The Pinkerton Detective Agency, founded by Allan Pinkerton in 1850, was a private security and detective agency that grew to outnumber the US Army. They were feared for their ties to union-busting and involvement in workers’ riots. They also tracked down outlaws and provided security for the government until the establishment of the FBI. The agency was acquired by Securitas in 2003. Their logo, a dazzling eye, led to the slang term “private eye.”
The Pinkerton Detective Agency was a private security and detective agency founded in 1850 by Allan Pinkerton, a Scottish immigrant to the United States. At its peak, the Pinkerton Agency had so many employees that it actually outnumbered the standing United States Army in size. Agency employees were known as “Pinkertons” and were widely feared, especially among the working classes, due to their ties to union-busting efforts in the 1800s and early 1900s.
Initially, Pinkerton founded the agency in response to growing labor unrest. Many entrepreneurs wanted beefy enforcers to be available in the mines and factories to keep tabs on their employees. The investigative arm of the Pinkerton Agency has investigated labor agitators and labor rights activists outside the workplace. In addition to intimidating employees, the Pinkertons also protected strikebreakers when crossing pickets. During its employment in the workplace, the Pinkerton Agency has been involved in many workers’ riots. Some workers have been killed by the Pinkertons in tense riot situations.
The Pinkerton Agency has also tracked down outlaws such as Jesse James and the Wild Bunch, and has been employed by the US federal government. The government recognized the need for an interstate investigative investigation, but lacked the funds to establish an agency for that purpose. In 1871, the Pinkertons were hired to assist the government. They also played a role in providing security for presidents and state officials, when other government security agents were unavailable.
In the mid-1900s, the agency’s focus began to change. Government investigations into Pinkerton’s involvement in labor relations led to a dramatic reduction in union raids and intimidation by the agency. The government also successfully established and funded agencies such as the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Pinkertons lost their government contracts. The agency began to focus primarily on providing security, and in 2003, the Pinkerton detective agency was acquired by Securitas, an international private security giant.
The Pinkerton agency motto was “We never sleep” and the logo included a large, dazzling eye. In addition to building trust in the agency among potential employers, this likely led to the slang term “private eye” for a detective. Since the Pinkertons have dominated the world of security and detectives for decades, they often appear in fiction, movies, and popular songs, usually with an undertone of menace.
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