Berkeley Police Department
Encyclopedia
The Berkeley Police Department (BPD) is the municipal police department for the city of Berkeley
, California
, USA
.
and constable
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. He remained chief until he retired in 1932, although he left from 1923 to 1924 when briefly appointed the chief of the Los Angeles Police Department
.
The department has largely ignored or has been unable to control dozens of men cruising for sex
in Aquatic Park
for decades.
2011- On November 9, 2011..Berkeley Police turned violent on innocent students during a protest at the university. The police were shamed to no end, when, the next day, the entire world awoke to the viral youtube video of the attack. The video showed police violently jabbing at students with their batons. The students were protected by the first amendment to the constitution of the United States of America which states we the people may assemble peacefully in public space to express grievances with the government. The students were participating in the Occupy movement that started on Wall Street and is against economic injustices in the United States.
YOUTUBE: Occupy Cal 11/9/11 part 1
Berkeley, California
Berkeley is a city on the east shore of the San Francisco Bay in Northern California, United States. Its neighbors to the south are the cities of Oakland and Emeryville. To the north is the city of Albany and the unincorporated community of Kensington...
, California
California
California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
, USA
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
.
History
Shortly after Berkeley was incorporated in 1878, a town marshalMarshal
Marshal , is a word used in several official titles of various branches of society. The word is an ancient loan word from Old French, cf...
and constable
Constable
A constable is a person holding a particular office, most commonly in law enforcement. The office of constable can vary significantly in different jurisdictions.-Etymology:...
s were elected to provide law enforcement. In 1909, the town marshal was appointed to be the first chief of police. August Vollmer
August Vollmer
August "Gus" Vollmer was a leading figure in the development of the field of criminal justice in the United States in the early 20th century. He was also the first police chief of Berkeley, California.-Youth:...
had been the town marshal since 1905, and when he became the first chief, he provided the department with a strong ethical code. He remained chief until he retired in 1932, although he left from 1923 to 1924 when briefly appointed the chief of the Los Angeles Police Department
Los Angeles Police Department
The Los Angeles Police Department is the police department of the city of Los Angeles, California. With just under 10,000 officers and more than 3,000 civilian staff, covering an area of with a population of more than 4.1 million people, it is the third largest local law enforcement agency in...
.
The department has largely ignored or has been unable to control dozens of men cruising for sex
Cruising for sex
Cruising for sex, or cruising is the act of walking or driving about a locality in search of a sex partner, usually of the anonymous, casual, one-time variety...
in Aquatic Park
Aquatic Park (Berkeley)
Aquatic Park is a public park in Berkeley, California, United States, located just east of the Eastshore Freeway between Ashby and University Avenues. The park was created in the 1930s by the Works Progress Administration, simultaneous with its work on the nearby Berkeley Yacht Harbor...
for decades.
Timeline
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 methodScientific methodScientific method refers to a body of techniques for investigating phenomena, acquiring new knowledge, or correcting and integrating previous knowledge. To be termed scientific, a method of inquiry must be based on gathering empirical and measurable evidence subject to specific principles of...
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 of CriminologyCriminologyCriminology is the scientific study of the nature, extent, causes, and control of criminal behavior in both the individual and in society...
at University of California, BerkeleyUniversity of California, BerkeleyThe University of California, Berkeley , is a teaching and research university established in 1868 and located in Berkeley, California, USA...
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 at University of California, BerkeleyUniversity of California, BerkeleyThe University of California, Berkeley , is a teaching and research university established in 1868 and located in Berkeley, California, USA...
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 officer
External links
2011- On November 9, 2011..Berkeley Police turned violent on innocent students during a protest at the university. The police were shamed to no end, when, the next day, the entire world awoke to the viral youtube video of the attack. The video showed police violently jabbing at students with their batons. The students were protected by the first amendment to the constitution of the United States of America which states we the people may assemble peacefully in public space to express grievances with the government. The students were participating in the Occupy movement that started on Wall Street and is against economic injustices in the United States.
YOUTUBE: Occupy Cal 11/9/11 part 1