Emil Harris Explained

Emil Harris (December 29, 1839  - April 28, 1921)^{[1] [2]} was the only Jewish police chief in Los Angeles, California.^[3] He was also the second to have occupied the position since it was established in 1877.^[4] Harris was appointed to serve for one year from December 27, 1877 to December 5, 1878.^[5]

Background

He was born in Prussia and immigrated to Los Angeles in 1869. He helped create the city's first volunteer fire department. He began a six-person police department where he quickly became a deputy chief. The Yiddish-speaking cop became chief after his leadership in the Chinatown massacre of 1871. He was previously a detective who - together with then chief B.F. "Frank" Hartley and other officers - captured the horse thief Tiburcio Vasquez in 1874^[6] at the present-day intersection of Santa Monica Blvd. and Kings Road.

In 1879, he also became the mayor pro tempore of Los Angeles.

Resources

• "L.A. Then and Now A Forgotten Hero From a Night of Disgrace," Cecilia Rasmussen, Los Angeles Times, May 16, 1999.

Notes and References

1. Book: Jews in Blue: The Jewish American Experience in Law Enforcement. 9781934043042. Kitaeff. Jack. 2006.
2. Web site: OLD WEST ROGUES - Emil Harris: The First Chief of Police of Los Angeles . disc.yourwebapps.com . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20111002202756/http://disc.yourwebapps.com/discussion.cgi?disc=239395;article=4410 . 2011-10-02.
3. http://www.jewishjournal.com/home/preview.php?id=8441 Remember the Roots of the JCCs | Community Briefs | Jewish Journal
4. Book: Los Angeles Police Department. Hays. Thomas G.. Sjoquist. Arthur W.. 2005. Arcadia Publishing. 0738530255. San Francisco, CA. 13–14.
5. Book: Marcus, Kenneth H.. Schoenberg and Hollywood Modernism. 2016. Cambridge University Press. 9781107064997. Cambridge. 336.
6. Book: Boessenecker, John. Bandido: The Life and Times of Tiburcio Vasquez. 2012-10-11. University of Oklahoma Press. 9780806141275. Norman. 311.