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Old Fears and a New Model

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Policing and its Context 1750–1870

Part of the book series: Themes in Comparative History

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Abstract

During the 1820s there were debates on policing in both England and France. In England the arguments principally concerned the metropolis and how the system might be improved.1 In France the questions raised concerned the nature of professional policing: had it not become too political? How could the detective force be trusted? The situation in England changed with the publication, in July 1828, of a report from a select committee of Parliament appointed to look into the police of London, which rejected the traditional fears of police constituting a threat to liberty; fourteen months later the first uniformed constables of the Metropolitan Police took to the streets. The sheer size and appearance of this force constituted a significant break with the past. In France there was no such dramatic break, but towards the end of the decade there was a positive attempt to improve the image of the Paris police.

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References

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Authors
  1. Clive Emsley
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© 1983 Clive Emsley

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Emsley, C. (1983). Old Fears and a New Model. In: Policing and its Context 1750–1870. Themes in Comparative History. Palgrave, London. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-349-17043-2_4

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