- Berkeley Police Department
Infobox Police Department
name = Berkeley Police Department
motto =
established = 1909
jurisdiction = Municipal
sworn = 194
non-sworn = 110
stations = 1
helicopters =
policeboats =
chief = Douglas N. Hambleton
commissioner =The Berkeley Police Department (BPD) is the municipal
police department for the city of Berkeley,California , USA.History
Shortly after Berkeley was incorporated in 1878, a town
marshal andconstable s were elected to provide law enforcement. In 1909, the town marshal was appointed to be the first chief of police.August Vollmer had been the town marshal since 1905, and when he became the first chief, he provided the department with a strong ethical code [ [http://www.ci.berkeley.ca.us/police/history/history.html History ] ] . He remained chief until he retired in 1932, although he left from 1923 to 1924 when briefly appointed the chief of theLos Angeles Police Department . The following is a list of important events in the department's history, as provided on the department's website:
*1906 — Installed a basic records system, which was one of the first in the United States.
*1906 — Installed the first Modus Operandi (MO) System
*1907 — First use of scientific investigation method in the "Kelinschmidt case" (analysis of blood, fibers and soil)
*1907 — Department's police school was established. It included instruction from professors on such subjects as the law and evidence procedures. This was the first school of its kind in the world and had a far reaching effect on law enforcement.
*1911 — Organized the first Police Motorcycle Patrol
*1913 — Changed to automobiles for patrolling
*1916 — Chief Vollmer established the first School ofCriminology atUniversity of California, Berkeley and was a strong advocate of college educated police officers.
*1918 — Began using intelligence tests in recruiting police officers
*1920 — First lie detector instrument was developed atUniversity of California, Berkeley and used by BPD
*1921 — Began using a psychiatric screening in recruitment
*1923 — First Junior Traffic Police Program was established
*1924 — Established one of the first single fingerprint systems
*1925 — Established the department's first Crime Prevention Division and hired the department's first female police officerExternal links
* [http://www.ci.berkeley.ca.us/police/ Berkeley Police Department Official Website]
References
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