| Police Dispatch Radio | 
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| During the early twentieth century, Detroit police and their criminal foes both adopted the automobile as their preferred means of transportation. To regain an advantage, Detroit police pioneered a novel use for radio. In 1921, under Commissioner William P. Rutledge, the police began experimenting with radio-equipped cars. Police shared a frequency with a commercial station and cut into programming to dispatch patrols. On April 7, 1928 police radio operators broadcast for the first time on a dedicated frequency from this police station, which eliminated radio interference from downtown stations. Reduced response times and increased arrest rates quickly made radio-dispatching standard police practice nationwide. |
Registered Site S0529a
Erected 2008
Location: Belle Isle
Detroit, Wayne County
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