The Saint John Police Story: The Clark Years, 1890-1915

Steven R. Hewitt is a graduate history student at the University of
Saskatchewan.

Despite the message at least part of the title conveys, this book does
not present the entire history of the Saint John (New Brunswick) police
force. Nor do the authors make such a claim. Rather, their book
represents the first in an apparent series that will examine epochs in
the history of this police force.

The period under Chief of Police W. Walker Clark was fraught with
change for both the police and the city. The new chief attempted to
professionalize the force and make it more effective, in the face of
recalcitrant policemen and an uncooperative civic government. At the
same time, it was undergoing police reform, Saint John was experiencing
the pains associated with economic instability and growth: abject
poverty and two of its offspring—prostitution and alcohol abuse.

The authors use primary sources to deal with the evolution of the
police, and to give a partial portrait of the surrounding community.
Page after page of excerpts from court transcripts and other primary
documents testify to their research. Though occasionally interesting,
these quotes are excessive and frequently could have been summarized;
the barrage of “facts,” it sometimes appears, is a substitute for
systematic analysis. Despite this problem, the book is still
sporadically entertaining. The reader, however, is left desiring
something more profound.