Henry C. Schroeder is considered Palatine’s first chief of police.

Born in Palatine Township in 1883, he attended Palatine High School, from which he graduated in 1903.

He worked for a Chicago bank and then Illinois Bell for 28 years. He also served several years on the village board — including as chairman of the Police and Lighting Committee, and was a Cook County constable and a local volunteer fireman.

The first uniformed, salaried police chief was Charles G. Folz, who was appointed in 1942. He had been with the department since 1930. He died while serving in January 1950.

By 1955, the department consisted of one chief, Frank X. Meyer, one captain, one lieutenant, one sergeant and six patrolmen. Jerry Bratcher came to head the department in 1974 and served for many years.

Frank Ortiz, among other positions he held in the police department, was its first detective.

• This is the 49th of 150 vignettes about Palatine history to be published in the Daily Herald, as part of the village’s sesquicentennial celebration