through a fountain. It appears as
a mound of mineral deposits that acquire over time as the water spills out.
It has been said that during the Revolutionary War Sir William Johnson was brought to the High Rock Spring in 1767 by the Indians in order to be healed from injuries and illness. Since then, many have visited the spring, including the first President of the United States, General George Washington.
It has been said that during the Revolutionary War Sir William Johnson was brought to the High Rock Spring in 1767 by the Indians in order to be healed from injuries and illness. Since then, many have visited the spring, including the first President of the United States, General George Washington.