c1700-c1900 law enforcement in the 18th and 19th century

Question 1

Bow Street Runners

Answer 1

Established in London in 1749 by Henry Fielding to tackle crime in the 17th century. They charged fees and collected rewards until paid by the government in 1785.

They introduced new methods of finding evidence such as ‘detectives’ who expanded to patrol the major streets of London.

They shared information on crimes and suspects through the first intelligence crime network.

Question 2

Metropolitan Police Force

Answer 2

England’s first professional uniformed police force established by Robert Peel in 1829 through the Metropolitan Police act as a way to keep law and order. Seventeen districts across London with their own police division to act as a deterrent. Police officers known as bobbies recruited carefully and encouraged to remain calm.

Question 3

Developments in police forces

Answer 3

Police act 1856 made it essential for every area to have a centrally controlled professional police force. It also encouraged ideas of deterrence through the detection of criminals and National Crime Record set up to help police communicate quickly about suspects and crimes.

Question 4

Crime detection and the CID

Answer 4

Scotland Yard began employing officers in plain clothes to investigate crimes. It was expanded in 1878 when the Criminal Investigation Department (the CID) was set up. They initially recruited 200 officers and a further 600 in 1883.