UK police history

In England a system of sherriffs and investigative " juries" had developed under the Anglo-Saxons to provide basic security and law enforcement.

After the Norman Conquest, these institutions remained though their roles changed. Sherriffs in particular were responsible for keeping law and order, although they were responsible to the king and represented his interests.

In the United Kingdom, the development of police forces was much slower than in the rest of Europe. The British police function was historically performed by private watchmen, thief-takers, and so on. The former were funded by private individuals and organizations and the latter by privately-funded rewards for catching criminals, who would then be compelled to return stolen property or pay restitution.

In 1737, George II began paying some London and Middlesex watchmen with tax moneys, beginning the shift to government control. In 1750, Henry Fielding began organizing a force of quasi-professional constables. The Macdaniel affair [13] added further impetus for a publicly-salaried police force that did not depend on rewards. Nonetheless, In 1828, there were privately financed police units in no fewer than 45 parishes within a 10-mile radius of London.

The word " police" was borrowed from French into the English language in the 18th century, but for a long time it applied only to French and continental European police forces. The word, and the concept of police itself, was " disliked as a symbol of foreign oppression ".

Prior to the 19th century, the only official use of the word " police" recorded in the United Kingdom was the appointment of Commissioners of Police for Scotland in 1714 and the creation of the Marine Police in 1798. The latter was set up to protect merchandise at the Port of London. Even today, many British police forces are suffixed with " Constabulary" rather than " Police".

On June 30, 1800, the authorities of Glasgow, Scotland successfully petitioned the government to pass the Glasgow Police Act establishing the City of Glasgow Police. This was the first professional police service in the country and differed from previous law enforcement in that it was a preventive police force. Other Scottish towns soon followed suit and set up their own police forces through acts of parliament.

The first organized police force in Ireland came about through the Peace Preservation Act of 1814, but the Irish Constabulary Act of 1822 marked the true beginning of the Royal Irish Constabulary. Among its first duties was the forcible seizure of tithes [14]during the " Tithe War" on behalf of the Anglican clergy from the mainly Catholic population as well as the Presbyterian minority.

The Act established a force in each barony with chief constables and inspectors general under the control of the civil administration at Dublin Castle. By 1841 this force numbered over 8, 600 men.

The discipline was tough and the pay poor. The police also faced unrest among the Irish rural poor, manifested in organizations like the Ribbonmen[15], which attacked landlords and their property.

In London, night watchmen were the first paid law enforcement body in the country, augmenting the force of unpaid constables. They guarded the streets since 1663. In 1829, the Metropolitan Police Act was passed by Parliament, allowing Sir Robert Peel, the then home secretary, to found the London Metropolitan Police.

These police are often referred to as ´ Bobbies´ or 'Peelers' after Sir Robert (Bobby) Peel, who introduced the Police Act. They became a model for the police forces in most countries, such as the United States, and most of the British Empire. Bobbies can still be found in many parts of the Commonwealth of Nations. The primary role of the police in Britain was keeping the Queen's Peace, which continues into the present day.

The British police ranks that exist today were deliberately chosen so that they do not mirror British Military ranks, due to public concern about military intervention into civil disoder.

Each officer upon joining the police is sworn in legally as a Constable, which is also the title of the starting rank. After the two year probationary period has passed, the individual officer may apply for promotion to the first supervisory rank of Sergeant or a specialised role.

The prefix ' detective ' is given to officers who are trained in criminal investigations, who are usually assigned to the Criminal Investigation Department or other investigative units.

Many forces in the United Kingdom have several different branches, such as the road policing unit and support unit. In some, officers are uniformed due to the roles requiring such, others are staffed by plain-clothes detectives.

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