A Glimpse To The Past
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From 1701 to 1860, Detroit lacked an official police department. So it was the duty of the county sheriff to enforce the laws and army commanders formed militia to protect the public. The Detroit Police Department was officially formed on May 16 1861, but with the civil war in full stride, the first uniformed officers didn't take to the streets until 1865. Officers during this time were without weapons and relied on personal firearms.
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Innovations
Detroit was ahead of the times. In 1928 Detroit outfitted its police cruisers with the first one way communication radio, solely designed for vehicles. Police officers in their cars could now communicate with the station house.
Making Strides
In 1893, L.T Toliver, was the first African American to be allowed to serve in the police department. Within the same year, Morgan Collins was the first female officer in the department. Back in those days, these were huge advances in the United States, Detroit was ahead of the times.