In 1856, the first non-native settlement established in and near what is now Centralia.

In 1874, George Washington donated his land for the city. Centralia was designated a Territorial town. In the 1880’s Centralia’s population swelled to over 15,000, a number only recently surpassed. Centralia vied with Olympia to become the state capital upon statehood.

1889 saw statehood for Washington; the City of Centralia was incorporated.

The Centralia Police Department was officially established by Centralia ordinance 375 in 1889. In 1890, the Centralia Police Department was made up of two marshals who worked out of a small building at the corner of Magnolia Street and Tower Avenue in downtown Centralia.

The force had grown to ten members (including a Chief Marshal) by 1899.

Deputy Marshal James C. A. Parsons is the only Centralia Police Department officer to have been killed in the line of duty. He died in the early evening hours of June 30, 1903, when he attempted to arrest a disorderly subject named John Smith. Smith resisted arrest, and a gun battle ensued on Tower Avenue. Both men were armed with revolvers. Several shots were exchanged; the Deputy Marshal emptied his revolver and borrowed another from a saloon. Smith finally shot and killed Deputy Marshal Parsons, then fled Centralia. A post-mortem examination revealed that Deputy Marshal Parsons was killed by a single gunshot wound to the chest.

Local newspapers recount the pursuit of Smith by a posse and numerous sightings of him as far away as Tacoma in the days following the murder, but no record of his apprehension has been found.

On May 11, 1998 Governor Gary Locke awarded the Law Enforcement Medal of Honor posthumously to Deputy Marshal Parsons in a special ceremony at the Criminal justice Training Center in Burien. Elmer Parsons of Centralia attended the ceremony to accept the medal on behalf of the Parsons family.

The department was housed in a facility constructed of wooden planks in the 300 block of N Tower Avenue until 1910.

In 1910 the police department outgrew the old plank jail and a new “modern” concrete and brick jail was built adjacent to the alley in the 100 block of W. Maple. This building was used until it was torn down to make room for the new City Hall built in 1921. In 1911, police call boxes were installed at convenient points in the City to allow patrolmen to call the station. Lights were used to call officers to the station.

Both the Police Department and the Fire Department occupied a portion of the new City Hall building until the Fire Department left city hall in 1955 to occupy its new, luxurious headquarters further north on N. Pearl. The Police Department remains in the 1921 City hall building to this day.

In 1934 under the leadership of Chief Milton M. Jastrum, the first police radio in Centralia was placed into service. It was a home made 50 watt transmitter. Only one-way communications were possible with that radio, i.e., the office could call the cars, but the cars could not call the office.

In 1936, officers were given a ten hour work day and had three days off per month as well as a two week vacation. Previously, they worked twelve hours per day, seven days per week.

By 1941, officers were given four days off per month. The Department was made up of nine men (including the Chief). 40 Auxiliary Police officers were commissioned to enforce wartime blackout regulations. Blackouts were from 4:30 PM to 8:00 AM. Only vehicles allowed during blackout were defense related, mail, food and newspapers. One armed police officer was stationed at the Centralia electric substation.

On December 10, 1941 an air raid siren loud enough to be heard for five miles was ordered by the city to be placed atop the Lewis & Clark Hotel.

1944 - Officers were given an eight hour day.

1949 - Parking meters were installed downtown. An additional officer was hired to check on the meters.

A 10-officer complement remained fairly constant for the Centralia Police Department until 1952, when the force was increased to 13 officers (including the Chief). Officers were given five days off per month (when possible)

Around 1971, the parking meters were removed from the downtown area.

In 1973 the Centralia Police Department’s first full-time detective was appointed: John Stoner

In 1974, the department hired the first civilian dispatchers to handle dispatching and answer the phones. Prior to that time, police officers took turns answering the phone and dispatching. Civilian records personnel were later hired to improve the department’s records system and free officers to work on crime problems.

By 1976, there were 17 full-time officers. The force was increased to twenty-three officers in 1977 with the addition of six new officers, and then reduced by attrition and varied between sixteen and twenty-one officers until 1990.

In 1979, then Sergeant Bob Berg implemented the 911 system in Centralia for police, fire & medical emergencies. The 911 lines fed directly into the police dispatch center.

The Personal Car Program for all officers was started in 1981.

In 1984, Centralia Police Department closed its dispatch center and Chehalis began dispatching for Centralia.

The first computerized records system (called L.E.M.S.) went on line in 1985 -. The City jail was closed; and all Centralia prisoners were housed at Chehalis PD Jail and the Lewis County Jail.

In 1995, enhanced 911 service went on line for all of Lewis County through Central Dispatch.

From 1990 through 1995, several new positions were added, and by 1996 the department reached its current authorized commissioned staffing level of thirty officers.