Top ten real life detectives

From pre-civil war America to modern-day crime labs and evidence, real-life detectives have shaped the way we understand justice and investigation. Behind every solved case is a brilliant mind trained to read clues, think critically, and piece together the truth.

Whether you're fascinated by the methodical genius of Allan Pinkerton or the tenacity of Colin Sutton, studying the greatest detectives in history shows just how much science, psychology, and sharp thinking go into cracking a case.

If you’ve ever been gripped by a true crime podcast or a criminal investigation series, a degree in policing or criminology might be perfect for you. It can turn your curiosity into a rewarding career, solving crimes to bring about justice.

Francois Vidocq (b.1775)

One of the earliest criminologists and a one-time career criminal himself, Francois Vidocq's life inspired the works of Hugo and Balzac, and there's a biographical film about him too. Vidocq became the founder and first director of the first known private detective agency and is considered to be the father of modern criminology and the French police department.

Allan Pinkerton (b.1819)

Born in Glasgow, Allan Pinkerton became a detective and spy, the first in Chicago after emigrating there as a young man. Pinkerton's agency solved a series of train robberies during the 1850s, bringing Pinkerton into contact with the Illinois Central Railroad – and the company's lawyer, a young chap by the name of Abraham Lincoln.

Kate Warne (b.1833)

Kate Warne was the first and only female detective Allan Pinkerton ever hired, and she was deeply influential. Hired because she could make the acquaintance of women more easily than men could, she soon found herself in the middle of the Pinkerton agency’s grandest exploits. Her career saw her uncovering stolen fortunes, hunting down the occasional murderer and rescuing President Lincoln from an assassination attempt. All in a day’s work for one of history’s least appreciated sleuths.

Alice Clement (b.1878)

In 1913, Alice Clement was sworn into Chicago’s police force as its first female detective. Sporting pearls and packing a gun, Clement was a colourful character and an accomplished sleuth. One famed case involved the death of a young woman from typhoid. While male colleagues saw nothing suspicious, Clement demanded further investigation. In doing so, she uncovered a plot involving the girl’s long-lost aunt, a dulcimer, a sizeable fortune – and the deliberate poisoning of the dulcimer’s strings with typhoid bacteria by the aunt, who sought to gain the girl’s inheritance. A plot fit for an Agatha Christie novel!

Izzy Einstein and Moe Smith (b. 1880 and 1887)

In prohibition-era US, Izzy Einstein and Moe Smith were federal police officers who achieved the greatest number of arrests and convictions between 1920–1925. They were known nationally for successfully shutting down speakeasies, using disguises in their work and going undercover in bars where their faces were on the wall. They made 4,392 arrests, of which 95% gained convictions. By 1930, both men were working as insurance salesmen after being ousted by jealous colleagues.

William E Fairbairn (b.1885)

William E Fairbairn worked as a private investigator and police officer in Shanghai in a job that put him face-to-face with some of the toughest figures in the Commonwealth. To cope, he started developing his own martial arts techniques, teaching them to the rest of the Shanghai Police Force. The systems he developed would eventually evolve into what he called Defendu, a comprehensive self-defence science he'd one day teach to World War II Commandos.

John St John (b.1918)

Serving 43 years as a homicide detective and solving two-thirds of his estimated 1,000 cases, ‘Jigsaw John’ earned his nickname for piecing together the evidence to solve crimes. Los Angeles Police Department’s No. 1 detective, his success rate was due in part to his exceptional memory for details and his dogged determination. These traits helped convict the Freeway Killer William Bonin, with a case built on eight years’ worth of evidence.

Dave Toschi (b.1931)

Dave Toschi worked as an inspector for the San Francisco police between 1952 and 1983. He was the chief investigator in the Zodiac killer case, which is still unsolved today. Portrayed in the 2007 film Zodiac by Mark Ruffalo, he was also the inspiration for the title character in the 1968 movie Bullitt, starring Steve McQueen.

Kiran Bedi (b. 1949)

Not quite content being a champion tennis player, passionate politician and vehement social activist, Kiran Bedi turned her hand to policing. The first woman officer in the entirety of the Indian Police Force, Bedi found herself keeping the peace amid tense political protests. She set up civilian volunteer groups to patrol areas the police couldn’t quite cover and clamped down on bootlegging, sexual assault and institutional corruption in Delhi. All on her first few postings.

Colin Sutton (b.1961)

As policing and criminology evolve, so does policing. Colin Sutton was a Detective Chief Inspector (DCI) with London's Metropolitan Police force in the early 2000s. Faced with little evidence after the brutal killing of French student Amélie Delagrange, he realised that CCTV and phone records may help find and convict her killer. It took three years to build the case, but serial killer Levi Bellfield was eventually brought to justice. The same approach also caught a serial rapist – the night stalker – who committed 203 criminal offences between 1992 and 2009.

If these exploits inspire you to look further into a career as a detective or in the police, read our links below to find out more.

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