Professional thief takers

• Thief takers were paid a reward for catching a criminal and delivering them to the law.
• They were be paid for by the victim of the crime.
• This method was open to corruption as some gangs also operated as thief takers and informed on rival gangs.
• The most infamous thief taker was Jonathan Wild, who led a gang of thieves who claimed rewards when they handed in stolen goods. He was discovered and executed in 1725.