London’s valiant protectors – The Metropolitan Police

London is a fabulous city to live in. It offers a plethora of attractions, entertainment, activities and places to visit and explore. It also is one of the most cosmopolitan cities to live in the UK. Its population reflects diversity in ethnicity, culture, race and religion and this is also reflected in its arts and culture scene. It is a well planned and connected city and a hotspot for tourists with millions visiting the city every year.

It has some great hotels to stay in with all 5 star London hotels offering the finest in luxury and amenities.  Most of them are centrally located like the Montcalm London group of hotels, which are in close proximity of most London attractions.  Getting around London is never a problem with its excellent public transportation network.

In terms of personal safety London is as safe as any major city in the world can be. It has a very efficient police force that takes public security very seriously. The city has two main police forces the Metropolitan Police and the City of London Police.

A brief history of the Metropolitan Police

Whether it is London or any other capital city in the world, it is just not possible to imagine a modern city without a very visible and effective police force. London did have some form of policing, which dates back to Roman times with the predecessors of the Metropolitan Police existing in London, at the turn of the nineteenth century. However, only after the Metropolitan Police were formerly established in 1829 did it gain a proper structure of policing as we know it today.

During the mid-eighteenth century Henry Fielding a novelist and playwright decided to organise a police force to stem the rise in crime and violence that happened as trade and commerce began to grow. He organised what came to be popularly known as the Bow Street Runners. Later in 1798 with a steady rise in crime related to trade on the Thames River a new force of river police were organised. Besides them there were local police and watchmen who tried to maintain law and order in the burgeoning city. Yet this was a very loosely knit structure that lacked the effectiveness required to patrol the city and keep crime levels to a minimum level.

It was then that Sir Robert Peel, the Home Secretary stepped forward at that time and was responsible for introducing the Metropolitan Police law in parliament and getting it passed. He decided to organise his ‘New Police’ force along the lines of the river police. The headquarters was established at ‘Great Scotland Yard’ in Whitehall. These police officers received regular pay, unlike Fielding’s Bow Runners who depended on being rewarded by victims and the courts. The Metropolitan Police soon earned the nickname of ‘Bobbies’ or ‘Peelers’ after their founder Sir Robert Peel. The first police force consisted of just about 1,000 members who were meant to police a population of under two million. Towards the end of the century, it grew to approximately 16,000 members to serve over seven million inhabitants of London.

One of the most striking features of a Peeler was his uniform. Being ‘servants’ of the people, they had to wear tailcoats, which non-military blue in colour. But as they needed to reflect an air of authority, they were issued top hats that were strengthened by use of an iron ring at the crown. In the 1850s the hats were replaced with helmets, definitely more practical and very visible. They wore a ‘stock’ around the neck that was stiff, so as to protect against being garrotted. Their uniform further included a heavy leather belt on which handcuffs dangled; a cutlass in a scabbard and a rather stout wooden truncheon.  They were also equipped with a rattle that in the 1880s was replaced by a whistle to summon any assistance if needed. Only Inspectors were allowed to carry a pistol.

The policemen who were assigned the duty of patrolling i.e. being ‘on the beat’ had to walk a fixed route at regular pace of around 2.5 miles per hour. This earned them another nickname: PC Plod. These beats were deliberately limited to a fixed area so that they could acquaint themselves with the locals (although they were not permitted to socialise by having a drink at the local pub). This was done because of the past experience with Bow Street Runners who chummed up with unsavoury characters in taverns, and took gifts and goods as bribes. Anybody who served as a Bobby with the Metropolitan Police who transgressed this law was summarily dismissed. Although this led to about a quarter of the police force being removed and as a result short-staffed!

While the Metropolitan Police Force successfully helped to lower the crime rates, a need was felt to establish a separate police force in London in 1839. This new force came to be known as the City of London Police Force and they still police the Square Mile to this day. The two police forces can be distinguished by different markings on their buttons and caps. It was during Queen Victoria’s reign that the Metropolitan Police became accepted by most parts of society, although they could not wield their authority very successfully over others. There were a few on the police force who acted inappropriately and even accepted bribes. Yet the defining factor is with its continued existence, The Metropolitan Police set up by Peel’s has proved to be an effective deterrent to anarchy and crime on a large scale in London. With the Metropolitan Police around Londoners can feel a sense of security in these challenging times.