Scot's first force
ALASTAIR DINSMOR, Glasgow Police Museum
In response to a question raised by Richard Littleton that claimed the Met was the oldest profesional police force.
Daily Mail May 4, 2006
GLASGOW police force was founded by Act of Parliament in 1800, 29 years before Sir Robert established policing in the Metropolitan area of London.
Its roots go back even further, to when magistrates appointed to 1779, when magistrates appointed Buchanan as Inspector and established a force of eight police officers. This force failed through of finance in 1781.
| In 1788, six Glasgow magistrates set out proposals
for establishing a police force, including their intention to obtain an Act of Parliament to empower them to levy
a rate from householders to finance the force. Their proposal was that a Watch committee of elected citizens, known as Commissioners, would run the force. This would be the first time citizens would control their police and became the template for the locally elected Boards we have today. The Glasgow police force would wear uniforms with numbered badges inscribed 'Police' and each member would lodge £50 to guarantee their good conduct. This professional force of eight would provide 24-hour patrols supplementing the police watchmen who were at static points throughout the night) to prevent crime and detect offenders. Their list of duties included: keeping records of all criminal information; detecting crime and searching for stolen goods; supervising public houses; apprehending vagabonds and disorderly persons; suppressing riots and squabbles; and controlling carts and carriages. In February 1789, this force of professional police officers took to the streets. |
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| It proved so successful that the Glasgow Police Bill received Royal Assent on June 30, 1800 | Uniform duties:a forerunne of Britains police force who appeared on glasgow streets in 1789 |
By the time the Metropolitan
Police was founded in 1829, ten Scottish forces had been formed under Acts of Parliament.
History books tend to be centred on London and Sir Robert Peel was keen to use the press to further his career
in politics.
Press reports of Peel's new police refer to England in general and London in particular, although it has been interpreted by police historians to mean all of Britain - hencethe general misapprehension that Peel started British policing.
The Glasgow police existed for 175 years until swallowed up in the 1975 regionalisation scheme and became part of Strathclyde police, which exists today.
