HISTORY

Crime in 19th century Britain: Formation of Metropolitan Police

Crime in 19th century Britain: Formation of Metropolitan Police

Introduction

Monopolization of state functions to ensure law and order - especially in the Anglo-Saxon countries - took place recently, only in the early nineteenth century. In Britain, the first modern police force model appeared in 1829 with the creation of the Metropolitan (London) Police Department. Despite the recommendations established in 1839 by the Royal Commission on constable service and there are a number of relevant legislation, enacted in a 1856 law on regional and district police ordered all local authorities to create a police-funded by local taxes. In the early 19th century, the level of crime in the streets of London has exceeded all limits. Robert Peel, the Home Secretary of Great Britain at the time, presented the document to the Parliament on the improvement of the police, that all police stations should be subject to the Interior Ministry, and initiated the adoption of the Metropolitan Police.

Discussion

At the end of eighteenth - early nineteenth century the term "police" took on a much more restricted meaning: now it was the responsibility of States to ensure public order and rule of law, especially criminal law. Simultaneously, further strengthens the conviction that this can carry only the state and its structure. As a result, the idea that the State should perform the duties with special institutional tools - clearly structured body, wearing special uniforms manned by professionals and funded through taxation. Hence it was only a small step up to the concept of "police" and "policing" was used to identify this category of public servants and their functions.

The old rule of law in Britain, which went into oblivion in the nineteenth century, in many ways was very different from the present one. The civil and criminal courts located in exclusive responsibility of the state (although in Scotland it was fully implemented only since 1747). However, law enforcement has remained almost entirely in the hands of private individuals and local communities. In each parish there was official - the parish constable, whose tasks included the arrest of offenders and the investigation of crimes. In this case, the constables were appointed for one year only and, as most officials at the time, performed their functions in combination, not getting any money for it. In fact, they played the role of helper individuals, as under the previous system the basic obligation to investigate and bring those responsible to particular court placed on the victim. The fact that this process is often very expensive, especially after the beginning of eighteenth century, lawyers involved in the litigation has become a common practice. Even after the introduction in 1752, the district benefits to offset the costs of public prosecutors, bringing the criminal process to its logical conclusion required much time and money. Thus, in the absence of initiative on the part of victims and their families to investigate the offense would be simply ...