Development of police forces

• In 1748, brothers Henry and John Fielding took the first step to improving law enforcement by creating the first police force in England, called the bow street runners
• In 1829, Robert Peel published the Metropolitan Police Act, the first professional police force, bringing over 3000 policemen to London
• After 1750, Britain's population rose rapidly due to the industrial revolution, as people began to move from the countryside to the city. This caused more challenges for preventing crime
• • Industrial cities were overcrowded and since people no longer all new each other, it was easy to get away with crime without being recognised.
  • Some people became wealthy due to profiting from the industrial revolution, having more money and property for criminals to steal e.g. from warehouses full of merchandise
• In industrial cities, many orphans were left to fend for themselves and people experiencing poor living conditions committed crimes to earn money and improve their lives
• Before the mid 18th century, law and order relied on local people taking responsibility for watching out for and stopping criminals. This system was less effective after the industrial revolution
• • Reforms were introduced to make night watchmen more effective. However, these men worked part-time and were often unpaid, and viewed as ineffective in tackling crime
  • Thief takes would capture criminals in return for rewards, however many of them were thought to be corrupt and involved in crime themselves, so would increase rather than stop crime
• Henry and John Fielding were London legal officials. In 1749, they established the Bow Street Runners - a group of men who investigated crime and tried to catch criminals
• The first bow street runners were thief takers who were send out once a crime had been reported. They also patrolled the street on foot or on horse
• From 1785, the government paid the bow street runners. Before this, they would charge fees for their work
• The bow street runners also published a book called the hue and cry. It described wanted criminals and made it easier to capture them