City guard, city watch, town guard or town watch was a law enforcement formation found in some countries and historical periods, usually subordinate to the local municipal government. Historically many cities had their own guard formations, which doubled as police and military force in times of need.
With the unification of laws and centralization of state power (e.g. the Municipal Police Act of 1844 in New York City, United States), such formations became increasingly incorporated into state-run police force (see metropolitan police and municipal police).
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Famous quotes containing the words city and/or guard:
“You’ve been trying to keep an honest accounting of city monies. You’ve been dealing with politicians. You’ve been standing up for your own rights, haven’t you? Naturally you landed in jail.”
—Dalton Trumbo (1905–1976)
“Then the bird
breaks with his beak the thread
of dream within him,
and the tree unrolls
the shadow that will guard it
throughout the day.”
—Denise Levertov (b. 1923)