NCJ Number
154909
Date Published
1995
Length
280 pages
Annotation
This history of policing in America honors the thousands of officers who have sacrificed their lives in the line of duty since 1794 and the more than 600,000 men and women who continue to serve the Nation through law enforcement.
Abstract
The history of law enforcement is detailed through such individuals as Robert Forsyth, the first officer killed in the line of duty; August Vollmer, the father of modern policing; and Alice Stebbins Wells, the first woman in America granted arrest powers. Historic photos and text focus on such law enforcement legends as Wyatt Earp, "Doc" Holliday, Bat Masterson, Sheriff Pat Garrett, Eliot Ness, J. Edgar Hoover, and Buford Pusser. Also included are the stories of criminals who battled the law enforcement legends, including Billy the Kid, Machine Gun Kelly, John Dillinger, Bonnie and Clyde, and Al Capone. The development of city, county, and State law enforcement departments are chronicled, in addition to the development of U.S. Marshals, the Secret Service, FBI, ATF, and DEA. The history of the development of the National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial is presented in text and photos. Accounts of officers who have died in the line of duty are written by survivors who have experienced the grief and anger of losing a father, mother, brother, sister, child, or spouse. Annotated listings of more than 13,500 fallen law enforcement officers are listed.