NYPD History Timeline

• 1609 Rattle Watch
• 1625 Schout - fiscal (sheriff - attorney)
• 1786 Watch Captain and twentry-eight (28) Constables
• 1801 High Constable Jacob Hays
  
• 1845 Chief or Superintendent of Police appointed
• 1857 Creation of Metropolitan Force
• 1870 New York City Police Department reestablished
• 1882 Creation of the Detective Bureau
• 1898 Consolidation of "Greater New York"
• 1903 Adoption of Fingerprint System
• 1911 First African American Police Officer
• 1925 Police Academy is created
• 1947 NYPD Aviation Unit flew its first helicopter
• 1973 The title of Policewomen was replaced by Police Officer

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