History of Policing in the UK: Impact on Modern Era

Running head: INTRODUCTION TO CRIMINOLOGY AND CRIMINAL JUSTICE
Introduction to Criminology and Criminal Justice
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INTRODUCTION TO CRIMINOLOGY AND CRIMINAL JUSTICE
Table of Contents
Introduction......................................................................................................................................2
History of Policing in the UK..........................................................................................................2
Impact of Police establishment in the modern era...........................................................................3
Conclusion.......................................................................................................................................5
Reference List..................................................................................................................................6

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INTRODUCTION TO CRIMINOLOGY AND CRIMINAL JUSTICE
Introduction
In the history of policing, initially individual citizens were mainly responsible for
maintaining law and order amongst themselves and in the society. Individuals who served as
justices and constables of the peace did so voluntarily and they were not paid for rendering such
services as they are paid in the modern era. The establishment of Police Services for the
prevention of crimes and maintaining law and order became necessary to achieve voluntary
compliance with the law of the society. This paper entails the rationale behind the emergence of
a strong and progressive approach to governance issues and police accountability.
History of Policing in the UK
Over centuries, voluntary practices rendered by constables and individual citizens have
played substantial role in the history of policing all over the world. However, the emergence of
civil unrest and riots in major cities during 1700s and 1800s made it necessary to develop a more
effective and stringent legal enforcement framework. It was not until 1829, when Sir Robert
Peel, the Home Secretary for the UK established the “Metropolitan Police Services” in
London. Although initially people feared the concept of centralized police and regarded a police
force as another form of military, but Peels clarified the concept of police force by stating a
framework that would determine how a police officer should conduct himself (DeAngelo,
Vitaliano and Lang 2014).
The Peel’s London police (Metropolitan police) was considered as the most appropriate
solution to the growing social disorder and crime during that time. According to Hurd (2017),