History of the department

Named after Lt. William A. Slaughter, who died in the Indian uprising of 1885, the town of Slaughter, Washington was incorporated in 1891. Slaughter's early history was defined by its rich farmlands, abundant natural resources and hardy pioneer spirit. One of the first official acts at the initial Town Council meeting was to appoint F.L. Berner as the first Town Marshall.

Known as Auburn since 1893, 20 marshals served the city until 1925, when R. Roy Wendle became Auburn's first Police Chief. The Auburn Police Department came into its own in the late 1920s under the direction of Chief Charles L. Ludwig. When he first came into office, the only file for the department was a wire spindle with a scrap of paper about an accident at West Main and "A" Street. Chief Ludwig then established the first permanent records system for the department, including a workable fingerprint and photography system. All the funding for training and the equipment needed for this came from his own pocket. By the time he retired, Ludwig headed an eight-person police department housed in a new building next to a new jail.

Today with over 150 authorized full time employees, the Auburn Police Department serves a population in excess of 65,000 Citizens. Operating with a $20 million budget, the department oversees a 54-bed jail and maintains more than 40 vehicles. In 1997, 2000, 2003 and 2006 the department underwent a stringent on-site accreditation test by the Commission on Law Enforcement Agencies (CALEA) and received a national rating of excellence.