Mayor Richard H. Sylvester, Washington, DC Chief of Police
Description
Richard Sylvester implemented many police procedures that we still use today. He was the one to coin the ‘third degree’ phrase we commonly use today, as he divided police procedures as the arrest as the first degree, transportation to jail as the second degree and interrogation as the third degree. In 1914, he established the Du Point division to protect the plants that were manufacturing materials for World War I. During an inspection into a fire at one of these plants, he discovered a plot in which criminals planned to destroy buildings by replacing the inside fire extinguishers with gasoline. He swiftly turned the plot over and caught the masterminds. In addition, he came up with the idea to have employees paid by check instead of cash as to reduce payroll robberies, and developed the law that stated concealing or transporting stolen goods used in interstate commerce a crime punishable by a fine of $5,000 or up to two years in prison.
Creator
Bain News Service
Date
between ca. 1910 and ca. 1915
Source
https://cdn.loc.gov/service/pnp/ggbain/12900/12922r.jpg
Rights
A black and white photograph of Richard H. Sylvester, the Chief of Police for Washington, District of Colombia.
Source: Richard H. Sylvester. (2012, May 12). In Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia. Retrieved 17:52, October 5, 2012, from http://bit.ly/QPv2E1
Source: Richard H. Sylvester. (2012, May 12). In Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia. Retrieved 17:52, October 5, 2012, from http://bit.ly/QPv2E1
Publisher
Library of Congress
Contributor
Bain News Service
Format
Medium: Photograph.
Language
English
Type
Figures
Identifier
Law Enforcement, Police, Richard Sylvester, Third Degree, Washington D.C.
Coverage
Washington D.C.
Files
Collection
Reference
Bain News Service, Mayor Richard H. Sylvester, Washington, DC Chief of Police, Library of Congress, between ca. 1910 and ca. 1915
Cite As
Bain News Service, “Mayor Richard H. Sylvester, Washington, DC Chief of Police,” Virtual Museum of Public Service, accessed February 19, 2025, https://vmps.omeka.net/items/show/184.