The department marked its 150th anniversary with a ceremony at the Old Calaboose on Market Avenue at McDaniel Street, where the police department was headquartered in the late 1800s. The Calaboose is now a museum of police department history.

The Springfield Police Department has an interesting history, including one officer being taken hostage by infamous outlaws Bonnie and Clyde as he tried to stop them for a traffic violation.

Springfield had only 1,200 citizens when the police department was established in 1858. With the city’s growth, the advent of computer crimes and the sophistication of some criminals, much has changed, said Cpl. Wayne Taylor, a police department historian.

Another interesting fact about the Springfield Police Department is Wild Bill Hickok ran for city marshal in 1865. He finished in second place.