During the early 1700's, law enforcement in the Town of Fredericksburg consisted of a night watch. Records show that on March 30, 1782, the town legislative body elected Mr. John Legg as the Sergeant of the Town. His duties encompassed enforcing ordinances of the town as well as other responsibilities delegated to him by the town's alderman. One duty of the Town Sergeant was to oversee and administer punishment for crimes. For this, a "Dunking Stool" was used. This device was a chair strapped to a long pole attached to a fulcrum. The purpose was to strap the guilty or sometimes innocent into the device and dunk them into the Rappahannock River. This punishment caused great discomfort and sometimes even death.
On March 21, 1821, the Town Sergeant was changed to the Sergeant of the Corporation. At that time, the duties were the same in that he assisted the militia and was the overseer of the firemen and constables. It wasn't until the last decade of the 19th Century, that the role of the Sergeant changed to be in charge of the Fire Department and Police Department under the authority of the City Mayor.
The original position of Chief of Police for the City of Fredericksburg was created by an Act promulgated by the City's governing body July 1, 1885. The fundamental legal requirements for the Chief of Police have changed little since its original inception.
Today, Fredericksburg's professional police force is authorized to employ over 100 full and part-time employees organized into three divisions: Patrol, Detective, and Support Services. New innovations in law enforcement techniques and equipment, coupled with advances in technology and state-of-the-art computerization allows the department to provide modern police services to the citizens of Fredericksburg.
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History of the City
The City of Fredericksburg was named for Prince Frederick of Wales, eldest son of King George II of England. It is located in the north central part of the Commonwealth of Virginia along the upper tidewater of the Rappahannock River, and is approximately 150 feet above sea level. The settlement of Fredericksburg was established in 1671. It was formally granted a charter by the House of Delegates in 1728, incorporated as a town in 1781 and incorporated as a city in 1879.
Visitors of the city today can walk among more than 350 original 18th and 19th century homes and buildings and explore the 18th century apothecary shop owned by George Washington's friend Hugh Mercer.
Although the Fredericksburg region is steeped in over 300 years of history, it is the area's Civil War heritage that attracts most of today's visitors. The City of Fredericksburg is located almost exactly between Washington D. C. and Richmond, Virginia, and was a major objective for both sides during the Civil War. The city changed hands between the confederate and union armies at least seven times throughout the course of the war and is the site of some of its most intense and crucial battles.
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