The Muscatine Police Department was founded on May 10, 1839 with the appointment of John Marble as the first Marshal. In the earliest days of Muscatine there was little need for an extensive police force and it wasn't until 1851 that the City created a more formalized law enforcement agency to help protect its citizens. This came in conjunction with the City changing its name from Bloomington to Muscatine and at that time records indicate there were as few as 5 officers within the department. It wasn't until the beginning of the 20th century that Muscatine could claim more than 10 members in its police force.
In its long history, the Muscatine Police Department has had more than 50 members serve as Marshal or Chief. Our present Chief of Police, Brett A. Talkington was sworn in on Thursday February 3, 2011.
As with any organization with such a long history as the Muscatine Police Department, there are always gaps in the collective memory. Anyone wishing to help us fill in some of the missing pieces in our history is encouraged to contact the Muscatine Police Department.
