British Police Service
The Romans brought their own form of policing to this Country
nearly 2000 years ago.
The Anglo-Saxons and Danes introduced a form of policing based on
the Hundreds and Wapentakes.
1252 First reference to the term constable,
although the title was in common use long before
1285 The Statute of Winchester summed up and
made permanent the basic obligations and procedures for the
preservation of peace. The Statute Victatis London was passed in
the same year to separate deal with the policing of the City
1630 The Oath of the Office of Constable was
published, although it had been administered for some time
1737 An Act was passed 'for better regulating
the Night Watch and Bedels within the City of London and the
liberties thereof'. This Act directed the payments to be made for
serving and directed the number of Constables who where to be on
duty each night, i.e. the City established a paid police force
before any other area
1829 The Metropolitan Police Act established
that Force. The Metropolitan Police was divided into seventeen
divisions each with a Superintendent, four inspectors and sixteen
Sergeants
1833 The Lighting and Watching Act allowed the
establishment of paid police forces in England and Wales
generally
1835 The Municipal Corporations Act required
178 Royal Boroughs to set up paid police forces
1836 Inspectors of Constabulary were first
appointed
1839 The County Police Act allowed the
establishment of police forces for the counties - eight were formed
in 1839, twelve in 1840, four in 1841 and a further four by
1851
1856 The remaining counties were compelled to
set up police forces by the County and Borough Police Act. Grant
were made by the Exchequer to those forces certified each year as
efficient. From this Act, moves were made regularly to merge
smaller forces into larger ones on the basis of effectiveness and
'value for rate and taxpayers money'
1919 The Desborough Committee, while rejecting
the idea of a national police force, did achieve a measure of
centralisation by the creation of a police department in the Home
Office
1934 Home Office Committee effectively
rationalises police uniforms
1946 Police Act leads to many police forces
amalgamations - 45 boroughs were abolished
1964 Police Act results in more amalgamations
to result in today's 41 county or area police forces plus the
Metropolitan and City of London Police