History's most celebrated crime fighters
Kate Warne (1833–1868) -
Chicago-born Kate Warne was the only female agent Allan Pinkerton ever hired, and as such became the first woman detective in the United States.
Sir Robert Peel (1788–1850) -
British statesman Sir Robert Peel twice served as prime minister before founding the Metropolitan Police Service.
August Vollmer (1876–1955) -
Berkeley, California police chief August Vollmer was an early 20th-century pioneer in the science of forensic investigations.
Eliot Ness (1903–1957) -
The name Eliot Ness is synonymous with The Untouchables, the team of law enforcement agents he led in Chicago throughout the Prohibition era.
Lola Baldwin (1860–1957) -
Lolo Baldwin holds a special place in American law enforcement history as one of the first women to become a police officer in the United States.
Elizabeth Fry (1780–1845) -
Born in Norwich, England, Elizabeth Fry is applauded for her efforts as a social reformer, and especially her fight for prison reform.
William J. Flynn (1867–1928) -
A contemporary of William J. Burns, William J. Flynn was the director of the Bureau of Investigation, from 1919 to 1921.
Edith Smith (1876–1923) -
Edith Smith was a volunteer with the Women's Police Service when she was appointed as the first female police constable in England with full power of arrest.
Samuel J. Battle (1883–1966) -
Samuel J. Battle was the first person of color to become a New York City police officer. He joined the force in 1911.
Ignatius Pollaky (1828–1918) -
Born in Hungary, Ignatius Pollaky became one of Victorian England's first and best-known private investigators.
William E. Fairbairn (1885–1960) -
William Fairbairn was a British Royal Marine and police officer stationed in Shanghai in the early 20th century.
Jack Slipper (1924–2005) -
Detective Inspector Jack Slipper of the Metropolitan Police was affectionately known as "Slipper of the Yard" (referring to Scotland Yard).
Kiran Bedi -
A former national tennis champion, Kiran Bedi holds the distinction of becoming the first woman in India to join the officer ranks of the Indian Police Service (IPS), in 1972.