August Vollmer

August Vollmer
August Vollmer, 1929
Born(1876-03-07)March 7, 1876
DiedNovember 4, 1955(1955-11-04) (aged 79)
Police career
CountryUnited States
DepartmentBerkeley Police Department
RankChief of Police 1909–1923
Police career
CountryUnited States
DepartmentLos Angeles Police Department
RankChief of Police 1923–1924

August Vollmer (March 7, 1876 – November 4, 1955) was the first police chief of Berkeley, California, and a leading figure in the development of the field of criminal justice in the United States in the early 20th century. He has been described as "the father of modern policing". Vollmer played an influential role in introducing early 20th-century police reforms, which increasingly militarized police departments in the United States. A veteran of the Spanish–American War in the Philippines and the Philippine–American War, Vollmer introduced reforms that reflected his experiences in the U.S. military.