LONDON’S POLICE FORCE

Pacific Press Publishing Company · Mountain View, California · Mar 29, 1905

FromSigns of the Times, Vol. 31, No. 13.

LONDON’S POLICE FORCE.

LONDON, with 7,000,000 inhabitants, has 14,610 police of all grades. Besides these, the city of London has its own police force of 1,000 men.

In the great English city last year 124,554 arrests were made, nearly one-tenth more than in 1902; and there were 154 fatal street accidents, 21 less than in the preceding year.

Only 17 murders were committed by persons in London last year; the police got nine of the murderers, and the other eight committed suicide. There were 22 homicides.

The London police look after the cabs, omnibuses, and teams of the city, and last year issued 16,760 licenses. They keep a sharp lookout on them, too, inspect them continually, and compel the owners to keep them in good condition. Last year they condemned 6,907 hacks and cabs, 1,289 omnibuses, 2,549 horses, and 716 sets of harness.

Besides the vehicles, the drivers themselves are licensed, and they have to pass a strict examination as to their knowledge of the city before they get their badges.

There is nothing a London cabby hates worse than to have to ask the way to some out-of-the-way street—and it is seldom that he has to do it, too.

London police look after the property left in cabs and public vehicles, and compel the owners, when found, to pay to the drivers one-tenth of the value of the property. Honesty is the best policy for the London cabman.

And the individual London “bobby”—the name is given to him because Sir Robert Peel first organized the police force—must pass a civil service and a physical examination before he gets his place.

When on duty he is a general traffic manager, and handles the street traffic wherever he may be stationed.

And when he holds up his hand, the drivers pull up. They know that what he says “goes.” They are not arrested, but “summoned,” and not only are they liable to be fined, but their licenses may be withdrawn, and those, once taken away, are hard to get back again.

A London “bobby” knows a lot about his city—he is expected to be a walking encyclopedia on all matters pertaining to Greater London, and his knowledge of localities, streets, and places is wonderful.

One remarkable thing about the London police is, that the citizen has some rights that an officer is bound to respect. No Londoner is ever arrested for “talking back” to a policeman. If the policeman and the citizen disagree the latter is summoned, and the magistrate decides between them.

There are bad men among the London police, just as there are here. But, as a whole, the force has a very high reputation, and it seems to deserve it.

—Selected.