25. One of DC’s Worst Cops Was Assigned to Protect Lincoln
By any measure, John Frederick Parker (1830 – 1890) was a bad cop. One of the first officers to join Washington’s Metropolitan Police Force when it was created in 1861, Parker stood out for his ineptness and unsuitability as a policeman. He was often brought before the police oversight board on a variety of charges, any of which could have gotten him fired. The most frequent accusation was conduct unbecoming an officer. He was let off each time with a slap on the wrist.
Parker’s infractions included but were not limited to the abuse of civilians. He was known to curse in public, frequent whorehouses, get drunk on the job, and sleep off his inebriation in streetcars instead of walking his assigned beat. Each time, he got away with no more than a reprimand. Despite that poor record, when in November 1864, the Metropolitan Police Force created the first permanent detail to guard the president, Parker was one of four officers assigned the task.