On February 8, 1878 , a motion was passed by the Council of the Town of Pembroke to hire a Town Constable. It was not until November 15, 1878 that James Devlin was hired at a salary of $400.00 per year. Constable Devlin lived on Cemetery St , now know as Miller Street , in Pembroke. Some of the duties of the Town Constable at this time, included the collection of taxes, and the maintenance of platforms (sidewalks) and the Pumping station. Constable Devlin also assumed the role of Truant Officer and Dog Catcher.
For six years between 1872 and 1878, the Town of Pembroke , and its surrounding area, was patrolled solely by two County Constables , one of whom was Daniel H. Duffy, who in 1881 became the Chief of Police for the town of Pembroke . In September 1925, D.J (Dan) Carnegie enlisted with the Pembroke Police force. Carnegie was promoted to Sergeant and later to Chief Constable in 1943. The entire Pembroke Police Force at that time consisted of nine men. Chief Carnegie maintained the position of Chief for 19 years before his retirement in 1962.
It was November 1, 1941 when Bert S. Dickie enlisted with the Pembroke Police Force. He left the force however, to serve his country with the Royal Canadian Air Force during World War II, returning to his duties June of 1946. Shortly after his return, Dickie was promoted to the position of Sergeant on March 1, 1947 and then again to the role of Inspector on February 1, 1954 . Bert Dickie served as Chief of Police for Pembroke for a period of 21 years, after which time retirement was well deserved.
Chief David Hawkins was named Chief of Police in October 2007 and he continues to serve in this capacity today.
Since 1878, The Pembroke Police Force has grown and matured into the Pembroke Police Service it is today. It continues to dedicate itself to providing the best possible service it can to the community of Pembroke.
