Running head: Biography of Allan
Biography of Allan Pinkerton
Valaree Gough
University of Phoenix
CJS250 Introduction of Security
Richard Nuckles
April 27, 2011
In 1858, Pinkerton formed the Pinkerton Protective Patrol, a small group of uniformed night watchmen, and contracted with various businesses to offer night protection. In its first year of operation, 751 documented instances of doors either open or not secured and 454 cases of improper employees conduct were discovered by Pinkerton spies (men on the inside). Interestingly, the next mayor of Chicago used Pinkerton patrols to supplement existing public police efforts.
In spite of efforts to address the rising crime rates of that time, infighting between the private police and the public police was becoming more evident. The public police were largely seen as inadequate, and it became clear to Allan Pinkerton and others that providing additional security services, services the public police could not supply, could be a lucrative enterprise.
On February 1, 1855, Pinkerton was asked by six Midwestern railroad company representatives to establish a railroad police agency known as the North West police Agency. Pinkerton was 35 and deputy to the Cook County, Chicago sheriff. In addition to his work with the railroad police, Pinkerton was under contract with the federal government to investigate counterfeiting and protect the Post Office from robbery, and he was called on repeatedly for specific detective tasks. Much of Pinkerton’s work as a detective involved covert activities to ensure that Post Office and railway industry employees remained honest. Pinkerton was given $10,000 to establish the railroad police.
In 1873, Pinkerton’s agency was sued for $10,000 for allegedly intimidating the wife of an alleged mail robber without proper legal authority. Organized labor was infuriated when a Pinkerton detective infiltrated the Molly Maguires, a group of miners Pinkerton believed was “murdering...