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activ8r t1_iy367cw wrote

Reply to comment by wzl46 in ELI5:How did people start calling police officer using a ''nickname''? by PokeBattle_Fan

Kind of. I believe "cop" came first. Cop is an old word for "capture" (see common usage "that's a fair cop"). I believe "copper" would be the nickname as they are the "capturer".
Not 100% on this being the actual origin, but a quick Google search seems to corroborate it.

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YessikZiiiq t1_iy3ay6f wrote

This is correct. The badge thing is a common myth.

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