The Victorian Policeman (Shire Library)

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The commission results in the Police Act 1964, defining the independence of the police from politics.

The Serious Organised Crime and Police Act 2005 overhauls powers of arrest and extends powers available to PCSOs in England and Wales. Police Overseas Service Medal [68] – The Police Overseas Service Medal (POSM) recognises service by employees of Australian police forces with international peacekeeping organisations;London in the early 1800s had a population of nearly a million and a half people but was policed by only 450 constables and 4,500 night watchmen. The idea of professional policing was taken up by Sir Robert Peel when he became Home Secretary in 1822. Popkess and the Nottingham City Police would expand this pioneering method and develop tactics to use it to its full potential, including: overlaying mobile patrol areas on top of several existing foot beats, allowing responding Mechanized Division officers to collect colleagues on foot and take them to incidents; 'snatch plans' to pot up police cars at key road junctions in the event of serious crimes; and 'Q Cars' or 'Q Cruisers', unmarked vehicles disguised as civilian cars or delivery vans for covert patrol. Moriarty, like all master criminals, was pure imagination. Journalist and social historian Mayhew went out in the 1850s to interview the true downtrodden denizens of the underworld: the conmen, prostitutes and chancers who stayed alive on their wits alone. My favourite – the man who sold old newspapers in sealed brown-paper wrappers under the pretence they were obscene prints. Although Peel was a skilful politician, he had few social graces and had a reserved, off-putting manner.

Six years later, three more officers (Kennedy, Lonigan and Scanlan) who were hunting the Kelly Gang, were killed by them at Stringybark Creek. [18] [19] Two years later, in 1880, the police confronted the Kelly Gang at Glenrowan. A shoot-out ensued on 28 June, during which three members of the Kelly Gang were killed and following which Ned Kelly was shot and captured. [20] The high turnover of the first policemen could well have been down to the fact their lives were so tightly controlled. The public thought the police were spying on them, so to try and combat this, policemen were forced to wear their uniforms both on and off duty so people could identify them. In England the Retford Borough Police are possibly the shortest existing police force, having been formed on 1 January 1836 and then amalgamating with the Nottinghamshire Police on the first day it was allowed to under the County Police Act 1839 only its 5th anniversary - 1 January 1841. Roll-out of Airwave radios undertaken, providing a secure, digital radio network to the police and other emergency services using the O2 mobile phone network.

A NEW IMPROVED HELMET

Indeed, in April 1844, in response to an official proposal to provide ventilation in the top hats worn by police officers, Punch presented its readers with an idea of how the new “air-conditioned” top hat might look. Punch’s idea of what the new police hat might look like. A NEW HAT FOR THE POLICE In 2001, Christine Nixon was appointed Chief Commissioner, becoming the first woman to head a police force in Australia. Under the Police (Northern Ireland) Act 2000, the Royal Ulster Constabulary continued in force under the new title, the 'Police Service of Northern Ireland (incorporating the Royal Ulster Constabulary)' - to be styled for operational purposes as the Police Service of Northern Ireland.

These men became the model for the creation of all the provincial forces; at first in the London Boroughs, and then into the counties and towns, after the passing of the County Police Act in 1839. An ironic point however; the Lancashire town of Bury, birthplace of Sir Robert, was the only major town which elected not to have its own separate police force. The town remained part of the Lancashire Constabulary until 1974. The English constable derived his authority from three sources – the crown, the law as well as the consent and cooperation of the people. Dec 30,1853 - Dec 27,1870 - Microfiche - in the Newspapers and Family History Reading Room, GMF 102 / Box 1 Nowadays, we think of the police of being upstanding members of society, well presented and committed to their jobs, but this was far from the case for those who joined the police force in Victorian times. However, by the 1860’s, it was becoming apparent that even this new “ventilated” top hat was insufficient for the needs of an active and modern police officer.

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In November 2011, then acting chief commissioner Ken Lay was named as chief commissioner after five months' caretaking. PSOs are based on the Victorian suburban railway network and are deployed at all railway stations in the Melbourne metropolitan area. PSOs focus mostly on anti-social behaviour, alcohol and drug related offences, weapon offences, property damage, either individual or corporate, crimes against the person. By the time the Whitechapel reign of terror began in 1888, the Metropolitan Police (more commonly referred to as ‘Scotland Yard’ on account of its headquarters’ location) was already fifty-nine years old. Founded on the 29 th September 1829 by the then Home Secretary, Sir Robert Peel, the force wasn’t entirely well received. This was partly due to: