Cjs 250 Week 1 Assignment
Assignment: Biography of Allan Pinkerton page 1
Assignment: Biography of Allan Pinkerton
CJS/250
Assignment: Biography of Allan Pinkerton page 2
Allan Pinkerton was born into a family whose forefathers were policemen. At an early age Allan had a need and desire for adventure because of being the son of a police sergeant. Allan Pinkerton’s sense adventure led him to an event that soon changed his life. By accident he stumbled upon a counterfeit ring in Chicago (Geringer,). In fact, Pinkerton’s first assignment was to identify the ring leader. After successfully identifying the leader of the counterfeit ring, Pinkerton was offered a position as an investigator with the Chicago police department in 1846, in which he accepted (Columbia Encyclopedia, 2008). Eventually Pinkerton found himself being asked to be the Chicago’s first detective. With the growth of his new family and the financial stress starting, Pinkerton made the decision to open his own investigative agency. In 1850 Allan Pinkerton officially opened his first detective agency, in the heart of Chicago, called, “The Pinkerton National Detective Agency” (Encyclopedia Britannica, 2009). Allan Pinkerton promised to: never accept bribes, compromise with criminals, and when necessary partner with local law enforcement agencies. He refused to take divorce cases or cases that caused scandals with his clients. He turned reward money down, never raised his fees without his client’s knowledge, and he briefed his clients on a regularly. These were his promises to the people in a time when it was often heard that police officers openly associated with criminals and shared in illegal profits. Soon Pinkerton became known as “the eye”. His logo for the agency was, “we never sleep” (Geringer,).
The Pinkerton Detective Agency
Assignment: Biography of Allan Pinkerton
CJS/250
Assignment: Biography of Allan Pinkerton page 2
Allan Pinkerton was born into a family whose forefathers were policemen. At an early age Allan had a need and desire for adventure because of being the son of a police sergeant. Allan Pinkerton’s sense adventure led him to an event that soon changed his life. By accident he stumbled upon a counterfeit ring in Chicago (Geringer,). In fact, Pinkerton’s first assignment was to identify the ring leader. After successfully identifying the leader of the counterfeit ring, Pinkerton was offered a position as an investigator with the Chicago police department in 1846, in which he accepted (Columbia Encyclopedia, 2008). Eventually Pinkerton found himself being asked to be the Chicago’s first detective. With the growth of his new family and the financial stress starting, Pinkerton made the decision to open his own investigative agency. In 1850 Allan Pinkerton officially opened his first detective agency, in the heart of Chicago, called, “The Pinkerton National Detective Agency” (Encyclopedia Britannica, 2009). Allan Pinkerton promised to: never accept bribes, compromise with criminals, and when necessary partner with local law enforcement agencies. He refused to take divorce cases or cases that caused scandals with his clients. He turned reward money down, never raised his fees without his client’s knowledge, and he briefed his clients on a regularly. These were his promises to the people in a time when it was often heard that police officers openly associated with criminals and shared in illegal profits. Soon Pinkerton became known as “the eye”. His logo for the agency was, “we never sleep” (Geringer,).
The Pinkerton Detective Agency
References: "Allan Pinkerton." The Columbia Encyclopedia, Sixth Edition. 2008. Retrieved January 7, 2012 from Encyclopedia.com: http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1E1-Pinkerto.html Pinkerton National Detective Agency. (2012). In Encyclopedia Britannica. Retrieved January 7, 2012, from Encyclopedia Britannica Online: http://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/461113/Pinkerton-National-Detective- Agency Geringer, Joseph(writer). Allan Pinkerton and His Detective Agency: We Never Sleep [television series episode]. In Crime Library Tru TV.