Police that maintained Maple Lake Village by Sue Sylvester
In the last series marshals Ed Harwarth, Murrel Brannan, and police chiefs William Opat and Don Murray tenures were covered. Harwarth went on to become a salaried street supervisor working for the city for over 22 years. After Don Murray left the chief of police position in 1955, there was another man waiting in the wings to pick up the positon and that was Elwood J. Heberling.
Heberling was already doing police work for the village beginning in August and September of 1954. He worked police hours as well as Al Dircks and this continues with hours worked in 1955. Finally in 1956, Heberling was hired from January through December with the average salary of $116.04 a month. Al Dircks was employed from May through December with the average salary of $19.84 a month.
Elwood Heberling became the chief of police on January of 1956. His salary for that year was $310.20 a month. During his tenure as chief of police, I noticed expenses for gas, car maintenance, car body repairs, gun costs, more police badges, Billy clubs and uniform allowances. Maple Lake was in the process of modernizing its police force. Officers no longer walked their beat; they had a police car.
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