St. George City Police Department collection

The new city of St. George was surveyed by Israel Ivins on January 1, 1862. The Territorial Legislature assembled at Salt Lake City on January 17, 1862 and passed and approved an act incorporating the City of St. George. Under these incorporating articles the Mayor, Angus Cannon, and Aldermen had all the powers of Justices of the Peace, both in civil and criminal cases arising under the laws of the Territory. Mayor Cannon had been appointed Marshal by the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints church’s President Erastus Snow in the winter of 1861, at the settler’s first Camp Council Meeting in St. George.

It wasn’t the crimes within the city of St. George that prompted the development of law and order, but the troubles of law from surrounding areas. St. George had become the fastest growing community in the Southern Colonies and had taken over as being the County seat from the neighboring town of Washington. The District Court would hold court here and prisoners would need a place to be held. For that purpose, a courthouse was constructed from 1867 to 1870 at 100 North 100 East. The courthouse had space in the basement with three jail cells to house criminals. A new jail was built directly behind the courthouse in 1880.

The Sheriff and Marshal worked together on the problems in the city and continued to work together for nearly a hundred years. In August 1938, a new jail was built at 150 North 50 East for $3,500. The Marshal was given space for his office there and rent was paid to the County for its use of the jail. This was the first real home for the police department and would remain so for twenty-seven years. In 1965 the police department moved from the jail to a house at approximately 290 East 100 North for about one year. In 1966 the police department moved back to the old county courthouse at 100 North and 100 East. The police department grew to seven officers and a part-time dispatcher by 1973. The police department moved to 235 North Bluff in 1974; dispatching was now a full time job, new programs were started, and service to outside areas began. They moved again to the current building at 175 East 200 North in 1981.