Although Canton was founded in 1805 by the late Bezaleel Wells, it's first chief of police was not appointed until almost a century later, in 1903. The first man to hold this job was Fred S. McCloud who previously has served as an elected marshall. He served as chief until 1906.
     Prior to the naming of a chief, the department had operated rather haphazardly. The first marshall, Jonathon Oldfield, and his deputy, Joseph Riegler, served their first year without pay. Their base pay the second year was $12.50, each. Some later marshals included: Joseph Riegler, George W. Oldfield, Dave Rinehart, Sam Mecherer, David Fletcher, Billy Sentry, William H. Reed and Charles Ribler.
     Canton has had only 13 chiefs of police. James B. Quillian, who served from 1948 to 1960, has the second longest tenure of any chief . Current police chief Thomas W. Wyatt now has the longest tenure having held the position since 1980. The rest, with their approximate times of service were:
 

Fred S. McCloud H. W. Smith Charles N. Riblet William H. Gauchat S. A. Lengel John (Jiggs) Wise Earl W. Hexamer Ira A. Manderbaugh Elmer E. Clark James B. Quilligan Frank J. Burnosky David J. Maser Thomas W. Wyatt Dean McKimm

1903-1906 1906-1913 1913-1920 1920-1922 1922-1926 1926-1927 1927-1934 1935-1941 1941-1948 1948-1960 1960-1970 1970-1980 1980-2003 2003 - present

 
 
 
 

     The first city detective was Joseph P. Ryan who was appointed to the department in 1895. He later became detective captain.

     In 1913, when H. W. Smith was chief, the department had been departmentalized somewhat with superior officers, a detective bureau, headquarters officers, department officers and patrolmen.

     In 1961 the department was comprised of 157 men and two women. These men and women have received extensive training and experience and now man the cruiser, detective, and traffic divisions, and the child welfare, morals, accident prevention and records and identification bureaus and the Canton Police Boys Club.

     The authorized strength of the department, according to City Ordinance in 1961, included a chief of police, a traffic commissioner, 10 captains, 12 sergeants, 15 detectives, 120 patrolmen and two policewomen. Of the men and women, 42.5 per cent were assigned to the uniform patrol division. An additional 31.3 per cent worked in the plainclothes bureau and 26.2 per cent of the personnel were assigned to the traffic division.