California Rangers

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The California Rangers was a paramilitary state police force in California, established in May 1853 and disestablished in August of the same year. It was the first statewide law enforcement agency in California, and was founded by Governor of California John Bigler and commanded by Harry Love specifically to combat violent crime in the Gold Country at the time, particularly the Five Joaquins Gang, which they were responsible for defeating.

The California Rangers were considered part of California's state militia, which eventually became the modern California Army National Guard. They can be considered the precursor of the modern California Highway Patrol and the former California State Police, as well as the State Fugitive Teams of the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation, the Special Agents of the California Department of Justice, and the California Bureau of Investigation.