The Boston police department is the oldest in our country and has changed a lot over the years. In this post i will talk about the origin of the department through a few events that will lead us to the year 1919. 
According to the Boston Police Department website the first form of police was established in 1631. This was a group of men known as the watch. The men would walk around Boston at night keeping people safe from different threats. The watch was under the control of the town meeting by 1636. Watchmen would carry a “Bill and Hook” which was a 6ft tool with a hook on one side and a club like part on the other. The hook was used to grab fleeing criminals and the club side was used for protection. In the early 1800’s the city approved a police force of six men run by a “city Marshal” but this did not mean that the watch was gone. The watch continued to run at night until 1854 when the Boston Police Department was officially Established. This was the first department in the nation. Since the city had grown since the first watch was created there were 250 officers on the first police force. The men were payed 2 dollars for every shift done and worked there own “beat” or route in which they walked daily patrolling the city. The Department did not have their first death until 3 years after their establishment. 
According to “Michael Mcphee” of the boston herald the first Boston police officer to die in the line of duty was Ezekiel W. Hodsdon. He was on his normal beat keeping an extra look out for burglars who were robbing people in his east Boston area. The man who killed him was named William McNulty, a local tough guy known to have a gun. Being 1857 police did not carry firearms. All Ezekiel had to defend himself was a 14 inch club and that isn’t going to do much against a gun at point blank range. Guns at the time were not very accurate but any gun shot at a close enough range can’t really miss. According to “Find a Grave” Hodsdon was arresting one man for the burglaries but was approached from behind by another,who was later identified as William McNulty, and was shot point blank in the back of the head and the two men fled. End Of Watch was recorded on October 7, 1857. Mcnulty was convicted for the murder but later pardoned by officials.
The Boston police department was the first ever police department in our nation. It was started to protect citizens from the dangers in this world. These men were respected and people like that they had someone to protect them. Like many departments we know that through the years they have had corruption but what job has not? Today we dishonor our police officers by thinking they are all bad. Use Ezekiel's death to prove that not all officers are bad. Most are out there to protect us and some give all they have to keep us safe. Ezekiel left behind a newborn child and wife to stop two bad men and he was killed for it.
Sources:
Police Department, B. (n.d.). History of the BPD. Retrieved April 14, 2016, from http://bpdnews.com/history/
Mcphee, M. (2013, August 13). A cop’s sacrifice is remembered...150 years later. Retrieved April 14, 2016, from http://www.bostonherald.com/news_opinion/local_coverage/2007/08/cop’s_sacrifice_remembered150_years_later
Find A Grave - Millions of Cemetery Records and Online Memorials. (n.d.). Retrieved April 14, 2016, from http://www.findagrave.com/cgi-bin/fg.cgi?page=gr 
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