Leonard Lawrence
Served 1933-1973
Leonard G. Lawrence joined the Hamilton City Police on April 6, 1933 at 22 years of age. He rose through the ranks to Detective in 1944, Detective Sergeant in 1949 and Inspector in early 1951. He became the Chief of Police in 1951 and would lead the Hamilton Police until his sudden death in September 1973.
During his 22 years as Chief of Police, Chief Lawrence would develop the police operation into one of the most modern police systems on the North American continent – and he would oversee more change in contemporary police management and operations during his time than during the entire previous history of the Department.1
Leonard (Len) George Lawrence was born in Somerset England in 1911. The following year his father, Sam Lawrence, immigrated to Canada along with his wife and children, settling in Hamilton.
Sam Lawrence was a veteran of the Boer War. He was a stone mason by trade, but also a social activist and politician in England. Once in Canada, Sam continued his social and political activism and was elected to Hamilton City Council in 1922. He served in that capacity for seven years and then was elected to the Ontario Legislature as a Member of Provincial Parliament (MPP) representing East Hamilton. Sam returned to Hamilton City Council in 1937 and then became the Mayor of the City of Hamilton from 1944-1949. He was the Mayor during the Steel Company strike of 1946 and he openly supported the strikers according to a Hamilton Spectator report dated July 15, 2019.2
Meanwhile in 1933 Len Lawrence joined the Hamilton City Police. The earliest photo of Len Lawrence, we have in the Hamilton Police Historical Society and Museum (HPHS&M) archives, was taken at the Police Athletic Games around the end of the World War II.
Leonard Lawrence married Elizabeth McMillan in 1931 in Dundas, Ontario. They had two children Leonard Sydney Lawrence and Marilyn Lawrence.
As with most newly hired Constables in the 1930’s, Constable Lawrence would have walked the beat. At some time in the 1940’s, we believe he was promoted to mobile patrol duties. He is seen in this photo on the left with Constable Albert Chennery.
In 1943 Len Lawrence became a member of the Hamilton Police Association Board according to records held in the HPHS&M. In 1945, when Len was a Detective, he was elected as the President of the Hamilton Police Association.
This photo shows Mayor Sam Lawrence ceremonially handing over the new Association Charter to his son, President Len Lawrence, at the annual Hamilton Police Association President’s Dinner.
The event was billed as the 25th Anniversary of the Hamilton Police Association.
Len Lawrence remained on the Police Association Board until 1949. That same year he was promoted to Detective Sergeant.
During the 1950’s, major changes were occurring in policing. A new forty-four (44) hour work week was inaugurated on July 1, 1951 under Chief Joseph Chamberlain. An additional 62 officers were authorized to be hired to bring the total strength to 310 men to implement this change.
On January 1, 1952, the forty (40) hour work week began, and an additional 37 officers were authorized.
Retired Hamilton Police Service Superintendent Lynda Bowen’s father Claude Barrett was a Hamilton Police Officer. He died in 1976 from heart failure in the rank of Staff Sergeant. Lynda recalls discussions in her home as a child, about the fact that police salaries were low, and the work was difficult (walking the beat on steady nightshifts).
Turnover was enormous because police recruits realized they could earn better wages in an industrial position. In 1951, recruits starting pay would be $48.00 a week plus cost-of-living bonus.3
In 1951, Chief Joseph Chamberlain became ill and retired in 1952. The Police Commission then began their search for a new Chief of Police. On May 16, 1952 Len Lawrence was named as the new Chief of Police at only 39 years of age, one of the youngest in the City’s History.
In a Hamilton Spectator news article dated May 16, 1952, the Chairman of the Police Commission commented about the appointment of Chief Lawrence and said:
“He is the best-qualified policeman in Canada for the job of Hamilton’s Chief Constable”. (The title ‘Chief Constable’ was later amended to ‘Chief of Police’.)
“He is quiet, sincere, competent and gentlemanly, he is one of the most popular members of the Force. A keen detective, but it was recognized some years ago that he possessed executive ability as well. He studied under the R.C.M.P. and the F.B.I. on special courses. The Spectator further reported: “proof of his hard work can be found in the fact that he had not had a single day off since December 11, 1951”.
In the same article, Chief Lawrence commented:
“We have a good police force right now, but my ambition is to make it the best in Canada”.
Chief Gordan V. Torrance wrote about Chief Lawrence in his 1967 document “The Hamilton Police Department, past and present, The History of Law Enforcement in Hamilton from 1833 to 1967”, saying:
“To this young officer fell the formidable job of a complete and exacting reorganization of police manpower, resources, equipment and methods.”
“During the next 15 years, Chief Lawrence has developed the Department’s operation into one of the most modern police systems on the North American continent. Without doubt, the Hamilton Police Department has undergone more change for contemporary police management and operations during the year 1952 to the present time than during entire previous history of the Department.”
Following the end of World War II, incidents of crime steadily increased, vehicular traffic increased, and the population grew. It was only natural that the strength of the Police Department was to increase.
Training programs were stepped up, additional arms and equipment were necessary. Administrative practices were brought up to date. It was clear that ‘a new era’ was about to unfold in the Hamilton Police Department.
Chief Lawrence was true to his word and in the 1950’s he was able to issue the .38 calibre revolver to his officers.
In 1903, following the murder of Constable David Barron, the Police Commission agreed to allow officers to carry .32 calibre weapon only on the night shift. It was common
knowledge that many officers felt that calibre of weapon was ineffective. Instead, they carried whatever firearm they could purchase at their own cost.
It is not known or recorded if the police department issued any weapons. Retired Staff Sergeant Mike Campbell remembers hearing from now deceased Superintendent Bob Collings that during the Houlihan investigation, officers were armed with their own weapons. (On April 18, 1952 Constable Houlihan was shot three times by a suspect. Houlihan survived.)
The Hamilton Police Department was the second in the Province to establish a training school for the formal instruction of police officer training. This innovation, in September of 1937, was under the direction of Constable Fred Eddenden. Training took place in a make-shift classroom at the James Street Armoury.
By the 1950’s, training programs were being conducted under the direction of Deputy Chief J. W. Thompson with Detective Sergeants Howard Moreau and Leonard Lawrence in charge of the lectures.4
Annual recruit training was expanded
as well as training for veteran officers.
Crowds gather in 1914 at the Eastern Division police station, later to be called the Sherman Avenue Station, for the distribution of Christmas baskets by police officers to those in need. A Police Training Academy was built on the second floor in 1956. The Station has since been demolished.
In October of 1956 Chief Lawrence saw the completion of a new Police Training Academy which was built on the second floor of the No. 3 Sherman Avenue police station. The second floor was previously used as a hay loft when horse drawn wagons were used. The training classroom operated at this location until 1977.
Chief Lawrence was a graduate of the Canadian Police College at R.C.M.P. Headquarters in Regina in 1948. He became recognized as one of the foremost police officers in police training in Canada.
In the early 1960’s the Hamilton Spectator reported,
“Chief Lawrence, one of the pioneers in Ontario police education, is a member of a committee working toward the establishment of a police college in the province”.
It was at that time the Ontario Association of Chief of Police were seeking to establish a standardized education program in Ontario so all police departments in the province would have access to formal training.5
The Safety Division was formed in 1951. It would be later known as the Safety Branch under Chief Lawrence. Traffic Safety through education and enforcement became an important part of police fundamentals in the 1960’s. Police officers assigned to the Branch visited area schools to teach traffic safety. They became well known in the community for delivering programs on public and traffic safety. The Safety Branch continued operation well into the 1980’s.
Safety Branch Officers (around 1968)
From left to right – Charlie Forden, John Kinnaird, Jessie Stoneman, Colin Millar, Norm Hollingshead
The model village (above) was constructed
to teach children in traffic and fire safety.
The photo below was taken in 1969 showing Chief Lawrence and Constable Florence Hayashi (Yanangawa) with a group of children at the Safety Village located at the Center Mall in Hamilton.
Chief Lawrence was a member of many provincial, national, and international organizations, including:
- Attorney General’s Committee on Police Training for the Province of Ontario,
- Advisory Committee of the Ontario Police College,
- Ontario Chief Constables’ Association of Ontario (OACP) (President 1957-1958),
- Canadian Association of Chiefs of Police,
- International Association of Chiefs of Police (1st Vice President and President 1967), and
- Chairman of the Auto Theft Committee of the International Association.
Chief Lawrence, President, International Association of Chiefs of Police, receiving congratulations from Director J. Edgar Hoover, Federal Bureau of Investigation October 13, 1967.
Honor Night for Chief Lawrence taken November 10, 1967. From left to right is Assistant Chief Howard H. Moreau, Magistrate Walter Tuchtie and Chief Lawrence.
In the 1950’s, Chief Lawrence’s command staff team included Deputy Chief Gerald N. Reed, Assistant Chief Howard H. Moreau and Assistant Chief John J. Arno.
Chief Lawrence instituted continual development of the Hamilton Police Department that included prevention, enforcement, detection and service. He introduced new programs and specialized units many of which exist today, including:
- Acquired three new buildings: Kenilworth Avenue Station, the Mountain Station, and the police garage.
- Increased the mobile fleet from 43 vehicles in 1952 (mostly motorcycles) to 94 by 1967.
- Expanded and funded an enhanced Communications Unit, including better radios.
- Formed an Identification Unit in 1952, staffed by technically trained officers in fingerprinting, photography and related duties that developed into one of the best equipped and trained units in Canada.
- Created a Central Stores in 1953 to accommodate uniforms, arms and Department equipment and supplies. The Central Stores addressed economical and security issues for Department equipment.
- Recommended a plan to include women in the police department. The Hamilton Spectator reported that while the Chief indicated that there was an urgent need for women to be assigned to the morality and traffic offices and in under cover investigations of narcotics offences, they would not be used for outdoor traffic work in the cold weather. The Chief, however, emphasized the women officers receive the same pay as male officers and have the same responsibilities.6,7 Hamilton’s first three women uniformed Police Constables were sworn in on December 18, 1958. They were Delores Eitel, Irene Glachan and Helen Toth.
- Introduced the use of police dogs July 1st Two German Shepherd dogs were donated by members of the public to the Department. “Sandy” and “King” were handled by two trained handers, Sergeant Jack Brabbs and Constable Richard Griffiths in “searching out” prowlers and burglars. They were also used to control large disorderly crowds, for breaking up street fights and tracking lost children.”
- Implemented an auto theft prevention program in 1965 that substantially reduced the incidence of auto theft.
The Province of Ontario ordered that in 1974, the cities and townships of Hamilton, Stoney Creek, Saltfleet, Dundas, Ancaster, Glanbrook and Waterdown would be amalgamated to create the Regional Municipality of Hamilton-Wentworth. The Province required that the police agencies involved in this amalgamation also be brought together to form one police department. Chief Lawrence then began the consultations and planning that this undertaking would require.
Command Staff Meeting
Beginning on the left – clockwise are:
Albert Chennery, Gord Torrance, Chief Lawrence, Gerald Reed, Sam Burd and George Wright
On January 1, 1974, five police agencies were incorporated into the Hamilton-Wentworth Regional Police Service. Chiefs of Police from these municipalities were (from left to right) Ed Venn (Stoney Creek), John Calder (Ancaster), Gord Osmond (Saltfleet), Sam Eyre (Dundas) and Len Lawrence (Hamilton).
Suddenly in September 1973, Chief Lawrence became ill and died, three months before the amalgamation was complete. The amalgamation would be completed under Chief Gordan Torrance.
Chief Lawrence’s funeral was held at Christ’s Church Cathedral (Anglican) on James Street North in Hamilton.
In memory of Chief Lawrence’s dedication and work to make our community safer, the Hamilton & District Chamber of Commerce created The Leonard G. Lawrence Memorial Award to recognize outstanding police work to the community by a Hamilton police officer, group of officers or a section of the Service in the previous year.
Leonard Lawrence’s wife, Elizabeth Lawrence, unveiling the plaque in the lobby of Central police station. The first recipient was Sergeant John Reid in 1981. To this day, the Leonard G. Lawrence Memorial Award is proudly displayed at Central police station and continues to be awarded annually.
Chief Lawrence was a dedicated and highly respected police officer and leader in Hamilton and within provincial, national and international police communities. His service to the community made the Hamilton Police a recognized model of excellence.
Chief Lawrence is Hamilton’s longest serving Chief of Police.
- Chief Gordan Torrance, (1967), “The Hamilton Police Department, past and present, The History of Law Enforcement in Hamilton from 1833 to 1967
- Wikipedia
- Hamilton Spectator, March 19, 1951, “Mayor Predicts New Police Test”
- Hamilton Spectator, March 25, 1950, “Rookie Police Training Course Nearing Close”
- Hamilton Spectator, Bill Lyttle, 1960, Twenty-eight Men, Women Launched On Police Careers”
- Hamilton Spectator, October 9, 1958 “Police Consider Hiring Women as Law Officers”
- Hamilton Spectator, November 22, 1958, “Will Recruit Policewomen for Traffic, Morality Duties”
Photos and articles courtesy of the Hamilton Spectator.
By Dave Bowen, Retired Inspector, Hamilton Police Service