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Cop or Copper. How did it start?

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Isabel2003_max50

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Posted 6 months ago

 

 


Several different stories have evolved over the slang term, Cop or Copper.  I want to start a survey on PoliceLink to get everyone's opinion on how they think it all started. The following are a few suggested roots of the word(s).



  1. Cop - In early America and in Great Britain, under common law a local constable, appointed by a magistrate or judge, would walk a beat (see previous postings for the root of the word beat).  This was later abbreviated to be Constable On Patrol.

  2. Copper – the first English speaking police force, Peelers, in Great Britian, had very large copper helmets

  3. Cop – a variation of the Latin word capere when means to grab or frisk.  The word was shortened to cap, then finally cop, such as ‘cop an attitude’. Was used by the british citizens because the police were always copping a felon.

  4. Copper – the color of the shields/bages worn by early NYPD officers.

  5. Copper- the color of the early police or sheriff cars in the western states.


 Does anyone else know of any beginings of the word?


 

Usmc_max50

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Rate This | Posted 6 months ago

 

I have only heard of the ones you have listed here.  I have not heard of any others.


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1978-81_photos_max600_max50

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Rate This | Posted 6 months ago

 

Cop came from the mid 1800´s in the New York City Police Department, which at the time was the Metropolitan Police Force, officers badges were made of copper and would turn dark color in time, the criminals would yell out ¨Here comes the coppers¨  or Hey Copper¨ hence the name cut short to cops or cop!


Remember in the late 20´s the FBI were called G-Men.......


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Sgt

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Rate This | Posted 6 months ago

 

While commonly believed to be an acronym for Constable On Patrol, the term refers to "one who captures or snatches". This word first appeared in the early 18th century, and can be matched with the word "cap", which has the same meaning and whose etymology can be traced to the Latin word 'capere'. (The word retains this meaning in other contexts: teenagers "cop a feel" on a date, and they have also been known to "cop an attitude".) Variation: Copper. It is also believed that the term Copper was the original, unshortened word, popularly believed to represent the copper badges American officers used to wear at the time of origin, but in fact probably used in Britain to mean "someone who cops" long before this.

Presidentmonkey_max50

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Rate This | Posted 6 months ago

 

or it could possibly be this version.................................


Around the year 1700, the slang verb cop entered English usage, meaning "to get ahold of, catch, capture." By 1844, cop showed up in print, and soon thereafter the -er suffix was added, and a policeman became a copper, one who cops or catches and arrests criminals. Copper first appeared in print in 1846, the use of cop as a short form copper occured in 1859.


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Retleo (MODERATOR #8)

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Rate This | Posted 6 months ago

 

RussLesco says ...



 


Several different stories have evolved over the slang term, Cop or Copper.  I want to start a survey on PoliceLink to get everyone's opinion on how they think it all started. The following are a few suggested roots of the word(s).



  1. Cop - In early America and in Great Britain, under common law a local constable, appointed by a magistrate or judge, would walk a beat (see previous postings for the root of the word beat).  This was later abbreviated to be Constable On Patrol.

  2. Copper – the first English speaking police force, Peelers, in Great Britian, had very large copper helmets

  3. Cop – a variation of the Latin word capere when means to grab or frisk.  The word was shortened to cap, then finally cop, such as ‘cop an attitude’. Was used by the british citizens because the police were always copping a felon.

  4. Copper – the color of the shields/bages worn by early NYPD officers.

  5. Copper- the color of the early police or sheriff cars in the western states.


 Does anyone else know of any beginings of the word?


Agreed.


I do remember, though, that once upon a time, English Common Law was enforced by civilian volunteers, and were hence called Citizens On Patrol, then there were Constables appointed to work the different burroughs and neighborhoods (whatever they are called in England!).


Either way the letters are still the same and form the same acronym! 


In AZ and Oklahoma the old Sheriff's units were copper colored. AZ is known as the Copper state, so it fits here.



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1978-81_photos_max600_max50

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Rate This | Posted 6 months ago

 

I did a little home work tonight!


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The idea that it is an acronym is more than likely wrong, as is the notion that it relates to the NYC police badge (made of copper) or the copper buttons of British police in the 1800s.



The truth is, all the evidence points to it being derived from the English colloquial verb to cop, which has as one of its meanings to catch, or get.



This first appeared in the English language in the early 1700s and the word copper as a noun (as in one who cops a thief) is known to have been in common usage in England well prior to the first recorded use of cop used as a noun in literature in the 1800s.



It is most likely that the term crossed the Atlantic with Irish immigrants, who made up the bulk of the NY police in the late mid-to-late 1800s and who doubtless had much experience of British coppers. The obvious clue here is in the fact that the term is still widely used in the form of copper in the United Kingdom, and other former British colonies such as Australia and New Zealand - which are a long way from NYC and would have had far more direct links to London that the east coast of the then infant United States.



Although the Citizen on Patrol or Constable on Patrol theory sounds good, it does seem spurious - if for no other reason than acronyms hadn't really entered common usage in that period. They seem to be more a thing of the 20th century.


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Isabel2003_max50

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Rate This | Posted 6 months ago

 

I recieved the following reply from <!-- USER AVATAR -->RxR_Special_Agent:


Unfortunately I do not know where (if at all) this is documented, but I've always heard that "Cop" is a short way of saying, "Constable on patrol."  Even up through the 1960's here in Northern California, many of the smaller communities had Justice Courts with an elected Constable and their deputies that served as the Court Officer.  In California, Constables had full Peace Officer Powers and since it was an elected position in small tight-knit communities, it was very important for the elected Constable to be politically-savy.  As such, many Constables took to "Patrol" for general crime fighting and law enforcement.  This was perfectly legal and acceptable although it was not their primary duty.  In many small communities, even up until the 1960's when the Sheriff was often rarely seen or roads were not condusive to the Sheriff regularly traveling to the small communities from the county seat, the local Constable from the community was seen as the primary law officer for day to day patrol type matters and emergencies.  As such, when people would see the Constable on patrol rather than attending the few court matters that occassionally came up, they would comment that "Constable's on Patrol."

Siren_and_tape_max50

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Rate This | Posted 6 months ago

 

In the early days of policing in America - the police wore copper buttons on their uniforms. So everyone called them "coppers"

Me2_max50

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Rate This | Posted 5 months ago

 

The slang term "Copper" originates in England.  The police officers there used to wear large copper badges.  This is the actual origin of the term.

Mp_442_max50

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Rate This | Posted 5 months ago

 

I teach as an on call police intructor in our academy and I use this definition for cop often to recruits:


Our duty and responsibility is to protect and serve the public with courtesy, professionalism and respect. That is why we are called cops: Champions Of the People.

1978-81_photos_max600_max50

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Rate This | Posted 5 months ago

 

NYCCenturian says ...



I teach as an on call police intructor in our academy and I use this definition for cop often to recruits:


Our duty and responsibility is to protect and serve the public with courtesy, professionalism and respect. That is why we are called cops: Champions Of the People.


I´m almost 52 I´ve never read a post like this, fantastalistic brother!!



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Pug_max600_max50

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Rate This | Posted 5 months ago

 

Copper badges could be made in larger sizes by the large copper English TUPENCE (2 Pence), Trepence (3 pence) of the 1800's. A ready blank of soft copper could be used to hammer a steel die. The blanks could be made bigger by placing them in a stack of two on rails and allowing trains to forge them into one larger piece. Copper was used for badges because it was soft, inexpensive, and easy to form. The badges would tarnish easily and turn dark, almost black from oxidation if they were not polished. Some claim that this lack of care lead to the negative term "dirty copper" as someone who did not follow the rules.

1978-81_photos_max600_max50

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Rated +1 | Posted 5 months ago

 

Did we all learn a lot with this thread, crap I did, were all correct why because were all in the same family God bless us and stay safe always !!!!!!


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