Founding The IPA was founded by
Lincolnshire Police officer
Arthur Troop in 1950. In 1949, Troop wrote an article published in the
British Police Review under the pseudonym of Aytee. By January 1, 1950, the IPA was established with the
Esperanto motto "Servo per Amikeco," or "Service Through Friendship." Troop became the first secretary general of the British section of the organization and later the first international secretary general. In 1966, he resigned from that role for unspecified personal reasons. Troop and other organization leaders sought to expand to as many countries as possible. Within the course of several years, there were sections in the majority of Western Europe.
Expansion outside of Europe On March 16, 1961 at the IPA's organization-wide formal summit called the World Congress, the first sections outside of Europe were affiliated in
Canada and
Hong Kong. At the third World Congress held in
Stuttgart, Germany, in September 1961, the first African IPA section was also affiliated in
Kenya.
First female leader In 1982, Phyllis Nolan of
Ireland was elected to become the first woman to serve on the IPA's executive board. She later became president of Section Ireland and international vice president.
International Administration Centre formed In 1986, due to the growth of the organization, the leadership decided to hire a full-time staff. Until that point, administrative duties shifted from section to section. In 1987, a permanent centre was established by Ken Robinson, the first Chief Executive Officer, previously working in a voluntary capacity for many years, in the United Kingdom at the Nottingham headquarters building of Section UK. By 2023, there were more than 372,000 members in nearly 100 countries, of which 65 are affiliated National Sections. == Structure ==