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William D.Joiner Chief of Police 1942-1947 and 1950-1972 In 1946, under Chief William D. Joiner, the Gainesville Police Department employed its first black police officer, Oscar Lewis. The Gainesville Police Department had been headquartered in a few rooms in the basement of the old city hall building until August of 1953 when the Department was moved into a new building at its present location of 721 NW 6th Street. Chief Joiner’s new "ultra modern" police building housed the police department, which had grown to a force of over 40 Officers, 6 patrol cars, 4 plain cars and 4 motorcycles, and included the jail with 5 cells, and the Municipal court. In 1957, a 24 hour, one man patrol car system was initiated by Chief Joiner. Chief Joiner has the distinction of having headed the Gainesville Police Department longer than any other Chief or Marshal. Chief Joiner served two separate terms as Chief for a total of 25 years. 1950's to 1970's the population of Gainesville went from 26,800 to over 56,000 residents. In 1950 the City of Gainesville changed the street names to numbers and dividing the city into four sections North West, North East, South West and South East.
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