Front:
FRIE B
DE
Milfcely
REAL-LIFE AMERICAN HEROES
YORK
JUN 72
2002
10199
FIRST-CLASS
HEROES
2001
FIRST DAY OF ISSUE
TOTE
Back:
Heetwood
POLICE OFFICER
Policing has existed in myriad forms for several millennia, from the
citywide army patrols organized by emporor Augustus in 1st-century
Rome to the elaborate hierarchy of peacekeeping samurai warriors
instituted by the shogun of 17th-century feudal Japan. Until the 19th
century, police forces were usually quasi-military organizations which
evolved either from the personal guards of kings and warlords or from
localized groups which placed the responsibility for policing on the
entire community. In 1905, the state of Pennsylvania established the
first moden state police department in the United States, followed
during the next decade by New York, Michigan, Colorado, West
Virginia and Massachusetts. These state police forces disciplined,
efficient and structured along rigid lines of command - became
the model for modern police forces. Today, police in America and
other countries are sophisticated organizations of well-trained and
highly-skilled professionals who maintain public order and safety by
enforcing law, investigating crime and providing a host of emergency
and other public services whenever and wherever they are needed.
In the devastating chaos of the September 11 terrorist attacks on
the World Trade Center, countless lives were saved by the quick
thinking and courageous actions of hundreds of extremely brave
police officers. Even amidst one of the greatest catastrophes in
American history, many small miracles were made possible by the
extraordinary heroics of the men and women of the Port Authority
Police Department (PAPD) and the New York City Police Department
(NYPD). Tragically, 60 police officers - 37 members of the PAPD and
23 members of the NYPD - died in their unwavering efforts to rescue
their fellow citizens on that terrible day, defining true heroism with
their incredible bravery and utter selflessness.
