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Standard Police Motto
- 194 statements
- 36 feature instances
- 16 referencing feature instances
| Standard Police Motto | type |
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| Standard Police Motto | label |
Standard Police Motto | |
| Standard Police Motto | page |
StandardPoliceMotto | |
| Standard Police Motto | comment |
The Los Angeles Police Department's famous motto, "To Protect and to Serve" (coined in 1955), has been adopted by many other police departments across the English-speaking world, sometimes in its alternate form "to serve and protect." It's been adopted by so many police departments, in fact, that it's practically a Stock Phrase in the English-speaking world. Unsurprisingly, it shows up a lot in fiction as well. Played straight in most Police Procedurals and Cop Shows, it's routinely subverted, lampshaded, and/or otherwise played with in other media. | |
| Standard Police Motto | fetched |
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Dropped link to ArcWords: Not an Item - FEATURE | |
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| Standard Police Motto / int_1face1d7 | type |
Standard Police Motto | |
| Standard Police Motto / int_1face1d7 | comment |
Adam-12 features a prominent shot of the motto on the squad car door in the opening credits. | |
| Standard Police Motto / int_1face1d7 | featureApplicability |
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| Adam-12 | hasFeature |
Standard Police Motto / int_1face1d7 | |
| Standard Police Motto / int_222a8847 | type |
Standard Police Motto | |
| Standard Police Motto / int_222a8847 | comment |
The same book has the golem watchman give his own spin on the RoboCop (1987) example above: "To Serve The Public Trust, Protect The Innocent, And Seriously Prod Buttock". | |
| Standard Police Motto / int_222a8847 | featureApplicability |
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| Standard Police Motto / int_222a8847 | featureConfidence |
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| RoboCop (1987) | hasFeature |
Standard Police Motto / int_222a8847 | |
| Standard Police Motto / int_261c8d3f | type |
Standard Police Motto | |
| Standard Police Motto / int_261c8d3f | comment |
In The Simpsons, an Itchy & Scratchy cartoon shows shows Scratchy entering a police car that turns out to be driven by Itchy. The motto is "To Protect and Sever." Bloody carnage ensues. | |
| Standard Police Motto / int_261c8d3f | featureApplicability |
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| The Simpsons | hasFeature |
Standard Police Motto / int_261c8d3f | |
| Standard Police Motto / int_36c08f3d | type |
Standard Police Motto | |
| Standard Police Motto / int_36c08f3d | comment |
When Carl fears Mike might not pass the upcoming police fitness exam on Mike & Molly, he asks Mike if he's prepared to spend the rest of his career behind a desk, where he can "protect and file." | |
| Standard Police Motto / int_36c08f3d | featureApplicability |
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| Mike & Molly | hasFeature |
Standard Police Motto / int_36c08f3d | |
| Standard Police Motto / int_3eacc2fd | type |
Standard Police Motto | |
| Standard Police Motto / int_3eacc2fd | comment |
In Corner Gas, Karen and Davis have a long, drawn-out argument over whether or not their cop car says "To Protect and Serve" or "To Serve and Protect." | |
| Standard Police Motto / int_3eacc2fd | featureApplicability |
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| Corner Gas | hasFeature |
Standard Police Motto / int_3eacc2fd | |
| Standard Police Motto / int_3f2ef980 | type |
Standard Police Motto | |
| Standard Police Motto / int_3f2ef980 | comment |
In Transformers: The Last Knight, Barricade retains this motto while also gaining an alternate "Keep calm and hail Megatron." | |
| Standard Police Motto / int_3f2ef980 | featureApplicability |
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| Standard Police Motto / int_3f2ef980 | featureConfidence |
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| Transformers: The Last Knight | hasFeature |
Standard Police Motto / int_3f2ef980 | |
| Standard Police Motto / int_444f7f18 | type |
Standard Police Motto | |
| Standard Police Motto / int_444f7f18 | comment |
The Casseline Brotherhood, in Kushiel's Legacy, say this a lot. | |
| Standard Police Motto / int_444f7f18 | featureApplicability |
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| Kushiel's Legacy | hasFeature |
Standard Police Motto / int_444f7f18 | |
| Standard Police Motto / int_468bebb0 | type |
Standard Police Motto | |
| Standard Police Motto / int_468bebb0 | comment |
Shows up several times in the Discworld series: The Ankh Morpork Watch has the motto "Fabricati Diem, Pvnc", which is Dog Latin for "Make My Day, Punk". In-story, Fred Colon claims that it translates as "To Protect and Serve". The full motto is in fact "Fabricati Diem, Pvncti Agvnt Celeriter," but has been rendered partially unreadable over time. This supposedly means "Make the Day, the Moments Pass Quickly." Pratchett also uses it in Guards! Guards! with the prophecy that Carrot fulfills: "Yea, the king will come ... and Protect and Serve the People with his Sword." In Feet of Clay, the motto on the Vimes family arms (defunct since Old Stoneface killed the last king) is "Protego Et Servio". The Vimeses have been watchmen for a long time. The same book has the golem watchman give his own spin on the RoboCop (1987) example above: "To Serve The Public Trust, Protect The Innocent, And Seriously Prod Buttock". |
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| Standard Police Motto / int_468bebb0 | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
| Standard Police Motto / int_468bebb0 | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
| Discworld | hasFeature |
Standard Police Motto / int_468bebb0 | |
| Standard Police Motto / int_5425ce75 | type |
Standard Police Motto | |
| Standard Police Motto / int_5425ce75 | comment |
Grand Theft Auto: The motto of the Los Santos Police Department appears to be "Obey & Survive". | |
| Standard Police Motto / int_5425ce75 | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
| Standard Police Motto / int_5425ce75 | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
| Grand Theft Auto (Video Game) | hasFeature |
Standard Police Motto / int_5425ce75 | |
| Standard Police Motto / int_58e80a40 | type |
Standard Police Motto | |
| Standard Police Motto / int_58e80a40 | comment |
Paradigm Shift uses this trope to Show Their Work: "We Serve and Protect," the motto of the Chicago Police Department, can be clearly read on the side of a Chicago police cruiser on this page. | |
| Standard Police Motto / int_58e80a40 | featureApplicability |
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| Standard Police Motto / int_58e80a40 | featureConfidence |
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| Paradigm Shift (Webcomic) | hasFeature |
Standard Police Motto / int_58e80a40 | |
| Standard Police Motto / int_6045c687 | type |
Standard Police Motto | |
| Standard Police Motto / int_6045c687 | comment |
In Wrongfully Accused, at least one police car has "To Swerve and Protect" on the side. | |
| Standard Police Motto / int_6045c687 | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
| Standard Police Motto / int_6045c687 | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
| Wrongfully Accused | hasFeature |
Standard Police Motto / int_6045c687 | |
| Standard Police Motto / int_6ef57be4 | type |
Standard Police Motto | |
| Standard Police Motto / int_6ef57be4 | comment |
Elite Beat Agents shows that even the immune system has this motto; Cap White says this in the good ending for her level. | |
| Standard Police Motto / int_6ef57be4 | featureApplicability |
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| Standard Police Motto / int_6ef57be4 | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
| Elite Beat Agents (Video Game) | hasFeature |
Standard Police Motto / int_6ef57be4 | |
| Standard Police Motto / int_6f1dfbf0 | type |
Standard Police Motto | |
| Standard Police Motto / int_6f1dfbf0 | comment |
In the Myth Adventures, Asprin uses this for one of his chapter-beginning quotes: "To Serve and Protect. Traditional motto of protection rackets." | |
| Standard Police Motto / int_6f1dfbf0 | featureApplicability |
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| Standard Police Motto / int_6f1dfbf0 | featureConfidence |
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| Myth Adventures | hasFeature |
Standard Police Motto / int_6f1dfbf0 | |
| Standard Police Motto / int_78d6f120 | type |
Standard Police Motto | |
| Standard Police Motto / int_78d6f120 | comment |
A police officer in Destroy All Humans! can sometimes be heard constantly repeating this to themselves if their mind is read. Until they get it wrong: "swerve and defect...dammit, I lost it!" | |
| Standard Police Motto / int_78d6f120 | featureApplicability |
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| Standard Police Motto / int_78d6f120 | featureConfidence |
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| Destroy All Humans! (Video Game) | hasFeature |
Standard Police Motto / int_78d6f120 | |
| Standard Police Motto / int_7f5bc680 | type |
Standard Police Motto | |
| Standard Police Motto / int_7f5bc680 | comment |
Fallout: Protectrons say "protect and serve". It's somewhere between playing it straight and subverting it, given that while not particularly powerful or competent, they do actually attempt to maintain law and order, except for in 3 where they're just haywire robots. Parodied more directly in 76, where the reprogrammed scavneger collectrons say "collect and store". | |
| Standard Police Motto / int_7f5bc680 | featureApplicability |
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| Standard Police Motto / int_7f5bc680 | featureConfidence |
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| Fallout | hasFeature |
Standard Police Motto / int_7f5bc680 | |
| Standard Police Motto / int_83d41855 | type |
Standard Police Motto | |
| Standard Police Motto / int_83d41855 | comment |
The motto comes up as a point of discussion between Goliath and Eliza during the Gargoyles pilot, during their first meeting. Probably goes a long way towards building the trust between them. | |
| Standard Police Motto / int_83d41855 | featureApplicability |
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| Standard Police Motto / int_83d41855 | featureConfidence |
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| Gargoyles | hasFeature |
Standard Police Motto / int_83d41855 | |
| Standard Police Motto / int_87cf8985 | type |
Standard Police Motto | |
| Standard Police Motto / int_87cf8985 | comment |
To Serve and Protect was the title of a Champions module. | |
| Standard Police Motto / int_87cf8985 | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
| Standard Police Motto / int_87cf8985 | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
| Champions (Tabletop Game) | hasFeature |
Standard Police Motto / int_87cf8985 | |
| Standard Police Motto / int_8dbc88c4 | type |
Standard Police Motto | |
| Standard Police Motto / int_8dbc88c4 | comment |
Square One TV: Mathnet's motto is "To cogitate and to solve." | |
| Standard Police Motto / int_8dbc88c4 | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
| Standard Police Motto / int_8dbc88c4 | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
| Square One TV | hasFeature |
Standard Police Motto / int_8dbc88c4 | |
| Standard Police Motto / int_90244489 | type |
Standard Police Motto | |
| Standard Police Motto / int_90244489 | comment |
The sheriff from Blood Harvest has "To Protect and to Serve" on the side of his car. | |
| Standard Police Motto / int_90244489 | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
| Standard Police Motto / int_90244489 | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
| Blood Harvest | hasFeature |
Standard Police Motto / int_90244489 | |
| Standard Police Motto / int_9058ad7e | type |
Standard Police Motto | |
| Standard Police Motto / int_9058ad7e | comment |
In The Terminator, the motto on LAPD cars is shown as "To Care and to Protect" at least twice. But after the Terminator crashes and abandons a car whose motto we've already seen as the preceding, the empty car's motto has inexplicably changed to "Dedicated to Serve." | |
| Standard Police Motto / int_9058ad7e | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
| Standard Police Motto / int_9058ad7e | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
| The Terminator | hasFeature |
Standard Police Motto / int_9058ad7e | |
| Standard Police Motto / int_909ca4b1 | type |
Standard Police Motto | |
| Standard Police Motto / int_909ca4b1 | comment |
ReBoot: "My format: Guardian - To mend and defend." | |
| Standard Police Motto / int_909ca4b1 | featureApplicability |
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| Standard Police Motto / int_909ca4b1 | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
| ReBoot | hasFeature |
Standard Police Motto / int_909ca4b1 | |
| Standard Police Motto / int_ad2fda3 | type |
Standard Police Motto | |
| Standard Police Motto / int_ad2fda3 | comment |
In The Gumball Rally, the fake cop team loses the race when they stop to help a pregnant woman who's stalled on an L.A. freeway and going into labor. | |
| Standard Police Motto / int_ad2fda3 | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
| Standard Police Motto / int_ad2fda3 | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
| The Gumball Rally | hasFeature |
Standard Police Motto / int_ad2fda3 | |
| Standard Police Motto / int_b1cbc51 | type |
Standard Police Motto | |
| Standard Police Motto / int_b1cbc51 | comment |
In The Untouchables (1987), when Ness and Malone interview police cadets to add to the team, both trainees give stock mottoes when asked why they want to join the force. The first even stammers out "To protect and serve" verbatim. | |
| Standard Police Motto / int_b1cbc51 | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
| Standard Police Motto / int_b1cbc51 | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
| The Untouchables (1987) | hasFeature |
Standard Police Motto / int_b1cbc51 | |
| Standard Police Motto / int_b29621f3 | type |
Standard Police Motto | |
| Standard Police Motto / int_b29621f3 | comment |
In Feet of Clay, the motto on the Vimes family arms (defunct since Old Stoneface killed the last king) is "Protego Et Servio". The Vimeses have been watchmen for a long time. | |
| Standard Police Motto / int_b29621f3 | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
| Standard Police Motto / int_b29621f3 | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
| Feet of Clay | hasFeature |
Standard Police Motto / int_b29621f3 | |
| Standard Police Motto / int_b31b332f | type |
Standard Police Motto | |
| Standard Police Motto / int_b31b332f | comment |
Transformers Film Series: In Transformers (2007), the Decepticon Barricade has a police car mode with the phrase "To punish and enslave." According to Michael Bay, the altered motto apparently got a few laughs from the present LAPD officers providing security. In Transformers: The Last Knight, Barricade retains this motto while also gaining an alternate "Keep calm and hail Megatron." |
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| Standard Police Motto / int_b31b332f | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
| Standard Police Motto / int_b31b332f | featureConfidence |
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| Transformers Film Series | hasFeature |
Standard Police Motto / int_b31b332f | |
| Standard Police Motto / int_ba82e6c0 | type |
Standard Police Motto | |
| Standard Police Motto / int_ba82e6c0 | comment |
In the low-budget sci-fi movie R.O.T.O.R., the motto of the robotic law-enforcement project is "To Judge and Execute." Guess what happens to the prototype? | |
| Standard Police Motto / int_ba82e6c0 | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
| Standard Police Motto / int_ba82e6c0 | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
| R.O.T.O.R. | hasFeature |
Standard Police Motto / int_ba82e6c0 | |
| Standard Police Motto / int_bac8c243 | type |
Standard Police Motto | |
| Standard Police Motto / int_bac8c243 | comment |
In the film The Mask, Stanley Ipkiss tries to get a policeman guarding him to help Tina (who's being chased by Mooks) by telling him "Serve and protect!" | |
| Standard Police Motto / int_bac8c243 | featureApplicability |
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| Standard Police Motto / int_bac8c243 | featureConfidence |
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| The Mask | hasFeature |
Standard Police Motto / int_bac8c243 | |
| Standard Police Motto / int_cac1ef14 | type |
Standard Police Motto | |
| Standard Police Motto / int_cac1ef14 | comment |
In the "Sleeping Beauty" episode of the ALF Tales cartoon, it is said of the Three Nice Wizards (led by wizard Joe Froday) by the King: "They protect and serve." | |
| Standard Police Motto / int_cac1ef14 | featureApplicability |
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| Standard Police Motto / int_cac1ef14 | featureConfidence |
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| ALF | hasFeature |
Standard Police Motto / int_cac1ef14 | |
| Standard Police Motto / int_cc3f7d73 | type |
Standard Police Motto | |
| Standard Police Motto / int_cc3f7d73 | comment |
The tagline of Science Court was "To Serve and Observe", even though it wasn't about a police department. | |
| Standard Police Motto / int_cc3f7d73 | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
| Standard Police Motto / int_cc3f7d73 | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
| Science Court | hasFeature |
Standard Police Motto / int_cc3f7d73 | |
| Standard Police Motto / int_d54b59cc | type |
Standard Police Motto | |
| Standard Police Motto / int_d54b59cc | comment |
The San Angeles cops in Demolition Man use it as a sort of short-hand, telling units on the scene to, "Protect-serve." | |
| Standard Police Motto / int_d54b59cc | featureApplicability |
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| Standard Police Motto / int_d54b59cc | featureConfidence |
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| Demolition Man | hasFeature |
Standard Police Motto / int_d54b59cc | |
| Standard Police Motto / int_d8a841f4 | type |
Standard Police Motto | |
| Standard Police Motto / int_d8a841f4 | comment |
In The Longest Journey, the same cop that gave us Move Along, Nothing to See Here and Sorry, I'm Gay lines, also finished his conversation with "We are here to protect and to serve", right after proving as useless and outright obstructive to the heroine as he possibly could. | |
| Standard Police Motto / int_d8a841f4 | featureApplicability |
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| Standard Police Motto / int_d8a841f4 | featureConfidence |
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| The Longest Journey (Video Game) | hasFeature |
Standard Police Motto / int_d8a841f4 | |
| Standard Police Motto / int_d9c602eb | type |
Standard Police Motto | |
| Standard Police Motto / int_d9c602eb | comment |
South Park: The side of Officer Barbrady's patrol car has "To Patronize and Annoy" on it. | |
| Standard Police Motto / int_d9c602eb | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
| Standard Police Motto / int_d9c602eb | featureConfidence |
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| South Park | hasFeature |
Standard Police Motto / int_d9c602eb | |
| Standard Police Motto / int_e735e9e0 | type |
Standard Police Motto | |
| Standard Police Motto / int_e735e9e0 | comment |
This is Trenton's motto in Dead Winter. He's the last good cop in a corrupt police force. | |
| Standard Police Motto / int_e735e9e0 | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
| Standard Police Motto / int_e735e9e0 | featureConfidence |
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| Dead Winter (Webcomic) | hasFeature |
Standard Police Motto / int_e735e9e0 | |
| Standard Police Motto / int_ec52a5b9 | type |
Standard Police Motto | |
| Standard Police Motto / int_ec52a5b9 | comment |
In Transformers (2007), the Decepticon Barricade has a police car mode with the phrase "To punish and enslave." According to Michael Bay, the altered motto apparently got a few laughs from the present LAPD officers providing security. | |
| Standard Police Motto / int_ec52a5b9 | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
| Standard Police Motto / int_ec52a5b9 | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
| Transformers (2007) | hasFeature |
Standard Police Motto / int_ec52a5b9 | |
| Standard Police Motto / int_fe1652fe | type |
Standard Police Motto | |
| Standard Police Motto / int_fe1652fe | comment |
Dirk Gently's Holistic Detective Agency: The motto of the sheriff's department of Berberg County, Montana, is "Protect and Serve," as emblazoned on the sheriff's cruiser. | |
| Standard Police Motto / int_fe1652fe | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
| Standard Police Motto / int_fe1652fe | featureConfidence |
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| Dirk Gently's Holistic Detective Agency | hasFeature |
Standard Police Motto / int_fe1652fe | |
| Standard Police Motto / int_fe5f7909 | type |
Standard Police Motto | |
| Standard Police Motto / int_fe5f7909 | comment |
Pratchett also uses it in Guards! Guards! with the prophecy that Carrot fulfills: "Yea, the king will come ... and Protect and Serve the People with his Sword." | |
| Standard Police Motto / int_fe5f7909 | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
| Standard Police Motto / int_fe5f7909 | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
| Guards! Guards! | hasFeature |
Standard Police Motto / int_fe5f7909 |
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