An interesting start would be to do some research on Sir Robert Peel........he started the first police department I believe in Philadelphia..........seems (if memory serves correct from a policing class I took 4 years ago) was more of an appointment type of thing.........alot of places had night watchmen which was the early version of police officer and another title would be constable..........just a couple names that are predecessors to the police we have today........... Barbara Lynch ----- Original Message ----- From: "larzemail" <larzemail@yahoo.com> To: "Philly-roots" <PHILLY-ROOTS@rootsweb.com>; "PhillyPA" <paphilad@rootsweb.com> Sent: Wednesday, April 25, 2007 4:22 PM Subject: [Phly-Rts] Police > I've begun wondering how one became a police officer in the mid-1800s to > late 1800s. One person I've researched was a police officer appointed by > the city due to his military history (per the newspaper); he was a > shoemaker until that time. Another person of interest is a police officer > in Philly, but he shows up as such in only one directory; I suspect he > either was living in another city or emigrated right about that. That led > me to wonder what the qualifications might be, if it was always a > political appointment or a vocation choice, if there was training, if a > person might be a police officer while working another job. > > Where can I learn more, and if you know anything of Philly police in that > time frame, I'm interested--it helps to sort out who's who when the > occupation is better understood. Thanks! > > > --------------------------------- > Ahhh...imagining that irresistible "new car" smell? > Check outnew cars at Yahoo! Autos. > > > ********* > Visit the threaded archives of this list: > http://archiver.rootsweb.com/th/index/PHILLY-ROOTS > ********* > > ------------------------------- > To unsubscribe from the list, please send an email to > PHILLY-ROOTS-request@rootsweb.com with the word 'unsubscribe' without the > quotes in the subject and the body of the message

Here is some history from the Phila police department. http://www.ppdonline.org/hq_history.php The modern force was started in 1850, Sir Robert Peel died that year in England (b 1788). I don't see that he came to the U.S. - he was a British Prime Minister, 1834-5 then 1841-6, and member of parliament who is considered the father of modern policing. They may have used his principles in forming the Phila force. LIane ----- Original Message ----- From: "Barbara Lynch" <onecrazychick@comcast.net> To: <larzemail@yahoo.com>; <philly-roots@rootsweb.com> Sent: Wednesday, April 25, 2007 4:28 PM Subject: Re: [Phly-Rts] Police > An interesting start would be to do some research on Sir Robert > Peel........he started the first police department I believe in > Philadelphia..........