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.