Leonard L. Polk
A Sketch of One of Nashville’s Most Popular Policeman
The name of Sergt. Leonard L. POLK, of the Nashville Police Department, arouses in the hearts of all who know him the kindliest and friendliest of feelings, while the sight of his handsome face and cheery smile would banish the cares of a modern Job.
Few men are better known in Nashville than this same Len POLK, and none are more popular. The size of his heart is only limited by his physical dimensions, which are considerably above the average. He can walk up to a man, arrest him and take him to the station-house, lock him up, keep him there for twenty-four hours and still make a friend of him. He has no enemies.
Gentle as a woman, but as absolutely fearless as men get to be, he is constituted by nature to make an ideal officer. He has a smile and a kindly word for everyone, even the most desperate devils of darkest Black Bottom.
But he is very human, Len is, and nobody on earth loves a horse-race better, or can see a pretty woman farther than he. He is as popular with his fellows as he is with the general public.
Sergt. L.L. POLK is a native Tennessean, having been born near Springfield, Robertson County, about forty-five years ago. With the casting of his first vote, he exercised another right common to every American citizen and got married.
His wife died in 1879, leaving him with one child, a boy, now almost as big as his daddy. Sergt. POLK is still single, through his friends continually expect him to discard his state of single-blessedness. However, the most artistic pumping along this line gets nothing but a smile from Leonard.
When quite a young man he served as Constable at Springfield, and was later chosen Recorder and City Judge. At the end of four years he allowed his friends to make him City Marshal.
In 1884 he came to Nashville and two years later was elected to the police force. Pretty soon he was made Sergeant, and later First Seargeant, which rank he now holds. His official career of six years in this city is without blemish and goes to make up the record of a good and talented officer.
Source: Nashville American, page 3, 1 October 1894.