The Victorian Policeman

by Simon Patrick Dell

As Queen Victoria's reign commenced the old watchman were still patrolling the streets and Bow Street Runners were still investigating crime in London; the countries and boroughs were being policed by their own unpaid parish constables. This book details the demise of the old policing systems and the development of Sir Robert Peel's 'New Police', or 'Peelers', their uniform, weapons, pay, working conditions and responsibilities.

Genres: History, Nonfiction

32 pages, Paperback

First published April 1, 2004

Reviews

[Liselotte · Rating 2 out of 5]

I love Shire for it's informative short books. This one however, isn't one of the loves. I feel like it is wrongly named too, the book talked a LOT about fashion and a lot less about what a Victorian policeman DOES. This is one I would recommend you skip, as it just doesn't deliver as well as the others.

[S. A. · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good, quick little overview of the subject matter with many interesting pictures and a helpful list of further reading.

[Mark Maguire · Rating 4 out of 5]

I thoroughly enjoyed this book. My only criticism is that it was too short!

The book skillfully charts the evolution of policing within Britain, and considers the impact the first Peelers had when they were first deployed on London in the late 1820's. The evolution of the Metropolitan Police is considered, and the emergence of other forces is covered in brief as is the origin of the social need for a uniformed police presence.

One thing that book covers in depth is the plight of the Victorian Police Officer. Armed with little more than a truncheon; rattle, (whistles were introduced later) and a strict disciplinary code of conduct, the job was, (and still is) potentially lethal. The first Officer, PC Joseph Grantham died within a year of the founding of the Met.

The relationship with the public is charted, and demonstrates the volatility in the relationship between the Peelers and the broader (non-criminal) public. The initial loathing and inverted morality of the Victorian middle classes towards these figures of authority is both startling, and abhorrent in equal measure. The Libertarian argument against the need for uniformed enforcers of the law, on the grounds of the protection of individual liberty underpins the majority of the armchair pontifications that blight the Press and afternoon chat shows. Self-indulgent rhetoric is the preserve of the British Press.

The current troubled relationship between the police and public demonstrates that the phoney Victorian moralism, which initially resisted the introduction of the Peelers is alive and well, despite the overtures made by the forces across the UK to engage and protect.

In this sense, the book amplifies the notion that Peels' brilliant experiment was almost too successful for it's own good, resulting in a sustained public distrust of one of the most innovative institutions of the Victorian period.

An informative and engaging read.

[Judit · Rating 5 out of 5]

Short, clear and illustrated.