John Neal was a Police Officer in the
Metropolitan Police until his retirement in the
mid-80s. His duties had taken him to areas as
different as Kings Cross to the Old Bailey but he
served his final years as a Community Police
Officer whereby he knew the villains and the law-abiding
folk equally within his area.
No formal police forces existed before Sir
Robert Peel (then Home Secretary) obtained
government authority to set up the forerunner of
today's Metropolitan Police in 1829. He did so
amid much opposition but eventually permission
was granted. Known as the 'Peelers' they earned 3
shillings (15p) a day and were recruited from the
Army since such men were regarded as 'more
disciplined'.
In the autumn of 1829, 1000 men were sworn in
and allowed 5 shillings (25p) for a uniform and
what a formidable sight they must have been. With
a minimum height of 5ft 8ins, they wore tall
chimney-pot hats, long coats and a special 'anti-garrotte'
collar. Whilst on duty they always wore a white
armband and were never allowed to wear anything
other than their uniform even when off duty.
There were no 'plain clothes' officers and all
crimes, incidents and accidents were dealt with
by the uniformed men.
By 1884 they carried whistles - blown to
summon help - and these were later replaced by
rattles. The public were duty bound to assist a
policeman in arresting suspects where necessary
and it wasn't until some 55 years after their
formation that the first policeman was killed
whilst on duty.
The move from their HQ in Blackpool Place to
New Scotland Yard took place in 1888-90 and there
they remained until 1967 when they went to new
buildings in Victoria Street. The revolving 3-sided
sign outside these buildings is a familiar sight
on the TV news!!
Other notable points:
- Helmets were introduced in the 1860's
- Officers could only marry with the
permission of their Superintendents
- On duty for 8 hours, they often walked
more than 20 miles a day. By walking at a
particular pace around a set route their
approximate position would be known if
they were needed
- Pensions were only paid after 15 or more
years and often the officers did not
survive that long!
- Appearances in Court were in addition to
their normal workload resulting in very
long hours thus the men were often 'worn
out' before retirement (and their pension)
- By 1920 the blue "Dr Who"
police boxes were a familiar sight -
useful for locking a prisoner inside,
catching up on paper work or just taking
a break
- Before the advent of the motorised "Black
Maria" police vans, prisoners were
transported on handcarts which also
doubled up as an ambulances
Court rooms were often just rooms in a public
house not the specialised buildings of today.
Women served as police officers during the
first World War but were disbanded until 1921
when they became part of the normal police force
- today women carry out the same duties as their
male counterparts. Personal radios maintain links
with both the local police station and each other.
The regular parades before senior officers prior
to starting a shift (ensuring correct dress code,
no long hair, no slouching about etc) have become
'briefings' in a far less formal atmosphere.
Would Sir Robert Peel recognise the 21st century
'Peelers' - possibly not!
