A company of the Police's City Guard made up of deputized state militiamen.
The City Guard, City Watch, Town Guard, or Town Watch were local militarized law enforcement and security militia companies formed to enforce municipal laws but are charged with protecting the city’s government buildings as well as provided escorts for officials. The City Guard also patrol the streets of surrounding cities with keeping the peace and apprehending criminals during civil disturbance. Usually subordinate to the local municipal government, many cities had their own guard formations which doubled as police and military forces in times of need to defend against outside threats from mob violence. After 1830, with the Indian removal policy of the federal government, many states disbanded their unorganized militias in favor of volunteer militia units who frequently called themselves city or town guards. These companies performed functions such as assisting local law enforcement, providing troops for ceremonies and parades or acting as a benevolent social club. The groups of company size were usually uniformed and armed themselves as well as erecting armories through their own contributions. Volunteer units of sufficient size could elect their own officers and apply for a state charter under names that they themselves chose. With the unification of laws and centralization of state power (such as the Municipal Police Act of 1844 in New York City), such formations became increasingly incorporated into state-run police forces. The Militia Act of 1903 remade city guard forces by stipulating all organized militia companies were to be incorporated into the Army National Guard.
Gallery[]
Equipment of the Town Watchmen[]
- Stave - a long wooden stick that served as their weapon of office used for riot control, the carrying of which often denotes an official's position, the latter became more a symbol of authority and discipline.
- Halberd - a long wooden polearm with a pointed/sharp weapon affixed was of use when watchmen would do a crowd control formation row of raised halberds to hold back against a large crowd of rioters as a defense for charging at them, and are often mainly used as ceremonial arms carried by personal bodyguards for important officials during parades and courtroom hearings.
- Helmet - the helmets worn by the "Town Watch" were made of a heavy leather and bore the word "Police", in large, white, metal letters, a star and the number of the district to which they belong too. These fire-style proto-riot helmets were to avoid injuries from clubbing and thrown projectile objects that can occur during rioting and became heavy and hardened, which led to the moniker of “Leatherhead” for the officer’s wearing them.
- Rattle - a wooden hand device that made a loud clattering sound when spun on its handle it is constructed of wood, usually oak, where one or two blades are held in a frame and a ratchet turned – generally by swinging – to make the blades 'snap' thus creating a very loud noise. When town watchmen began using them to "raise the alarm". They proved to be an ideal method to summon aid, sound the fire alarm, or, just generally get folks attention.