Biography of Allan Pinkerton
BiogrDue to the inadequacy of the public police during the mid 1800’s men saw this as an opportunity to get rich quick by providing services that the public police did not. For example a man named Alan Pinkerton was asked to establish a railroad police agency whose primary duty was to look into the protection of the railroad, which the public police did not do. On top of this Alan Pinkerton was well known as the federal government at that time enlisted him to investigate counterfeiting and protect the Post Officer from robbery. His covert abilities made him a valuable detective, being called on countless tasks that involved the Post Officer and railway employees.
During the mid 1800’s, a few years after the railroad company’s contacted Pinkerton to establish a railroad police agency the Pinkerton Protective Patrol was formed. On top of working to protect the railway they were contacted by numerous businesses to offer protection at night. Needless to say it was very effective, in the first year alone Pinkerton’s patrol documented well over 700 cases of doors being improperly secured or open. Pinkerton’s patrol was so effective that shortly after their establishment they were used by the Mayor to supplement the existing public police efforts. Being as they were a private security branch Pinkerton’s patrol considered themselves above the law in some circumstances, for instance when it came to “getting their man”. Their tactics often violated the civil liberties of people, using various forms of illicit activities such as entrapment and other forms of deceptive tactics. After a while it caught up with them, in 1873 Pinkerton’s Agency was sued for $10,000. The accusation was that they intimidated the wife of an alleged mail robber without proper legal authority. This was the first of many situations in which they were sued for violating people’s civil liberties.
Alan Pinkerton was highly respected among other private security industries. His actions during his
During the mid 1800’s, a few years after the railroad company’s contacted Pinkerton to establish a railroad police agency the Pinkerton Protective Patrol was formed. On top of working to protect the railway they were contacted by numerous businesses to offer protection at night. Needless to say it was very effective, in the first year alone Pinkerton’s patrol documented well over 700 cases of doors being improperly secured or open. Pinkerton’s patrol was so effective that shortly after their establishment they were used by the Mayor to supplement the existing public police efforts. Being as they were a private security branch Pinkerton’s patrol considered themselves above the law in some circumstances, for instance when it came to “getting their man”. Their tactics often violated the civil liberties of people, using various forms of illicit activities such as entrapment and other forms of deceptive tactics. After a while it caught up with them, in 1873 Pinkerton’s Agency was sued for $10,000. The accusation was that they intimidated the wife of an alleged mail robber without proper legal authority. This was the first of many situations in which they were sued for violating people’s civil liberties.
Alan Pinkerton was highly respected among other private security industries. His actions during his