COURIER JOURNAL ARTICLE - 09/24/1992
W.G. KIEFER, EX-POLICEMAN WHO HELPED JUVENILES, DIES
William G. Kiefer Sr. once said, "I'd rather see a kid suffer a black eye than a blackened character." Kiefer, former assistant chief of the Louisville police from 1952 to 1961 and a dedicated Boys Club area president who tried to solve juvenile delinquency problems in Louisville, died in his sleep at home yesterday. He was 83. In dealing with residents who told city police they were tired of broken windows and upset garbage cans in their neighborhoods, Kiefer often discovered the problem was not bad kids but a lack of play areas. To mend juveniles' errant ways, Kiefer worked with community groups to develop empty lots to channel youths' restlessness into sports. "Kids have troubles and problems like adults," he said in a 1948 interview. "The problem of where to play and what to do is just as important to a kid, whose main things in life are eating and playing." kiefer liked to think that most juvenile delinquents grew up to be good citizens. "He thought correcting behavior when people were still juveniles was the best way not to have adult offenders," said his son, Eugene C. Kiefer. Kiefer joined the Louisville Police Department in 1938. In 1943, he became the first director of the Louisville Crime Prevention Bureau and was named captain in 1944. He remained head of the Crime Prevention Bureau until 1951. It was as director of the Crime Prevention Bureau that Kiefer's interest in juveniles grew. Under his leadership, juvenile problems were handled on a case-by-case basis, with an effort to understand the personalities involved in their problems. While he was director, juvenile delinquency dropped 25 percent in 1944. Kiefer also introduced public school education programs warning children against potential sex offenders. Before his retirement in 1961, he was instrumental in developing architectural plans for the downtown police headquarters. Kiefer was also former security director for The Courier-Journal, former director of safety and protection at Klarer Co., a deacon at Mother of Good Counsel Catholic Church, past president of Downtown Optimist Club, and a member of Kentucky Peace Officers Association, Commanding Officers Club and Association of Safety and Security International. Survivors besides his son Eugene include his wife, the former Helen M. Coy; two other sons, William G. Kiefer Jr. and David J. Kiefer; a daughter, Mary H. Richardson; two brothers, Carroll Kiefer of Eminence and Chester Kiefer of Texas; a sister, Doris Cole; 17 grandchildren; and seven great-grandchildren. The funeral will be 11 a.m. Saturday at Mother of Good Counsel Catholic Church, 8509 Westport Road, with burial in St. Michael Cemetery. Visitation will be at Ratterman's, 3711 Lexington Road, from 3-5 and 7-9 p.m. today and at the church from 3:30-8:30 p.m. tomorrow. The family asks that contributions be made to the church.
W.G. KIEFER, EX-POLICEMAN WHO HELPED JUVENILES, DIES
William G. Kiefer Sr. once said, "I'd rather see a kid suffer a black eye than a blackened character." Kiefer, former assistant chief of the Louisville police from 1952 to 1961 and a dedicated Boys Club area president who tried to solve juvenile delinquency problems in Louisville, died in his sleep at home yesterday. He was 83. In dealing with residents who told city police they were tired of broken windows and upset garbage cans in their neighborhoods, Kiefer often discovered the problem was not bad kids but a lack of play areas. To mend juveniles' errant ways, Kiefer worked with community groups to develop empty lots to channel youths' restlessness into sports. "Kids have troubles and problems like adults," he said in a 1948 interview. "The problem of where to play and what to do is just as important to a kid, whose main things in life are eating and playing." kiefer liked to think that most juvenile delinquents grew up to be good citizens. "He thought correcting behavior when people were still juveniles was the best way not to have adult offenders," said his son, Eugene C. Kiefer. Kiefer joined the Louisville Police Department in 1938. In 1943, he became the first director of the Louisville Crime Prevention Bureau and was named captain in 1944. He remained head of the Crime Prevention Bureau until 1951. It was as director of the Crime Prevention Bureau that Kiefer's interest in juveniles grew. Under his leadership, juvenile problems were handled on a case-by-case basis, with an effort to understand the personalities involved in their problems. While he was director, juvenile delinquency dropped 25 percent in 1944. Kiefer also introduced public school education programs warning children against potential sex offenders. Before his retirement in 1961, he was instrumental in developing architectural plans for the downtown police headquarters. Kiefer was also former security director for The Courier-Journal, former director of safety and protection at Klarer Co., a deacon at Mother of Good Counsel Catholic Church, past president of Downtown Optimist Club, and a member of Kentucky Peace Officers Association, Commanding Officers Club and Association of Safety and Security International. Survivors besides his son Eugene include his wife, the former Helen M. Coy; two other sons, William G. Kiefer Jr. and David J. Kiefer; a daughter, Mary H. Richardson; two brothers, Carroll Kiefer of Eminence and Chester Kiefer of Texas; a sister, Doris Cole; 17 grandchildren; and seven great-grandchildren. The funeral will be 11 a.m. Saturday at Mother of Good Counsel Catholic Church, 8509 Westport Road, with burial in St. Michael Cemetery. Visitation will be at Ratterman's, 3711 Lexington Road, from 3-5 and 7-9 p.m. today and at the church from 3:30-8:30 p.m. tomorrow. The family asks that contributions be made to the church.
COURIER JOURNAL ARTICLE - 09/24/1992
W.G. KIEFER, EX-POLICEMAN WHO HELPED JUVENILES, DIES
William G. Kiefer Sr. once said, "I'd rather see a kid suffer a black eye than a blackened character." Kiefer, former assistant chief of the Louisville police from 1952 to 1961 and a dedicated Boys Club area president who tried to solve juvenile delinquency problems in Louisville, died in his sleep at home yesterday. He was 83. In dealing with residents who told city police they were tired of broken windows and upset garbage cans in their neighborhoods, Kiefer often discovered the problem was not bad kids but a lack of play areas. To mend juveniles' errant ways, Kiefer worked with community groups to develop empty lots to channel youths' restlessness into sports. "Kids have troubles and problems like adults," he said in a 1948 interview. "The problem of where to play and what to do is just as important to a kid, whose main things in life are eating and playing." kiefer liked to think that most juvenile delinquents grew up to be good citizens. "He thought correcting behavior when people were still juveniles was the best way not to have adult offenders," said his son, Eugene C. Kiefer. Kiefer joined the Louisville Police Department in 1938. In 1943, he became the first director of the Louisville Crime Prevention Bureau and was named captain in 1944. He remained head of the Crime Prevention Bureau until 1951. It was as director of the Crime Prevention Bureau that Kiefer's interest in juveniles grew. Under his leadership, juvenile problems were handled on a case-by-case basis, with an effort to understand the personalities involved in their problems. While he was director, juvenile delinquency dropped 25 percent in 1944. Kiefer also introduced public school education programs warning children against potential sex offenders. Before his retirement in 1961, he was instrumental in developing architectural plans for the downtown police headquarters. Kiefer was also former security director for The Courier-Journal, former director of safety and protection at Klarer Co., a deacon at Mother of Good Counsel Catholic Church, past president of Downtown Optimist Club, and a member of Kentucky Peace Officers Association, Commanding Officers Club and Association of Safety and Security International. Survivors besides his son Eugene include his wife, the former Helen M. Coy; two other sons, William G. Kiefer Jr. and David J. Kiefer; a daughter, Mary H. Richardson; two brothers, Carroll Kiefer of Eminence and Chester Kiefer of Texas; a sister, Doris Cole; 17 grandchildren; and seven great-grandchildren. The funeral will be 11 a.m. Saturday at Mother of Good Counsel Catholic Church, 8509 Westport Road, with burial in St. Michael Cemetery. Visitation will be at Ratterman's, 3711 Lexington Road, from 3-5 and 7-9 p.m. today and at the church from 3:30-8:30 p.m. tomorrow. The family asks that contributions be made to the church.
W.G. KIEFER, EX-POLICEMAN WHO HELPED JUVENILES, DIES
William G. Kiefer Sr. once said, "I'd rather see a kid suffer a black eye than a blackened character." Kiefer, former assistant chief of the Louisville police from 1952 to 1961 and a dedicated Boys Club area president who tried to solve juvenile delinquency problems in Louisville, died in his sleep at home yesterday. He was 83. In dealing with residents who told city police they were tired of broken windows and upset garbage cans in their neighborhoods, Kiefer often discovered the problem was not bad kids but a lack of play areas. To mend juveniles' errant ways, Kiefer worked with community groups to develop empty lots to channel youths' restlessness into sports. "Kids have troubles and problems like adults," he said in a 1948 interview. "The problem of where to play and what to do is just as important to a kid, whose main things in life are eating and playing." kiefer liked to think that most juvenile delinquents grew up to be good citizens. "He thought correcting behavior when people were still juveniles was the best way not to have adult offenders," said his son, Eugene C. Kiefer. Kiefer joined the Louisville Police Department in 1938. In 1943, he became the first director of the Louisville Crime Prevention Bureau and was named captain in 1944. He remained head of the Crime Prevention Bureau until 1951. It was as director of the Crime Prevention Bureau that Kiefer's interest in juveniles grew. Under his leadership, juvenile problems were handled on a case-by-case basis, with an effort to understand the personalities involved in their problems. While he was director, juvenile delinquency dropped 25 percent in 1944. Kiefer also introduced public school education programs warning children against potential sex offenders. Before his retirement in 1961, he was instrumental in developing architectural plans for the downtown police headquarters. Kiefer was also former security director for The Courier-Journal, former director of safety and protection at Klarer Co., a deacon at Mother of Good Counsel Catholic Church, past president of Downtown Optimist Club, and a member of Kentucky Peace Officers Association, Commanding Officers Club and Association of Safety and Security International. Survivors besides his son Eugene include his wife, the former Helen M. Coy; two other sons, William G. Kiefer Jr. and David J. Kiefer; a daughter, Mary H. Richardson; two brothers, Carroll Kiefer of Eminence and Chester Kiefer of Texas; a sister, Doris Cole; 17 grandchildren; and seven great-grandchildren. The funeral will be 11 a.m. Saturday at Mother of Good Counsel Catholic Church, 8509 Westport Road, with burial in St. Michael Cemetery. Visitation will be at Ratterman's, 3711 Lexington Road, from 3-5 and 7-9 p.m. today and at the church from 3:30-8:30 p.m. tomorrow. The family asks that contributions be made to the church.
Family Members
Sponsored by Ancestry
Advertisement
Records on Ancestry
Advertisement
