William Obanhein

Biography

William Obanhein was a Massachusetts police officer who served as chief of police for 34 years, from 1951 to 1985. He gained notoriety after being featured in Arlo Guthrie's song "Alice's Restaurant" and later appeared in the film adaptation of the same name directed by Arthur Penn. Obanhein sought to use the media attention to deter large-scale littering incidents in his town.