Tuesday, October 25, 2016

Trailblazers in Black History: Benjamin Ward

 
Benjamin Ward was the first African-American New York City Police Commissioner.

Ward entered the NYPD on June 1, 1951 as a patrolman, becoming the first Black officer assigned to Brooklyn's 80th Precinct, where he faced resentment from both white residents and white fellow cops. He wasn't assigned a locker at the precinct, forcing him to dress at home and ride the New York City Subway to work in his uniform for three years.

During the next 15 years in uniform, he rose through the ranks to lieutenant, serving in the Patrol Division, Juvenile Aide Division, Detective Division, and Legal Bureau. His rise was aided, in part, by his after-work studies at Brooklyn College and Brooklyn Law School (class of '65) that earned him undergraduate and law degrees—invariably with top honors.

He eventually served as special legal counsel to Howard R. Leary. Ward left the uniformed ranks to become executive director of NYPD's Civilian Complaint Review Board in 1966. 

Additional information is available here

Source: Wikipedia

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