The world's first modern police force 1829

Robert Peel introduced the Metropolitan Police Act of 1829 and set up an organised police force for London, with 17 divisions, each with 4 inspectors and 144 constables. It was to be controlled from Scotland Yard, and answerable to the Home Secretary. This new force superseded the local Watch in the London area but the City of London was not covered. Sir Robert Peel had already established the Royal Irish Constabulary in 1812, and it had proved to be a great success.

They became known as 'Peelers' and 'Bobbies' after their founder, and wore a dark blue long coat and a tall hat which they could use to stand on to look over walls, a pair of handcuffs and a wooden rattle to raise the alarm. By the 1880s this rattle was replaced by a whistle.

Blue was chosen because it was the colour of the popular Royal Navy rather than red which was the army's colour and struck fear into the people because of the way soldiers had been used to smash protests. The only weapon was a truncheon.