Police History

For those whose occupation is in law enforcement, learning about your history can become a passion. We are all proud of our history along with the traditions we inherit when we become part of the police community. Unfortunately, for most of us, our history is very limited and often neglected by historians. Unless the history being told is negative or of the same old stories such as the O.K.Corral, new material is hard to find.

This site is dedicated to bringing forth new original research material with the hope to inspire others to research and write about the neglected and overlooked history of law enforcement. History for law enforcement seems to stop, for the most part, at Tombstone and Dodge city. Los Angeles, for example has a rich history of law enforcement starting with the Spanish occupation, then Mexico and finally American rule. Each provides a unique perspective on managing people of different cultures, language and customs. Perspectives we can learn and use to better our moderrn law enforcement endeavors.

Over the last twenty years, the Los Angeles City Archivists have provided me unlimited access to source material related to the development of the Los Angeles Police Department. I have scanned and will post original documents that have never before been published or seen. Those wanting access to original source material, will be able to view them on this site.

We are only as good as the available material on hand and as you read the articles I post and review actual source documents, keep an open mind, as the history you may have learned is a little off track. We will no doubt, rewrite our history as it pertains to law enforcement and challenge some of our traditions such as the start date of the police department.