This picture is of NYC motorcycle police, circa 1918, with improvised 'Colt Potato Digger' sidecar.
There was great concern about drugs, gambling, organized crime, insurrection, Bolsheviks, and Anarchists, much of it very well founded!
(I like the tattered poster on the wall: "To Make the World a Decent Place to Live - Thru Liberty Bonds").
The WW1 era, and its aftermath, were very dynamic and dangerous times. Government, authority, Wall Street, and the police were under attack. New York newspapers were irresponsible and sensationalized events. Claims of Government corruption, incompetence, and attempts at reform seemed a constant drumbeat.
Boy have we changed a lot!
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