THE HISTORY & LEGACY OF THE
RALEIGH POLICE DEPARTMENT
Early Black Officers
During the Reconstruction period following the Civil War, African-American men became part of the Raleigh Police for the first time. Bryan Lunn, Norfleet Dunston, and B. Henderson Dunston all served as Assistant Chiefs at different points. By May of 1881, the police department consisted of 11 men, six of whom were African-American. During the 1890s, however, the force returned to being made up of only white men. That would remain the case until 1942, when Officer John H. Baker was hired, following requests by the local African-American community that they be represented on the police force. In the fall of 1943, Joseph Winters joined the department as Officer Baker's partner. The two men served as "plainclothesmen" until the following spring, when they were issued the same uniforms as the rest of the department.
By 1956, there were five African-American policemen. It would take more than 10 years before an African-American officer would be promoted to detective, when the title went to E. Curtis Winston in 1967.
The Raleigh Police Department in 1948. Officer Joseph Winters is the first uniformed officer in the back row, and Officer Baker is on the other end of that row. They would be the only two African-American officers between 1943 and 1950, when Samuel Clarkson and Norman Artis were sworn in.
M. Norfleet Dunstan (or Dunston), who served as Assistant Chief of Police in 1874-5, had also been part of the Board of Trustees for the Raleigh Township in 1871, and served as a Magistrate during the 1870s.
Officer James "Bobby" Daye, who joined RPD in 1956 and was commended a year later for his role in stopping a service station robbery
Officer Thornwell T. Street Jr., who joined in 1952. He received commendations for his work with Officer Daye to stop a service station robbery and for his role in capturing an accused killer in 1954.
Officer Joseph Winters, the second African-American officer in RPD, who not only served as a policeman but also worked as a music promoter.
Officer Norman Artis, who joined RPD in 1950 and received commendations for stopping a safe robbery in 1958. He also single-handedly captured two robbery suspects in a diner in 1956.
Officer John H. Baker, Sr. He was the first African-American officer to serve since the 19th century. When he reached retirement, he served as Sergeant-in-Arms for the Raleigh City Council. In 1987, the newly-built Police Training Center was named in his honor.