2007-09-03 11:41:15 · 7 answers · asked by Sels 4 in Society & Culture ➔ Languages
The usage of the word cop to refer to law enforcement may have been derived from the verb cop, which means to take or seize, or in reference to copper badges law enforcement officers wore.The term Capere, Latin via French, means to capture.
2007-09-03 11:51:16 · answer #1 · answered by Resident Heretic 7 · 1⤊ 1⤋
The police badges were made out of copper, therefore the bad guys use to called the police officers "copper" hense the word "cop". As time went by, it was made short for copper.
2007-09-03 18:28:31 · answer #2 · answered by loralaey 6 · 0⤊ 0⤋
I heard that Copper was used because the first police badges were made of copper, though the years it got shortened to "Cop". Don't know about Pig.
2016-04-03 01:47:38 · answer #3 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
Their badges were originally made of copper and they were called "coppers" just like in the James Cagney movies. This was eventually shortened to "cops".
2007-09-03 11:49:48 · answer #4 · answered by kba1a 3 · 0⤊ 1⤋
I think it came from the buttons on their uniforms they wore shinny copper buttons. So people started to call them cops from the copper on their uniform.
I know I heard this reasoning from somewhere but I am not sure where. Sorry.
2007-09-03 11:49:07 · answer #5 · answered by Miss 6 7 · 0⤊ 1⤋
The acronym: Constable On Patrol.
2007-09-03 11:46:12 · answer #6 · answered by Zindo 1 · 1⤊ 0⤋
I heard it was because they had copper buttons on their clothes.
2007-09-03 11:49:04 · answer #7 · answered by blahblah 4 · 0⤊ 1⤋