Issaquah Law Enforcement History
Jack Allen
Chief of Police 1958
By Ben Martinez, Official Issaquah Police Historian
Submitted October 2002.
Jack Allen took over as Chief of Police on September 15, 1958 after the
resignation of Tom Bass.
Jack
had a considerable background in law enforcement. He had been a Sergeant with
the Bellevue Police Department; a State Patrolman for the State of North Dakota;
a Deputy Sheriff; and Special Agent for the US Bureau of Indian Affairs.
Jack and Officer Edward L. Clark made up the entire
department at that time. On November 29, 1958, Jack was involved in a serious
auto accident in which his 1957 sedan was completely destroyed.
He suffered a fractured shoulder, back and neck injures,
and lacerations to his face, hand, and head and later underwent surgery at
Virginia Mason Hospital in Seattle.
While Jack was recovering, Ed Clark covered the city by day, and ten officers
from surrounding agencies volunteered their services for night patrol. They
were: Sgt Al Lewin, Medina PD; Marty Beard and Floyd Greenback, former Bellevue
Police Officers; Bill Dickson and Harry Hughes, Issaquah Auxiliary Officers;
Bill Twitchell, KCSO Auxiliary Deputy Sheriff; Marshal Vern Clark, North Bend;
Mayor Bill Gharmes, Mayor of North Bend and former Police Officer; and Richard
Rickett, Auxiliary Marshal of North Bend.
See the Full List of
Issaquah
Marshals and Police Chiefs
Issaquah Law Enforcement History
Images in this article are courtesy of the Issaquah Police
Department, unless otherwise noted.
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