In 1914, legendary Berkeley Police Chief August Vollmer established the Berkeley Junior Police as a way of including young boys in a program to help keep their neighborhoods free from crime and to involve them in the life of the community.

At that time fully one-quarter of police work was given over to such "crimes" as kids stealing newspapers and delivered milk from front porches and setting fires in the many vacant lots around town.

Some 200 boys joined.   They were taught basic military-style drilling by the UC Berkeley miliary science department.  With positive activities for kids to participate in, juvenile crime declined.   The boys also proved valuable in spotting potential criminal action.

With the advent to the automobile and the large number of schools being constructed to meet the demands of a growing opulation, it was soon evident that Berkeley's small police department would not be able to be at all the many crossings to protect school children.

As the Junior Police were already in place, it was just a matter of changing their orientation from spotting crime to protecting children. On Jan 16, 1923, the Berkeley Traffic Police Reserve was born.   Under its founder, Berkeley Police Sgt D. H. "Bert" Frazer, the first squad went on duty at Virginia and San Pablo in front of Franklin School.

The first truly organized school patrol in the world, the organization can proudly say that since its inception, no Berkeley school student has lost his or her life at a school crossing when a member of the BJTP has been on duty.

Originally for boys only, the program now includes girls.   More than 15,000 students have participated.

In January 1953, the California School for the Blind came into the program with blind and partially sighted students working on the campus itself.  The California School for the Deaf had a drill team directed by hand signals.

Sgt. Paul R. Hurych directed the program from 1945 to 1967.