British Police
The history of today's modern British police traces back several hundred years to the Middle Ages. In the 18th century, the population of the UK grew as the Industrial Revolution swept across Europe and the United States. As the UK shifted from a rural to an urban based economy, towns built large factories where many folks went in search of employment. The pay rate for these jobs was not very high, and poverty led to an increase in crime. In 1842, the Metropolitan British Police was founded. It consisted of a small staff and six officers.
Today, the British police number in the thousands and many of their practices and techniques lead the way in law enforcement initiatives around the world. For example, in 1914, women volunteered to take the place of men on the British police fighting in the First World War. By 1939 there were only approximately 200 women in the British police; today there are about 15,000 women officers, and they appear in every rank of the British police. Women are expected to carry out the same duties as male British police, including keeping order, investigating crimes, and apprehending suspects.
Another key feature of the British police that has become standard is the uniform. The British people did not at first look favorably at the formation of the British police, so a uniform was designed that would make them fit in with civilian populations more readily. The uniform of the early British police consisted of a dark blue knee-length coat with metal buttons and a stand-up collar. On the collar, the officer or constable's number was embroidered. Today, most law enforcement agencies around the world have some version of the British police uniform, and quite often, the dark blue color remains as well.
As you can see, British police have been setting the standard for law enforcement for the past two hundred years, and their influence continues to grow today.