Bootleggers and Badges: A History of Burbank’s First Police Force
When you think of Burbank today, images of major movie studios, aviation history, and bustling Southern California commerce likely come to mind. But rewind to the early 1900s, and Burbank was a quiet agricultural community in the San Fernando Valley, lined with melon fields, orchards, and dirt roads.
As the town grew, the need for formal local governance and law enforcement became clear. The story of how the Burbank Police Department came to be reflects the transformation of Southern California itself—from a frontier agricultural pocket into a booming municipal powerhouse.
Cityhood and the First Town Marshal (1911)
Burbank officially incorporated as an independent city on July 8, 1911. At the time, the city’s population was around 500 residents.
Before a formal police force was established, law enforcement was handled in true early-20th-century fashion: by a single City Marshal. Elected or appointed by the town's Board of Trustees, the marshal was responsible for keeping peace, settling local disputes, keeping wandering livestock off public streets, and enforcing local ordinances in what was still very much a rural community.
Chief George Cole and Burbank Police Officers
Enter Chief George Cole (1923)
As the town shifted away from a small-town marshal system toward organized municipal policing, George Cole stepped into history as Burbank’s first Police Chief.
Appointed during the early 1920s transition, Chief Cole led a small squad of just a handful of officers. His tenure coincided with the rise of national Prohibition, putting his tiny force on the front lines of hunting down illicit stills and bootleggers operating in the San Fernando Valley's rural pockets. In a fitting twist of history, after serving as Burbank's inaugural chief, Cole went on to join the U.S. Treasury Department as a Prohibition Officer—taking his local law enforcement experience to the federal stage.
The Roaring Twenties and Official Department Status (1927)
1927 Burbank Police Force
By the mid-1920s, Burbank was changing rapidly:
Industrial Growth: Aviation pioneers like Loughead (later Lockheed) set up shop.
The Entertainment Surge: Film production was expanding into the Valley, bringing studio backlots and bigger crowds.
Traffic Boom: With automobiles replacing horses, San Fernando Road became a major regional thoroughfare.
Recognizing that a small law enforcement contingent was no longer enough, the city officially codified and expanded the modern Burbank Police Department in 1927. During this era, officers traded horse-and-buggy patrols for early motorcycle units and squad cars to cover the sprawling Valley roadways.
Key Milestones in Early Burbank Law Enforcement
Period / Year
Historical Milestone
1911 - Burbank incorporates; law enforcement is handled by an elected City Marshal.
1923 - George Cole becomes Burbank's first Police Chief as the town transitions away from a marshal's office.
1920s - Prohibition enforcement becomes a primary focus; Chief Cole later joins federal Treasury Prohibition forces.
1927 - Formal establishment and expansion of the modern Burbank Police Department.
1930s–1940s - Rapid expansion of police personnel to handle wartime aviation plant security (Lockheed) and studio backlots.
The Legacy Today - From a single town marshal keeping order over melon patches in 1911 to Chief George Cole’s early squad in the 1920s, the foundational years of the Burbank Police Department set the stage for what would become one of Southern California's premier municipal agencies.
