This is detective week here at Ron’s Amazing Stories and I thought it might be fun to look at some facts about the profession. A lot of people think of the detective as being a lost art. After taking this quiz I think you will have changed your mind. So grab a coffee, or your favorite drink and get ready to play, True or False.

Q1 – Let’s start Detective Week with the truth.

A detective is an investigator, usually a member of a law enforcement agency. Some are private persons, and may be known as private investigators.

Q2 – The Term, “Private Eye” refers to a Pinkerton detective?

True – Allan Pinkerton, in 1850, was the first detective of the Chicago Police Department and in 1851 was the founder of, the Pinkerton Detective Agency. He created the motto, “The Eye That Never Sleeps”, that was shortened to simply “private eyes”.

Q3 – While the Pinkertons were pretty early they were not the first private investigators.

True – Before the 1800s, there were few municipal police departments. The first private agency was founded by Eugène Vidocq in Paris in the early 1800s. Police detective activities were pioneered in England by the Bow Street Runners, and the first police detective unit in the United States was formed in 1846 in Boston.

Q4 – The origin of the word Detective is found the latin Dict?

False – Nope! When Edgar Allen Poe wrote the story, The Murders in The Rue Morgue, in 1841 the word detective did not even exist! So a latin origin is highly unlikely. For the record Dict means, to speak.

Q5 – There are currently 182,000 police detectives in the united states?

False – There are approximately 883,600 people employed as a Police and Detectives. Yeah I was surprised by that number too!

Well there you have it. A few facts about the detective. I have said it before and I will say again. I love a good mystery and when it is coupled with a hard boiled detective – color me content. Thanks for reading!

-Ron

This Week’s Podcast:

This is detective week on the podcast and we have two stories. Ever wonder how real cops work? Find out on Cops and Robbers. Also, we have a story from Nick Carter Private Detective. You can listen to this podcast this Thursday at Ron’s Amazing Stories, download it from iTunes, stream it on TuneIn Radio or listen on your radio Saturday night at 6pm Eastern time. Check your local listing or find the station closest to you at this link.