Section B: law enforcement in the 18th and 19th centuries 

Local law enforcement 

1. A number of methods of local law enforcement continued, including parish constables (who dealt with petty criminals), watchmen (who protected private property) and part-time soldiers (who dealt with riots).  

2. Some towns started paying salaries to constables and watchmen, which meant they were more experienced and professional, but they were low paid jobs and had low status. 

The Bow Street Runners 

1. This was a crime fighting team established in London in 1748 by the Chief Magistrate, Henry Fielding, who had his offices in Bow Street.  

2. He appointed thief takers as ‘principal officers’ and they became known as the ‘Bow Street Runners’.  

3. In 1754 his brother John Fielding took over the Runners.  

4. At first the brothers charged fees for their services from victims of crime. But by 1785, they were officially paid by the government, making them the first modern detective force.  

5. Their techniques became increasingly professional, such as organising regular foot and horse patrols along major roads and sharing information with other law enforcers.  

6. The success of the Bow Street Runners led to more detective offices being set up in Middlesex and Westminster. 

7. In 1792, the Middlesex Justice Act set up further offices.  

Development of police forces in the 19^th century 

1. In 1829, England’s first professional police force was set up in London by the Metropolitan Police Act.  

2. Seventeen districts across London each had their own police division with four inspectors and 144 constables.  

3. Constables patrolled their beats to catch criminals.  

4. They had blue overcoats and top hats to distinguish from the army.  

5. The policemen became known as ‘bobbies’, after the home secretary, Robert Peel.  

6. However, outside of London, improvements in policing were slow at first as they were seen as too expensive.  

7. The 1856 Police Act said that all areas had to have a professional police force that was centrally controlled.  

8. In 1869 the first National Crime Records were set up. Telegraph communications meant that different police forces could share information more effectively.  

The start of the CID 

1. In 1842, a regular detective branch was established at Scotland Yard with 16 officers. They focused on investigation crimes rather than patrolling the beat and wore plain clothes.  

2. Some of the public accused them of being spies for the government.  

3. In 1878 the Criminal Investigations Department (CID) was set up. This employed 200 detectives, and 600 more were added in 1883.  

4. They tried to use new methods of detection. They tried to identify Jack the Ripper by his handwriting, and in 1902 they successfully used fingerprint evidence for the first time.