California's History of Law Enforcement

We were treated by Manny Silva, Sergeant at our very own Morro Bay Police Department to a history lesson on the origin of law enforcement on the Central Coast of California.  Manny took us back 154 years when California was inundated by outlaws looking to take advantage of the gold rush.   Of special note was the Jack Powers Gang, a hyper violent gang who's motto "if you're dead, you don't tell any tales", created fear in residents of SLO County.  Then came Walter Murray, an attorney, who led a vigilant committee to rid the county of the gang thru community involvement and assistance.  Murray's efforts along with those of the committee members, and after many violent battles to the death, pacified San Luis Obispo.  This effort reflected a communities duty to eachother to preserve their fortunes and lives.  This was the birth of law enforcement in SLO County.