No One's in Charge

By the 16th century, tithings, hundreds, and shires have given way to villages, towns, and cities. The watch and ward system, with its emphasis on community responsibility, is on the decline. A new night post is created, the bellman. His job is to watch for fires, freeing the watchman to concentrate on preventing crime. In fact, the personnel change has little impact. The men of the community, who once served on the watch themselves, now pay others - usually not very well — to do their duty for them. Bellmen are often past their prime, and many are alcoholics. Efficiency and competency are nonexistent, and the men on the night watch become targets of ridicule.