Napa Police Historical Society

Home
United States
Napa, CA
Napa Police Historical Society

Contact information, map and directions, contact form, opening hours, services, ratings, photos, videos and announcements from Napa Police Historical Society, Nonprofit Organization, PO Box #505, Napa, CA.

The mission of the NPHS is to preserve the unique history of the Napa Police Department, honor current & former employees, and educate the public about the rich history of the NPD.

12/31/2025

Two longtime NPD members retired this week. They join Officer Bill Hernandez who also retired this year. Thank you for your years of service to the citizens of Napa!

10/04/2025

We’re at the annual Ripon Emergency Vehicle show, this time with our 2000 Ford Crown Victoria. Maybe some people following this post drove this car?!?

09/25/2025

The Calistoga Police just changed their shoulder patch. This is a major departure from their long-time patch, which they've worn almost continuously (with only a year or two break) since they started wearing patches in the 1950s. The locally famous "Old Faithful" geyser is gone.

09/20/2025

We’re at the inaugural Napa County Sheriff’s Car Show at the Napa Valley College, will be here till 3pm. If you’re in the area stop by and say hi!

09/10/2025

This ultra rare badge was recently added to the NPHS Collection after being acquired from a well-known badge collector. The badge displays the markings “S.F. & N.V.R.R.” which stands for “San Francisco & Napa Valley Railroad”. We have been able to date this to the brief period that this particular entity operated, from 1936-1938. It marks the end of an era in the Napa Valley as it was the last operating passenger railway (until the Wine Train tourist train). From 1902-1938 “inter-urban” electric rail cars traveled the route that started in Vallejo and ended in Calistoga. It was a popular trip for people living in and around San Francisco: take a ferry to Vallejo, then hop on the train to spend the weekend at the spas of Calistoga. The Napa train station was where “The Depot” restaurant is, on Soscol Avenue south of Third Street. After leaving the station, the trains would cross the Third Street Bridge and then turn north on Jefferson Street and continue north out of town. The route was operated by a succession of railroad companies, the last being the S.F&N.V.R.R.. After 1938 the trains were replaced by transit buses, and all the existing tracks/electric transmission poles were removed.

09/03/2025

In honor of World Beard Day we dug deep into our photo collection to go WayBack to 1982. The two guys pictured are actually Napa Police Officers; at the time they were working undercover in the Narcotics Unit. Until this past year, NPD Officers were only allowed to grow beards when on special assignments. Bonus points to anyone who knows who these two are??

08/26/2025

In honor of National Dog Day we'd like to highlight some photos of the Napa Police K-9 Program. The program was started in 1976 by Officer John O'Donnell & K-9 Vem.

08/20/2025

WayBack Wednesday: 60 years, to 1965. The "Police Mates" was a group of Police Officer wives (and because of the times, Police Dispatchers & Meter Maids). They held social gatherings, charitable events, and decorated floats for the annual Christmas Parade. A rare Police Mates lapel pin was recently donated to the NPHS as part of the Dave Chambless Badge Collection.

07/03/2025

Wayback Wednesday: to 1966. Show are two versions of a coveted item for NPD Officers, a Napa pistol tie bar. These were given to members of the Department's elite pistol team, who travelled around California competing in marksmanship trials. Just this month one of these rare tie bars was donated to us by a NPHS member.

06/18/2025

Wayback Wednesday: to July, 1952. Napa's City Hall was moved from the spot it held on Brown Street since the City was founded in 1872. Pictured is a Google image of the Brown Street location now, a vacant lot. The Napa Police Department was housed in a single story building to the left of City Hall until the PD was moved later in 1952. A small remnant of the PD building's façade of art deco blue/white tile work is still visible to the right of the current Le Paris Cafe, check it out if you're in the area.

05/28/2025

Wayback Wednesday: to 1957. Finishing out our May retrospective of how our image collection enhances the history of the NPD, another photo negative from the Robert E. McKenzie Collection. Here Officer Emil "Ham" Imboden, the Department's Rangemaster, briefs Chief of Police Sherwood Munk after returning from FBI fi****ms training. What a difference having these negatives make vs. the scanned images from the Napa Register newspaper!

05/21/2025

Wayback Wednesday: to 1988. In another in our series comparing photographs in our collection to their corresponding Napa Register articles. In this case a pipe bomb was found in a postal drop box on First Street, near Jefferson Street. Pictured are Detective Bruce Baker and Sergeant Randy Bowman. It is another image from the Robert E. McKenzie Collection.

Address

PO Box #505
Napa, CA
94559

Telephone

+17076939700

Website

http://www.NapaPoliceHistory.com/

Alerts

Be the first to know and let us send you an email when Napa Police Historical Society posts news and promotions. Your email address will not be used for any other purpose, and you can unsubscribe at any time.

Shortcuts

Want your organization to be the top-listed Non Profit Organization in Napa?