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The year 1940 opened with a city population of 114,996 and the decade ended with a population of 168,279. The aircraft industry, recovered from the depression years, was to boom during World War II. The Boeing Company employed 1,033 persons in 1940, reached a peak employment of 29,402 in January of 1944, and at the close of the decade employed only 8,888. The first delivery of the Boeing B-29 Super fortress was in July, 1943 and by the end of the war 1,644 had been delivered to the government. Beechcraft employed 2,000 persons in 1940 and reached peak employment of 14,100 in 1945.
Modernization of signalized intersections in the city was begun in 1939 and continued into 1940, adding to the ease of traffic flow.
The city farm for imprisonment of violators of city ordinance was renovated during the year, with improvements adding to comfort of prisoners, especially during cold weather, through installation of a new heating plant and repair of the walls
On December 7, 1941 the United States entered into World War II with the bombing of Pearl Harbor. Many regular officers of the Wichita Police Department were called to military duty. In order to compensate for the loss of officers, the Police Department called upon civilian volunteers to perform general police duties. On September 1, 1942, 1,063 Auxiliary Police Officers were sworn in and given arm bands.
Wichita Police Officers Serve in the 2nd World War
The Wichita Police Department opened a new outdoor range at 53rd Street North and Broadway on property owned by the United Brick and Tile company which was obtained for the department through a minimal lease agreement with that company. A representative of a firearms company said only two other police ranges were superior to Wichita’s police range.
Also included in the History Book:
Police Union
World War II
The War Effort
Police Lab Started
Police Reserves Formed
George “Bud” Jeter
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