 Eugène François Vidocq

Eugène François Vidocq (1775-1857) was a French criminal, detective, and former convict who is often considered one of the founding figures of modern criminology and criminal investigation techniques. Initially a criminal himself, Vidocq was convicted of various crimes and spent time in prison before eventually becoming a police officer. He is best known for founding the Sûreté Nationale, which was the first plainclothes police force in France.