1960 July, Tennessee FOP Magazine
Police Keep Pace with Progress
Murfreesboro’s 23-man police force is not only keeping pace with the city’s rapid march of progress, but in the same light finds time to express itself as a sincere civic minded organization.
The department, headed by veteran Chief Claude Vance was instrumental in the formation of the Hendon-McClanahan Lodge No. 12, Fraternal Order of Police which as one of its annual projects, sponsors a six-teram baseball league whic accommodates around 150 boys of the little league class. THE FOP Lodge was chartered after Lewis Hendon and Herbert McClanahan were both killed in the line of duty. The lodge has 35 active members with Sgt. Jimmy Lynch as president. Besides Murfreesboro police, members come from Tennessee Highway Patrol and salaried deputy sheriffs. Lt. John D. Stanford of the Highway Patrol is vice president.
In the line of progress and expansion Murfreesboro has witnessed during the post World War II years, the police department has expanded its force by 1/3, established a system of records and identification and has moved into new headquarters in the ultra modern city hall.
The force is comprised of Chief Claude Vance, Captain Bobby Lynch, four lieutenants, six sergeants, and eleven patrolmen.
Experience on the Murfreesboro force ranges from Chief Vance’s 28 years on down to the newest patrolmen. Two members have availed themselves of special FBI training to further their careers in the field of law enforcement. They are Captain Lynch and Sgt. Robert Blanton.
Both Blanton and Lynch are schooled in fingerprinting. Blanton is also an accomplished photographer and is will on his way toward establishing a complete mug file.
All lieutenants and sergeants are men with years of experience capable of showing the ambitious young men the way toward a successful career as a member of the Murfreesboro police department.
Chief Vance, who was advanced to the highest position a short time ago, is one of Middle Tennessee’s most respected law enforcement officers. He is especially regarded for his knowledge of the criminal in Murfreesboro and how they operate.
Captain Lynch is a young man in his thirties with an awful log of experience in the position of leadership for a man his age.
So far as the plant is concerned, Murfreesboro’s police department is well equipped. As previously mentioned the headquarters is as fine as can be found in the state. In the new city hall are modern offices such as a lounge room, chief’s office, detention room, interrogation room, large squad room, dark room, and a model radio room equipped with the latest type equipment designed to cover a wide area. In recent years the station has jumped from a base station and two mobiles in a base and 23 mobiles. The station accommodates the Smyrna Police, the Rutherford County Sheriff’s Patrol, Fire Department, Civil Defense and Middle Tennessee State College Patrol.
