Whitechapel historic environment Flashcards
Police recruits for the Met
- Most from outside London and attracted by relatively good pay
- Some ex-soldiers with labouring and farm work experience
- problems with absenteeism and drinking on the job
- by 1885 Met just 13319 people policing 5 million
- Only 1383 policemen on duty at a time
control of Met
The Met entirely under the Home secretary who appointed a commissioner to run the Met. Government wanted control of Met due to worries around socialists and anarchists in Whitechapel
The ‘beat’ constable
major aim of met to prevent crime main method was deploying constables on the ‘beat’-patrolling a set route of streets to deter criminals, ask people what they’re up to, breaking up fights, and arresting suspects.
Development of Criminal Investigation Department
CID set up 1878. previous department to detect crime ineffective. Those in CID separate from rest of force. Initially had little success as seen in Jack the Ripper case.
Commissioner Sir Charles Warren
- Former Army General, became commissioner in 1886
- 13 November 1887 banned planned unemployment protest. When protesters ignored deployed thousands of police supported by 1000 soldiers. Violent clashes, many injured and 1 protester died, Warren directed from horseback
- After Jack the Ripper struck autumn 1888 Warren ordered increase in patrols. Failure to catch Jack cost Warren job
Attitudes towards police
Attitudes varied widely. Police still had people’s trust in some areas but events such as Trafalgar square riot of 1887 created a feeling that police against working-class and worked for upper and middle classes. Economic depression and poverty contributed to the hatred.
Lodging houses in Whitechapel
Lodgers paid a nightly fee for a bed and access to a kitchen, particularly squalid. quarter of Whitechapel population lived in these.
‘Rookeries’ in Whitechapel
Slums, where most housing was located, extremely overcrowded with poor sanitation.
Attempts to improve housing in Whitechapel
Some attempts for example George Peabody paid for building of 11 blocks of flats in former slum. Peabody Estate opened 1881, tenants charged reasonable rates.
Provision for the poor
Workhouses seen as last resort. offered a bed and food in return for hard labour. conditions extremely poor, families split up, inmates wore uniform. Most elderly, ill, disabled, orphans, or unmarried mothers. After 1880 Barnado’s homes offered better conditions for young orphans.
Lack of employment opportunities for women
- High unemployment due to economic depression, few jobs for women so many turned to prostitution. They also worked long hours in factories i ‘sweated’ trades, conditions cramped and dirty
- worked building railways or dockyards, pay better but weekly incomes varied enormously.
Link between environment and crime
- low income areas led to stealing for survival
- unreliable work meant a lot of ‘spare’ time leading to alcoholism, disruptive behaviour and violence
- Overcrowding led to tensions between residents, led to violence
- High levels of prostitution led to more violence on women.
Irish Immigrants
- Many Irish left Ireland for USA 1840s but ended up in London
- Poverty meant most could only afford least expensive parts of London
- Most worked as Navvies (labourers building roads, railways, or canals) or dockers
- Reputation for being drunk and violent, associated with terrorism such as Fenians (fanatical) fighting for Ireland’s independence
Anarchists and Socialists
- from 1848 wave of attempted revolutions across Europe, many revolutionaries in East-End London
- movements set up or supported by revolutionaries were anarchism (no organised government) and socialism
- Both movements feared by authorities, upper, and middle classes. attracted support from some in Whitechapel.
Fluctuating population
Most accommodation in Whitechapel temporary, not many permanent residents to foster community
Eastern European Immigrants
- Huge influx into Whitechapel 1880s mostly polish and Russian jews fled persecution in Russian empire after Tsar Alexander II’s assassination 1881
- Poverty meant could only afford cheap areas
Stuck together causing segregation
by 1888 some areas of Whitechapel 95% Jewish
Tensions in Whitechapel
- Tension between immigrants and locals over jobs and housing
- Jewish immigrants would work lower pay and poorer conditions leading to increase in sweatshop system annoying workers and non-sweatshop employers
- Anti-Semitism/ic violence rose rapidly
- Any foreign accent suspected for being violent revolutionary
- ‘Foreigners’ blamed for crimes such as Ripper murders increasing racial hatred and violence
Work of H division
H division beat constables sent on a beat within Whitechapel, regularly had to report to sergeant, everything recorded in diary
Attitudes to police in Whitechapel
Police mistrusted, and seen as a part of a government against working class people, few cooperated and often attacked police, difficult to police
Problems policing: The environment
Dark, narrow alleys and courts with multiple doorways into rookeries packed with people and possessions made chasing and finding criminals hard.
Problems policing: Gangs
On top of petty thieves, large gangs of thieves and pickpockets operated, ‘employed’ individuals who were well trained at both stealing and getting away from crime, higher crime and harder to catch.
Problems policing: Violent demonstrations
Public protests common in Whitechapel. Social Democratic Federation involved in many protests such as Trafalgar square demonstration November 1887. Large numbers of angry led to violence and needed large amount of police.
Problems policing: Attacks on Jews
Large scale Jewish immigration 1880s meant attacks on jews common, some police anti-semitic while others language barrier prevented catching attackers
Problems policing: Protection rackets
Gangs such as Bessarabian Tigers demanded ‘protection money’ to ‘protect’ businesses. Refusal meant property damage and violence. Fear of gangs made people avoid owning up and either pay up or retaliate.
Problems policing: Alcohol
Large number of pubs and gin houses in Whitechapel selling strong alcohol at low prices. Drunkenness fuelled crimes. Alcoholics turned to crime to pay for habit
Problems policing: Prostitution
Few jobs available to women some turned to prostitution to survive. by 1888 about 1200 prostitutes vulnerable to violence in brothels or on streets
Whitechapel Vigilance Committee 1888
- Set up by businessmen in Whitechapel 10 September, due to lack of progress in ‘Ripper” case
- Offered reward for information leading to capture of murderer
- Patrolled streets each night with torches and whistles
- Disrupted police investigation, hampered police through false leads and encouraged criticism in press
Police techniques and use in ripper case
- House to house searches for evidence
- In the ripper case pubs and opium dens searched
- Distibuted leaflets and advertised in newspapers appealing for information
- Ripper case 80000 leaflets distributed
- Following up clues found/missing at at crime scene
- In Ripper case noted one victim missing ring
- Following up evidence from bodies in post mortems and coroner’s reports
- Ripper case due to clear anatomical knowledge visited hospitals
- Detailed annotated sketches of crime scenes drawn and photographs taken
- Used to compare murders
- Set up soup kitchens to encourage poor to give information
- Interviewed witnesses or suspects including those provided by tip offs
Improvements after 1888
- Met introduced Bertillion system of taking measurements and photographs of suspects, keeping records centrally
- By 1900, introduction of telephones improved police communications
Rival police forces and other problems
Rivalry between Met and City of London police force. Rather than share information kept from each other. Whitechapel overlapped the 2 districts making a problem. conflict between CID and other parts of Met, H division had to help CID and continue usual work
The media, interactions with police
Caused problems for police as though media coverage eencouraged people to step up, also attracted hoax letters and theories. Media stirred up racial hatred as convinced an ‘Englishman’ couldn’t have committed it. More violence for police, added pressure by criticising investigation.
Jack the Ripper
Between 31 August and 9 November 1888 5 women strangled and mutilated in Whitechapel. Became known as Jack the Ripper because used in letters to police. murderer never discovered though several theories.
