The Boston Police Foundation was formed in 1993 to provide private financial support for critically needed resources to the Boston Police Department, the oldest police department in the country. Our supporters help fund special equipment, advanced training, new technology, officer safety and wellness, and youth outreach programs not covered in its annual budget.
History Of The Boston Police
In 1631, the Town of Boston organized a Night Watch to guard the town and keep it safe. The watch was the first of its kind, laying the foundation for what would become the City’s first Police Force! The Boston Police Department was formally organized in 1854, but the department can trace its earliest origins to the establishment of a night watch which consisted of six men and an officer in 1631! At a town meeting in 1701, watchmen were instructed to be “on duty from ten o’clock till broad daylight. . . . They are to go about silently with watch bills, not using any bell, and no watchman to smoke tobacco while walking their rounds; and when they see occasion, to call to persons to take care of their light.” Today, the duties of the Boston police officer are supported by advanced forensic technologies and modern equipment. Officers walk neighborhood beats, control local crime, and are ready at a moment’s notice to respond to acts of terrorism.
The Town of Boston has grown a bit since then, but the brave men and women of the Boston Police Department continue to watch over its people, and the BPF will strive to continually support those brave individuals.
How The Boston Police Foundation Supports Local Precincts
The Boston Police Foundation works closely with the Boston Police Department & Other Local Precincts to help provide them with the necessary tools, materials, and recognition for individuals who go above and beyond for their community. To this date, The Boston Police Foundation has donated over $1,400,000.00 to help support officer wellness & safety, community policing, new technology, and the necessary equipment to keep the streets of Boston safe!
Back-Up Boston’s Finest
The Boston Police and the Boston Police Foundation work closely to ensure that every officer has the support they need to continue in the line of duty. Whether it be standard equipment that an officer may need at a moment’s notice, to funding for outreach programs, fitness initiatives, and suicide prevention.
For more information on where donations go, and how every little bit helps, please visit our Programs Page!
Learn more about how the BPF uses its donations to help support the Boston Police and local precincts: Learn More!
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