Development of Law Enforcement

Página 1

Bow Street Runners

At the beginning of the 18th century, law enforcement continued on with a number of methods that had been used before:

Part-times soldiers were used for dealing with riots or revolts

Night watchmen, who, under the guidance of parish constables, reported crimes

Parish constables took charge to prevent disorderly behaviour and arrest criminals

In some towns, there was paid constables who were paid in the same way a modern police force would be.

Bow Street Runners:

In 1748, the Bow Street Runners were set up in London by Chief Magistrate, Henry Fielding. The Bow Street Runners acted as a crime fighting unit, a small group of men who would visit crime scenes and detect criminals. They could be seen as London's first professional police force. Henry's younger brother, John Fielding, became his personal assistant in 1750. The two brothers worked to root our corruption and serve justice in the London area.

The Bow Street Runners were formally attached to the magistrate and were paid by funds received from the government, by 1785 the force was fully funded by the government. Originally, the Fieldings charged fees for their services and collected rewards if crimes were solved successfully.

Henry passed away in 1754, and his brother John took the position of magistrate at Bow Street. John received the nickname 'Blind Beak' as allegedly he could recognise 3,000 criminals by their voices. In the Covent Garden Journal, John published descriptions of known criminals. Moreover, he established the first records for the criminal department.

What was so special about the Fieldings' approach to crime?

Wanted to deter criminal activity by demonstrating the increased risk of being caught and prosecuted for crime

Organised regular patrols (paid constables) along major routeways

Highlighted the importance in collecting and distributing data about criminals, especially with other law enforcement

The activity and success of the Bow Street Runners resulted in detective offices being established in other areas, such as Westminster and Middlesex.

Página 2

Introducing the Police Force

The mixture of local parish constables, night watchmen and groups like the Bow Street Runners was insufficient in dealing with law and order in Britain. People still remain opposed to a police force for a few reasons though:

Questions over whether a police force would infringe on people's privacy and personal freedoms

People were curious as to whether it would really make any difference to crime prevention and law enforcement

Some argued against it due to the expensive costs in funding such a force

In 1829, the Metropolitan Police Act gave London its first uniformed police force. London was divided into seven districts, each contained 144 constables and 4 inspectors. The reason for the police force was to deter criminal activity and caught those in the act of committing illegal activities.

Home Secretary, Robert Peel, wanted the police force to be easily recognisable (uniform) and wanted the force to be a positive addition to the safety of the public. Many people were concerned that the police force would end up preventing political protest and shutting down government opposition.

Developments of the force:

Some areas had a professional police at the start of the 19th century, but many still relied on the older system of parish constables

Development of the force was slow because:

The public were concerned with the costs

Different areas did not coordinate with one another

Development was an option, therefore, many local governing bodies avoided reform

1835 Municipal Corporations Act: gave each borough council the means to set up a local police force

1839 Rural Constabulary Act: permitted all 54 counties to establish a paid police force in their area (only 36/54 did so by 1850)

1856 Police Act:

Police forces were inspected by government officials and only received funding from the government on the basis they were doing their job properly

The principle of deterrence was also established in this act

1869 - the National Crime Records established; telegraph communication allowed police forces to collect and share information quickly about criminals and suspects

1842 - detective branch was established in Scotland Yard; focus on investigating crimes

1878 - Criminal Investigations Department (CID) was founded

CID employed 600 detectives by 1883

1901 - the first fingerprint bureau was established in Scotland Yard (this increased the number of crimes that the CID was able to solve)

Página 3

Robert Peel & Reformation

Peel was sometimes labelled as the 'father of modern policing' as he founded the Metropolitan Police Force. Peel was an exemplary individual who worked for penal (involving punishment) reforms and changes in policing. This was helped by his positions of Home Secretary 1822 and Prime Minister 1834-35 and 1841-46.

Peel took on board the ideas of Elizabeth Fry and worked for penal reform

Skilled in seeing that bills were passed through parliament

Used positions of seniority to see through his reforms

Penal Reforms 1820s:

Peel wanted a system of punishment that focused on preventing crime and reforming offenders rather than punishment

He reduced the number of crimes punishable by death by 100

Minor crimes were punished more proportionately (a fairer and more balanced way)

Peel wanted a reform of the prison system also, inspired by reformers such as Elizabeth Fry

1823 Gaols Act

Prisoners should receive regular visits from the prison chaplain

Gaolers should be paid instead of taking money from prisoners

Female prisoners should have female warders

No prisoner should be held in chains

These reforms led to limited improvement; there was nobody to enforce the laws in the first place

A prison inspectorate was established in 1853

Metropolitan Police Form:

In 1826, an economic downturn in Britain resulted in widespread unemployment and poverty. This led to crime wave and rioting too; the army was called in to quash these riots and restore order. After this, Peel believed it would be more reasonable to have a centralised system for dealing with disorder rather than an armed unit. He wanted a standard policing system across the board that would ensure similar standards in both rich and poor areas. The first Metropolitan Police Officers began duties in September 1829.

Criticisms of the force: initially, there were hostile attitudes towards the police force from both the press and the public. Cartoons were published portraying recruits as clueless and idiotic, with poor training. 2,800 recruits signed up to begin, but only 600 stayed on for a year or more. The main fear for people was that the police would limit their personal freedoms would operate like a full-time military patrol in the streets. Some were concerned about the costs this service imposed on the taxpayer.

Página 4

Robert Peel & Reformation

Peel and his fellow police commissioners established a number of guidelines for all new police recruits to familiarise themselves with in order to address the public concerns over the force. The principles below are still adhered to by the force to this day.