JCPD History

Johnson City New York, known as the "Home of the Square Deal," is located in Broome County in what is called the "Southern Tier" of upstate NY. We are approximately 180 miles northwest of New York City, 75 miles south of Syracuse, NY, and approximately 15 miles north of the Pennsylvania state line. Three major interstates converge nearby; the intersections of Interstates 81, 88 and New York State Route 17 (Future Interstate 86).    

In 1892, the Village of Lestershire, as present day Johnson City 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. VanDusen, who served as Chief for 6 years.  

In 1934, Chief Joseph C. Huff took over the department and served as Chief for 9 years.  

In 1943, 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.    

George Korutz  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 Coordinator 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."  

Upon the retirement of Chief George Korutz, Lieutenant Rodney Jewett was named Chief of Police until his retirement on October 12, 1995. Chief Jewett was a graduate of the 164th session of the FBI National Academy in 1991.   

When Assistant Chief Adams retired, Captain Dennis Hannon was appointed Assistant Chief of Police. In 1995 when Chief Jewett retired,  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 Assistant 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.    

In 2010 Chief Potts retired and the City of Binghamton's Chief Joseph Zikuski, and Assistant Chiefs William Yeager and David Eggleston became joint chiefs of both the Binghamton and Johnson City Police Departments until August of 2014.  

In 2014, Lieutenant Brent G. Dodge was named Chief of Police of the Johnson City Police Department and Lieutenant George Hayes was promoted to Administrative Captain. 

In 2021, Captain Hayes retired after 34 years of service.  Chief Dodge promoted Lieutenant Ohara to Administrative Captain.