1. The development of the Police
Crime and Punishment
The development of the Police

2. Medieval Times A man would serve as a Constable for a year
He was not paid
Tasks included keeping the King’s Peace, reporting bad behaviour to the manor courts, & calling out the hue & cry

3. Tudors & Stuarts Again an ordinary citizen
Had to both catch & punish wrongdoers
Job becoming more difficult –some paid deputies to do job

4. Watchmen or “Charlies”
First set up in reign of Charles II
Task was to patrol streets of London at night
Many were old and/or poorly paid
Not very effective!

5. The ‘Mohocks’ roamed London, terrorising the citizens

6. Thief Takers Government started to offer rewards to catch criminals
This led to thief takers like Jonathan Wild
He set criminals up to convict them!

7. Bow Street Runners
Henry Fielding and his brother John (the Blind Beak) were London magistrates
Created the Bow Street Runners - had powers of arrest
Could travel all over England

8. A Bow Street Runner
Early Bow Street Runners were armed with pistols and swords
Many became quite well known

9. Bow Street Runners (1)

10. Bow Street Runners (2) The Bow Street Runners were often ex-soldiers
They were very successful & were extended as a mounted patrol

11. Sir Robert Peel Home Secretary in 1820s
Reformed prisons & cut capital crimes
Introduced Metropolitan Police Act (1829)

12. “Peelers” or “Bobbies”
Ex-soldiers
Armed with wooden truncheons
Not popular at first

13. Attitudes towards the police
“Blind Man’s Buff”
What is this 19th century cartoon saying about the effectiveness of the police?

14. How effective were the new police?
This cartoon was printed in 1862
What does it tell us about attitudes towards crime?
What does it tell us about the effectiveness of the police?