Further Antedating of Modern Sense of "Police"

[Shapiro, Fred]

police (OED3, 5.a., 1798)

1786 _Proceedings of the Old Bailey_ 11 Jan. (Old Bailey Online, Reference Number t17860111-1)  I requested him to put his hand upon her breast, he put his hand on, and shewed less sense of horror than I should suppose any innocent man could; there was one of the officers of the police there, and he burst into tears, and could not stay in the room.

Fred Shapiro

------------------------------------------------------------
The American Dialect Society - http://www.americandialect.org