chiefsofpolicewashingtondc

Maj. R.H. Sylvester (LOC)

from The Library of Congress

• Pixel Wrangler said:

  This is likely Major Richard Sylvester (1859-1930), Chief of Police of Washington, DC. "Sylvester was harshly criticized by leaders in the woman's suffrage movement, and others, for the failure of the police to protect participants in the March, 1913, Washington woman's suffrage parade from the crowds on Pennsylvania Avenue." –New York Times Sylvester was the first president of the International Association of Chiefs of Police (IACP), and "was widely regarded as the father of police professionalism. He advocated a citizen-soldier model, and was responsible for development of the many paramilitary aspects of policing." He coined the phrase "the third degree" in the context of interrogation.

• Richard Norton said:

  I started a Wikipedia entry: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Richard_Sylvester

• Anne (LOC P&P) said:

  Pixel Wrangler: Thanks for the additional information about Sylvester. We'll add his full name and occupation to the description next time we update.