Who is this Chuck Gallagher guy ?
BlackSheep Productions - 2009
On the left is a Police Call Box from the city of Washington D.C. This box is made of cast iron and was removed from the street's of D.C. under the watchful eye of the retired M.P.D. Officer that I received it from. He told me he had it in his basement for many years and decided to part with it.
On the right is that very same Police Call Box after getting it professionally restored. I waited to get an actual D.C. Call Box before investing the money is getting it restored, it was worth the wait. Next I would like to get a pedestal from D.C. to place it on.
My M.P.D.C. Collection & Trips to Washington D.C.
Thank you to so many who have been good to me on my trips..
I never thought I would WANT a parking ticket, but here is a parking ticket from the 1930's
My collecting has been put on a slow burn for now. I am trying to focus on framing a lot of my collection in place of collecting. This is proving to be costly because it is being professionally framed not frames from Wal-Mart. However if I want my collection to be top notch with the respect it deserves I am going to have to do my best not to do it half-ass.
Hand painted - custom made from a pewter piece, this is a true skill few have but Hervey Cote does. I have a 2nd style on order now.
This was one of the first things I picked up back in the 90's. It is a metal sign for President Kennedy's Inauguration. My traditional collecting starts around 1961 because I was born in 1961. Also with President Kennedy and I being Irish and from Massachusetts....
Chuck Gallagher
P.O. Box 911
Foxborough, MA. 02035
Some books related to the D.C. Metropolitan Police
Dear Friend
I am often asked, why is a guy from Massachusetts so interested in the M.P.D.C, First , I am not and have never been a Police Officer with the Washington D.C. Metropolitan Police. Until I began collecting I had no connection at all with M.P.D.C.. However, I am a 34 year veteran Police Officer in Massachusetts with a strong interest in the history of the M.P.D.C. Some might ask why so I will try to quickly explain. I am drawn to American history and Police history. I began collecting police memorabilia back on the late 1980's when my career began. I decided to focus on the M.P.D.C. as it is our countries capital city, then after reading of Private Parker and the Lincoln assassination I was locked in.. At first it was just the memorabilia but as I read more and got to know more officers active and retired from the M.P.D.C. I focused more on the history. Although I am still a collector of ANY history with the M.P.D.C. I am very much into the history, as you can see. So now after 33+ years as a police officer I have great friends from the M.P.D.C., a great collection and a huge web site. Please feel free to drop me a line I do the best I can on the site. With young kids life is busy now but I am trying my best, life throws obstacles at us endlessly I am doing my best to get around them..
This site is a never ending project, several pages are started but not worked on, they will be...
Chuck Gallagher
P.O. Box 911
Foxborough, Ma. 02035
In the past few years my life has changed drastically, from dealing with covid to with cancer. Regardless I have not been able to provide as much attention to this web site as I would like to. I intend on getting back on track with upgrading the pages here.
As a proud collector of M.P.D.C. history I have had to slow down in my collecting. Having a couple of young children will do that to you. I still collect whatever I can afford to, my focus now is on M.P.D. patches. I am always trying to find ways to display more and more of my collection, but as you can see by the photos it is getting tougher, but I will always find a way.
Please keep me in mind when new patches come out or if you should wish to part with any piece of M.P.D.C. history. I take my collection very seriously and enjoy it a great deal.
Be Safe,
Chuck Gallagher
How it began
THE OLD HOUSE IN R.I.
Pre - 2013
Some photos of my trips to Washington D.C. over the years. from the late 80's up through 2018. I'm sure there will be more down the road.
Welcome
to 2019's
"Room 1861"
I have well over 50 pieces of M.P.D.C. history that I have had framed. Items that stretch from buttons to original photographs from the 1800's. When I first started to frame my collection up I went to a local frame shop, WRONG ! I was later directed to Ara Anjoorian who works out of Saugus Ma. Ara does mainly sports memorabilia, television memorabilia and law enforcement memorabilia. He also does frame work for the Mass. State Police Museum and WILL MAIL HIS WORK. I highly recommend him he can get very busy you will have to ask about the turnover, (however he is also great with emergency pieces). I like to use plastic frames because they are lighter. I think Ara can frame almost ANYTHING.... Below is a variety of his work..
This is a small part of my own M.P.D.C. collection that Ara has framed for me.
Pre - 1996, While serving with the Transit Police in Boston, Ma
Graham Hempstead and I visited the Old 10th Precinct, the oldest operating precinct house, although now a sub station.
This is my very good friend Graham Hempstead, a retired police constable from London England. He is reflecting his 37 year career while respecting our lost officers.
Some years back I had the name of Fred Pettee added to the memorial. He is the only officer we at the Foxborough police have lost. He was killed by a driver while he was backing up State Police at an MVA
G.H. standing out the FOP just up the street from H.Q. and the Police Memorial
G.H. outside a scary place to be around these days...
I always come buy here in hope it will be open some time so I can take a look in, no luck
Inside The Dubliner, L-R: Dan Coss, Graham Hempstead, me and Tim Milloff
Around the corner from our hotel at National Harbor Graham runs into a home boy.
This is Graham, myself and Jim Cooke at the Marine Corps Museum. With Jim and I being Marines and Graham a Queens Guard, a pint was in full order. Here we sit at Tun Tavern doing just that !
The is me in front of the White House. We road a bunch of the police motorcycles from Massachusetts down for Police Week. The road was open as we had not yet been attacked in New York. Things have changed greatly since 9-11, sad things have not gotten much better either..
These two or of the range located at the Academy. There is a better set up here then any place I have seen. at any other PD or any gun club.
District #8 from the roof tops
The gas chamber which is located at the Academy. Above is the outside and below the inside. Very important part of training for the MPDC with all of the crowd control they have forced upon them.
A very humbling display within the M.P.D.C. Training Academy, R.I.P.
Don't bother getting on it, there is no gas in it :)
The M.P.D.C. Training Academy
I have yet to make it past these doors, lol...
HEADQUARTERS of the M.P.D.C.
Outside the entrance to the Chiefs section of the building stands some old M.P.D.C. History. A very heavy call box and Police Log Book
These stands for the old Police Call Box's are very unique to cities across America. D.C. showed a lot of class and respect to have these made. I only wish I could fine one someday...
Standing outside the doors to the Chiefs section are L-R, Steve O'Dell, myself and Don Blake. Steve and Don are both retired M.P.D.C. and very well respected in the city.
Five of my fellow Transit Officers alongside two Somerville Officers attending Police Week. I am 3rd from the right. Fourth from the left is Mark Hayes my old partner from the Transit Police. We lost Mark this year, rest easy bro, you earned it..
Standing on the steps of the U.S. Capital Building. Yes I know my gig line is off...
It use to be a tradition to bring a cruiser door down or else yours would go missing, lol. Some great stories from Police Week in the old days. Notice the creative decorations..
The N.Y.P.D. band Boys-N-Blu were a big hit back when the stage set up was right by the memorial. Soon after this year they were forced to go to a D.J. and to hold this portion of Police week outside the down town area. It's much better down town but I can't blame them really..
View from behind where the bar is now.
The bar is now to the right side of photo
Original print from metal plate of MPD's 1st Chief, William Webb
Some of my M.P.D.C. coins
Check out the cut outs... look familiar ?
In this 1924 photo of a D.C. Metropolitan Police Traffic Officer, you see him with his hand on a modern a traffic sign with a sun umbrella included. The above photo shows an MPD one that I got and had refurbished. With an MPD call box behind it.
All of these are patches for the MPD, I am still mossing about 30-40.. It will never end, lol
I have turned the wall on the right into my MPDC patch wall
Since my best friend is a now retired Policeman from London, it only seemed proper to collect British Police Memorabilia as well.
I love the 100 year old WANTED posters and cabinet cards from the MPDC here on the back wall. The older the better.....