August Vollmer was Berkeley's first police chief and is credited with pioneering many common aspects of policing used today. Listener Blake Schmidt wanted to know, is Berkeley responsible for the tactics and attitudes police are often criticized for?

Additional Reading:

•  How a Berkeley Police Chief Gave Rise to the Modern Force
• "The Imperial Origins of American Policing: Militarization and Imperial Feedback in the Early 20th Century" by Julian Go
• The Invention of the Police by Jill Lepore

Reported by Katrina Schwartz. Bay Curious is made by Olivia Allen-Price, Katrina Schwartz and Chris Hoff. Additional support from Erika Aguilar, Jessica Placzek, Kyana Moghadam, Paul Lancour, Suzie Racho, Carly Severn, Bianca Hernandez, Ethan Lindsey, Vinnee Tong and Don Clyde.