Our History
Johnson City, NY, known as the "Home of the Square Deal", is located in Broome County in what is called the "Southern Tier" of upstate NY, approximately 180 miles northwest of New York City, 75 miles south of Syracuse, NY, approximately 15 miles north of the Pennsylvania state line, and near the confluence of the Susquehanna and Chenango Rivers. Three major interstates converge nearby; the intersections of Interstate Routes 81,17, and 88.
In 1892, the Village of Lestershire, as present day Johnson City, NY was once called, appointed its first Constables; Israel T. Fletcher, L.E. Roberts, and Frank Weiderman. They were each paid 12-1/2 cents per hour.
Thirty four years later, in 1928, the Village's first mayor, John C. Banks, established the Johnson City Police Department, headed by Chief Ralph E. VanDeusen.
Sometime later, New York State Police Corporal Floyd L. Allen, a veteran of 18 years with the State Police, succeeded Chief Joseph C. Huff. With Chief Allen's supervision, the department grew to a complement of 32 sworn police officers, 6 police vehicles, and the establishment of a Detective and Juvenile Division.
When Chief Allen retired in March of 1965, Captain Patrick J. Morrisey was named Acting Chief, a position he held until his untimely death on November 6, 1966.
After Chief Morrisey's death, Assistant Chief Alfred J. Lamphere was appointed Acting Chief and Captain Harry T. Pettit was appointed Acting Assistant Chief of Police. After a competitive NYS Civil Service examination, Pettit was named Chief of Police on March 2, 1968 and Lamphere continued as Assistant Chief. In the month of February 1973, both Chief Pettit and Assistant Chief Lamphere retired and Captains George Korutz and Clarence Glanville were named Acting Chief and Assistant Chief respectively. In May 1973, after both successfully passed the NYS Civil Service examination, Korutz was appointed Chief of Police, a position he held until his retirement in January 1990, and Glanville was appointed Assistant Chief of Police, a position he held until his retirement in 1985. Captain Donald Adams was promoted to Assistant Chief of Police when Assistant Chief Glanville retired, and Assistant Chief Adams remained in that position until he retired in 1993.
Our department's history would not be complete without mentioning a few of the many accomplishments of one of our former chiefs who was instrumental in modernizing this agency. Former Chief Korutz spent 42 years of his life as a police officer with the Johnson City Police Department, beginning on April 19, 1948. Sixteen of those years were spent as Chief of Police, an accomplishment seldom repeated in law enforcement circles today. He graduated from the FBI National Academy, Quantico, VA, 92nd Session, on March 30, 1973. One of his proudest moments came in 1986 when Chief Korutz was appointed by New York State Governor Mario Cuomo as a member of the Municipal Police Training Council, an eight-member council made up of 2 Police Chiefs from municipalties within the state, 2 Sheriffs from counties within the state, the Superintendant of the New York State Police, the Assistant Director of the F.B.I., the Police Commissioner of New York City, and 1 Mayor from a municipality within the state. Chief Korutz also attended the United States Secret Service Dignitary Protection School and was the MPTC Zone 6 Police Academy Co-ordinator for 16 years, and he also spent many years as the President of the Western NY Police Chiefs' Association.
His love and respect for the job and the officers for which he dedicated so many years of his life has become part of his legacy; he was instrumental in the founding of "Police Week" in Broome County, NY, a week in May of each year honoring those officers who gave the ultimate sacrifice in the line of duty, and an event which has now become National Police Week. We can confidently say that his was "a job well done, and a life well served".
In the spring of 2001 the Johnson City Police Association began offering the "George Korutz Memorial Scholarship" to a high school senior in Broome County who:
1-is accepted into a Criminal Justice Program at a college of their choice;
2-submits an essay of 2500 words or less explaining why he/she desires to be a law enforcement officer, what he/she feels the challenges for law enforcement officers are today, and how they feel they would meet those challenges as a law enforcement officer.
The Scholarship Committee of the police association will chose one recipient and notification will be made at their high school scholarship awards ceremony.
A copy of the letter sent out by the JC Police Association can be found in the Guidance Offices of all schools in Broome County, or you may contact Det. Michael Cashman at 729-9321 for details.
Upon the retirement of Chief Korutz, Lieutenant Rodney Jewett was named Chief of Police until his retirement on October 12, 1995. When Assistant Chief Adams retired, Captain Dennis Hannon was appointed Assistant Chief of Police. In 1995 Hannon was appointed Chief of Police; he retired in early 1999. In July 1999 Captain Stephen Korutz, son of former Chief George Korutz, was appointed Chief of Police and Captain Douglas Potts was appointed Assistant Chief of Police. They are both graduates of the FBI National Academy in Quantico, VA; Assistant Chief Potts from the 199th Session, and Chief Korutz from the 204th Session.
Chief Korutz retired in September of 2004 and Asst. Chief Potts was named the Acting Chief of Police. Chief Potts was permanently appointed to the Chief's position in January of 2005 and Captain Ted Wido was named the Administrative Captain and took over the duties of Assistant Chief.
Present-day Johnson City is both an urban and a suburban community with vibrant downtown shopping, the area's largest enclosed shopping mall (the Oakdale Mall), and the regional hospital, United Health Services-Wilson Memorial Regional Medical Center, within its borders. The village has a resident population of approximately16,590 people. Johnson City has experienced a great deal of commercial growth in recent years and as a result, the Village's daily population swells to between 40,000 and 50,000 people.
The Johnson City School System has won many awards over the years (including several "Grammies")for innovative approaches to education, and serves our community with distinction.
The businesses, industries, health providers, educators, public employees and citizens of the Village of Johnson City are united to ensure that our next 100 years are as prosperous and safe as our past 100 years have been.
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Johnson City Police Department
31 Avenue C
Johnson City, NY 13790-2289
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