The Making of a Policeman: The Social History of a Labour Force in Metropolitan London, 1829-1914

This title traces the process of consolidation of the Metropolitan Police of London from the establishment of the force in 1829 to World War I. Not only was this the largest force in the country, policing the biggest city in Europe and the hub of an expanding empire, it was also one of the largest work organisations of any kind. It is from this new perspective of the history of work, that this book analyzes the Metropolitan Police as a labour force. It provides a unique view of an institution that had a profound impact on numerous areas of British life. The Metropolitan Police represented a distinct pattern of employment within the changing world of work in Victorian and Edwardian Britain. Adopting long-term strategies for the recruitment of workers and their conditions of service, the force was a precursor for many future employment policies. The study of the Metropolitan Police therefore sheds light on the evolution of modern employment strategies in Britain, and is highly revealing of the role of the state as an employer in this period of radical changes in state power and responsibilities