early modern law enforcement

• 1500-1700 – law enforcement followed the same pattern as it did in the Middle Ages

  • Village and town communities were still expected to take a leading role in apprehending and chasing down suspected criminals
  • But the growth of towns meant that communities and the authorities had to find new ways of enforcing laws, as the traditional methods became less effective
• 1000-1500 - Witnesses to crime must step in to stop suspects or, if not possible, report to authorities

  1500-1700 - Witnesses to crime must step in to stop suspects or, if not possible, report to authorities

  CONTINUITY
• 1000-1500 Locals join hue and cry to catch suspected criminals

  1500-1700 Locals join hue and cry to catch suspected criminals

  CONTINUITY
• 1000-1500 Town constables introduced

  1500-1700 Role of town constables expanded

  SOME CHANGE
• 1000-1500 Night watch introduced

  1500-1700 Role of night watch expanded SOME CHANGE
• 1000-1500 no thief takers

  1500-1700 Emergence of thief takers CHANGE
• 1500-1700 – dramatic increase in population which helped bring new opportunities for criminals

  1500 – around 2.5m

  1700 – 5-6m
• Many more people lived in urban areas: London’s population increased to 50,000 and port cities like Liverpool and Bristol grew, as did a large number of new market towns

  • Crimes like theft and fraud were more common in towns and cities, as life was more anonymous than in villages and there were more valuable goods readily available to steal
  • As more people moved to the towns to look for work, the number of people with no reliable way of supporting themselves grew
  • Therefore, more people turned to crime and it became harder for the authorities to prevent and catch criminals
• Opportunities for urban crime in C17 London:

   Increased wealth meant more valuable goods to steal

   Some people were more visibly wealthy so were a target for

  robbery

   Large, busy towns meant it was easier to get away unnoticed

   Growing numbers of businesses meant there was more

  opportunity for fraud

   Many people turned to crime if they couldn’t find work

   Crowds meant more opportunity for theft and pickpocketing
• Town constables and the night watch -

  These two roles grew to cope with increasing crime rates
• Law enforcement was still left to local initiative and was not nationally organised - This meant that standards varied greatly

  • Sometimes, wealthy householders who had been appointed as constables would hire someone else to do the work
  • In some richer areas householders joined together to hire armed guards to protect them and their property
  • These were early steps towards a professional paid police force
• Night watchman - Unpaid volunteers who also have to do their normal jobs during the day

  • Work is overseen by town constable
  • Carries a lamp to help with patrolling at night
  • Al householders expected to serve as night watchman
  • Rings a bell at night to warn people to go home or risk being viewed as possible criminals
  • Take turns to patrol the local areas between 10pm and dawn
• Town constable - Employed by the town authorities

   Appointed by local people with good standing in the community,

  including merchants whose businesses benefit from better law enforcement

   Has some powers to arrest suspects, without the need for a

  warrant from a Justice of the Peace

   Expected to turn in serious criminals to the courts

   Expected to stop suspected criminals, break up fights and round up ‘sturdy beggars’

   Helps with local administrative issues like collecting payments for road cleaning
• Constables and watchmen were not particularly effective at hunting down criminals, so some victims of crime resorted to using thief takers

  • The thief takes was paid a reward for catching a criminal and delivering them to the law
  • This method was open to corruption, as some criminals also operated as thief takers and informed on rival criminal gangs to make money
• Jonathan Wild - He was the most infamous thief taker

  He secretly led a gang of thieves who claimed rewards when they handed in the stolen goods
• 1718 – he assumed the title ‘Thief Taker General’ and became a well- known figure

  Ultimately, his criminal activities were discovered and he was executed in 1725