The Pensacola Police Historic Society

An Invitation to a Study in Serial Killing

Looking at the case of the Black Widow on Monday, January 6, 2025 “He’s a lucky man…God’s been with him.” Those were the words of Albert Gentry, brother of John Gentry. Albert was referring to John’s two close calls with dea1h. When John was serving in the military in the Vietnam War, he stepped on…
New Book

On Amazon By Mike Simmons “The peaceful farming town of Baker, Florida was shattered on one afternoon in January 1934. What began as a simple disagreement among neighbors over a property line ended tragically. The town was never the same again.” The book is the account of a true story about a terrible incident that…
Ridding Pensacola of Juvenile Problems

By Mike Simmons The Friday, February 2, 1951, edition of the Pensacola News Journal reported that Pensacola Police Chief Crosby Hall was at a meeting at the office of City Manager Oliver Semmes the day before. At the meeting, R.H. Swaine demanded that the Pensacola Police begin enforcing the local curfew and juvenile laws. Chief…
The Pensacola Police get a new building

By Mike Simmons On the front page of the Pensacola Journal, Tuesday, October 18, 1906, was an article about the new Pensacola Police Headquarters building. For the first time, a building was to be constructed for the purpose of housing the Pensacola Police. The new building was to be constructed at 407 S. Jefferson Street,…
Times have changed, but they haven’t

By Mike Simmons Below is a recently found photo of five Pensacola Police Officers proudly posing in downtown Pensacola in 1920. The department had recently transitioned to their new uniforms. The coats were shorter and lighter than before, and they switched from the old custodian helmets (London Bobby Hats) to the more modern peaked hats,…
1908 Pensacola Police Rules

By Mike Simmons On January 22, 1908, a pocket-sized police manual was distributed to the force. A few of the orders and rules are interesting and bear repeating…
Chief Ernest Harper, Pensacola Police Department – October 23, 1923 – November 19, 1925

An excerpt from the book, “Pensacola’s Finest,” available on Amazon On October 15, 1923, The Pensacola News Journal reported that Captain Ernest Ellis Harper was appointed chief to replace Mose Penton. Chief Harper was born in 1890 in Roberts, Florida. He moved to Pensacola in 1909 and joined the force two years later. Chief Harper…
End of Watch: The Murder of Pensacola Police Officer Steve Taylor

By Mike Simmons End of Watch Tuesday, October 19, 1982 Steve Taylor was smart, with a 3.9 GPA. But he was also funny and fun-loving. He had been a Pensacola Police Officer since December 1979. He loved the job, but he felt it wasn’t a natural fit for him. Steve was a math whiz – he…
End of Watch: The Murder of Pensacola Police Officer John Gordon September 22, 1889

In the late 1800s, downtown Pensacola was known worldwide as a wild, uncivilized place. Debauchery and fighting were daily occurrences. After all, it was a busy port town, filled with sailors right from months of being at sea and pockets full of money. On the evening of September 21, 1889 – a typical, rowdy Saturday…
Cost of Doing Business in Pensacola

By Mike Simmons n 1908, the business of policing wasn’t much different than it is today. Those with an eye for money details were charged with budgeting the cost of salaries, maintenance, etc. Here are the expenses for the month of September, 1908 for the Pensacola Police Department: Salaries Marshal: $140 Deputy Marshal: 90 2…