The term “police” is associated
with departments of a state that are
authorized to exercise the police power
of that state within a legal or territorial
area of responsibility. The word comes
via French from the Latin politia (“civil
administration”), which itself derives
from the Ancient Greek polis (“city”).
The first police force comparable to the
present-day police was established in 1667 under King Louis XIV
in France, although modern police usually trace their origins to
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the 1800 establishment of the Police in London and the Napoleonic
police of Paris, then the largest and the most dangerous city of
Europe. The royal edict1, registered by the Parliament of Paris on
March 15, 1667 created the office of “lieutenant general of police”,
who was the head of the new Paris police force. Police was given
the task to “ensure the peace and quiet of the public and private
individuals, clean the city of what may cause disturbances, and
have everyone live according to their duties”.
The city of Paris was divided into 16 districts policed by
the 44 commissaires de police2, each in a particular district. The
scheme of the Paris police force was copied by the rest of France,
resulting in the creation of police in all large French towns.
The origin of the British police lies in early tribal history
and is based on customs for securing order through appointed
representatives (the people were the police). The Saxons brought this
system to England and improved and developed the organization.
This organized the division of the people into groups of ten, called
“tythings3“, with a tything-man4 as representative of each; and into
larger groups, each of ten tythings, under a “hundred-man” who
was responsible to the Sheriff of the County5.
The tything-man system, after contact with the Normans,
changed considerably but was not wholly destroyed. In time the
tything-man became the constable and the Sheriff — the Justice of
the Peace, to whom the parish6 constable was responsible. According
to this system, which became widely established in the 17th and 18th
centuries, there was one unarmed citizen in each parish who was
elected annually to serve for a year as parish constable. He worked
in co-operation with the local Justices to keep laws and maintain
order. In the towns, responsibility for keeping the order was given
to groups of paid citizens, who were known as “The Watch” for
guarding the gates and patrolling the streets at night.
In the 18th century came the big social and economic changes
and the movement of the population to the towns. The parish
constable and “Watch” systems failed and the law-enforcement
1 edict — эдикт, указ
2 commissaires de police (фр.) — полицейские комиссары
3 tything — десятина
4 tything-man — десятник
5 country — графство
6 parish — округ (единица административного деления; в других государствах аналогична графствам).
system was under a serious menace1. This led to the formation of
the “New Police”.
Nowadays policing is the activity of enforcing2 the criminal
law and it takes place in any society which has such a law. But in
most societies people doing the policing also have other functions:
traffic regulation, public and social order, safety of citizens. With
the exception of the Roman Empire, the existence of ‘the police’, a
separate force to enforce the criminal law, is a product of modern
urban society. The establishment of a metropolitan police force in
London 1829 is usually seen as the most important event. Police
forces covered all of the United Kingdom by 1860 and many other
states in Europe did the same.
Read the text and answer the questions:
1. What does the word “police” mean?
2. What is the primary object of the police?
3. What is the origin of the “Old Bill” nickname?
4. What does “The Watch” refer to?
5. What were the duties of the Watch?
6. When was the Metropolitan Police established?
7. What is the meaning of the word “a hundred-man”?
8. Give definition of police and policing.
9. What is the origin of the nickname “Bobby” applied to the Metropolitan
Police?
10. Why can Bobbies be found in most parts of the world?
11. What are police functions?

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