Because of the popularity of Dick Tracy, William Randolph Hearst wanted a strip in his King Features Syndicate to compete.

The strip, which started in 1933 in the Boston Record, was originally called Pinkerton, Jr., since the main character was a boy named Pinky.

The new strip was popular with Boston readers and the main character shortly became Sergeant Pat, while Pinky grew older quite rapidly.

Sergeant Pat was a composite of many of the real-life Boston Police Department officers Sullivan knew personally.

The 12-chapter Universal Pictures movie serial, Radio Patrol (1937), starring Grant Withers as Pat, was directed by Ford Beebe and Clifford Smith.