Sir Robert's Bobbies

Back in England, the growing industrial city has developed remarkably disparate needs regarding crime control. The methods of bygone eras are now ineffectual. In 1829, the Metropolitan Police of London is formed under the command of Sir Robert Peel — whose first name, in its shortened form, is soon applied to his men. "Bobbies" is originally an insulting term; the British are wary of this new power in the community. There are occasional skirmishes between the citizenry and the police they view as an occupying force.

Peel uses a military style to manage his 1,000 hand-picked men. Uniforms are introduced, along with standardized procedures and behaviors. Peel's creation is considered by many to be the first contemporary professional police force. The idea that the obvious presence of a police officer — "preventive patrol" — will deter crime, is entirely new. London is now patrolled by officers assigned to specific areas, or beats, whereas the medieval watchmen had stayed at one post waiting to hear a citizen's hue and cry. Bobbies are quite effective at countering crime, and Peel's success is partially responsible for his eventual appointment as England's prime minister in 1835. By 1856, it is mandated that every county and borough in England have a police force.

London Bobbies, 1909