1850-1914: Targeting, Harassment and the Creation of a Criminal Class
Total Page：16
File Type：pdf, Size：1020Kb
University of Huddersfield Repository Stanford, Terence George The metropolitan police 1850-1914: targeting, harassment and the creation of a criminal class Original Citation Stanford, Terence George (2007) The metropolitan police 1850-1914: targeting, harassment and the creation of a criminal class. Doctoral thesis, University of Huddersfield. This version is available at http://eprints.hud.ac.uk/id/eprint/760/ The University Repository is a digital collection of the research output of the University, available on Open Access. Copyright and Moral Rights for the items on this site are retained by the individual author and/or other copyright owners. Users may access full items free of charge; copies of full text items generally can be reproduced, displayed or performed and given to third parties in any format or medium for personal research or study, educational or not-for-profit purposes without prior permission or charge, provided: • The authors, title and full bibliographic details is credited in any copy; • A hyperlink and/or URL is included for the original metadata page; and • The content is not changed in any way. For more information, including our policy and submission procedure, please contact the Repository Team at: [email protected]. http://eprints.hud.ac.uk/ 1 THE METROPOLITAN POLICE. 1850 – 1914; TARGETING, HARASSMENT AND THE CREATION OF A CRIMINAL CLASS. By TERENCE GEORGE STANFORD SEPTEMBER 2007 DISSERTATION SUBMITTED FOR THE DEGREE OF Ph. D. AT THE UNIVERSITY OF HUDDERSFIELD. 2 ABSTRACT. Within Victorian society there was a public perception that within the wider field of class there were a number of levels at the bottom of which was a criminal class. This, a very diverse group growing out of the working class, was considered to be responsible for the vast majority of offences ranging from begging to murder. Following the ending of transportation in the 1850’s the Metropolitan Police were faced with a number of new problems and responsibilities. These left them open to allegations that they were so targeting sections of the community that they were creating this criminal class from within the casual poor and those already known to police. As the period progressed the police were given wider powers to deal with the changed situation as well as extra responsibility for the compilation of criminal records and the supervision of released convicts. As a result of these changes allegations were made that the police so harassed those on tickets of leave and under supervision that it impossible for many to obtain employment. In order for this to have the case it would have been necessary for the police to be able to identify those with previous criminal convictions and to target their resources against them. The way in which resources were to be used had been established in 1829 with the objective of preventing crime, by way of uniformed officers patrolling beats and concentrating on night duty. Police resources were not efficiently used and failed to adapt to changing circumstances. In particular, whilst the available evidence especially for the early years is not complete it will be argued that, despite the allocation of considerable resources, the police were very poor at a very important part of their role, that of the identification of criminals. The concept of a criminal class has been examined in two ways. There was a ‘subjective’ public perception of the situation which included all those committing offences but it is argued that in reality what happened was that there were a series of legislative changes focussing on a gradually reducing group of habitual offenders which can properly be called a criminal class. This small group was responsible for the majority of serious crime during the period. As a result the police came to be targeting a very narrowly defined group and they as the agents, the public face of the changes, were the ones against whom complaints were most commonly made. This research shows that the Metropolitan Police were very poor at some important aspects of their role and that they were given additional responsibilities without always having the proper backing of the legislative framework. It also shows that the police were very aware of the difficulties they faced in dealing with released convicts and took great pains not only to allay public fears but also made contributions to the well being of many of those released from prison. 3 Contents. List of tables and figures. Chapter 1. Introduction. 1 - 26 . Chapter 2. Criminal Class – The subjective view. 27 – 43 Chapter 3. Legislation. 44 – 90 Chapter 4. Identification. 91 – 178 Chapter 5. Targeting. 179 – 239 Chapter. 6. Harassment 240 – 272 Chapter 7. Conclusion. 273 – 297. Appendices. Bibliography. 4 List of Tables and Figures Table. Title. Page 1 Changes in Tariff. 71 2. Identifications at Police Stations 1883 – 1892. 105. 3 Arrests by Detective Officers 1883 – 1892. 107 4. Number of persons waiting trial/remanded, identified by police and warders 1881 – 1893. 131 5 Number of persons Photographed and number of persons Identified, 1890 - 1891. 160 6. Entries in Charge and Robbery Books. 203 . 7. Burglary/Housebreaking Offences 1891 – 1901. 206/7 8. Number of Ticket of Leave holders and Supervisees Released into the Metropolitan Police District 1888 – 1892. 224 5 Appendices. 1 First Schedule Offences. 2 Tightening legislation. 3 Early Ticket of Leave 4 Illustrated return. 5 Police Gazette. 6 Staffing. 7 Housebreaking and Burglary. 6 Acknowledgements. The completion of this thesis would not have been possible but for the help given by a number of people and organisations and it is right therefore that this assistance should be acknowledged. Undertaking the research meant that requests for documents, often of an unusual nature, were made of a number of people including the staff at my local public library, Wincanton, those at the National Archives (P.R.O.) Kew and the British Library. The staff at all of these locations have been very supportive and their assistance has been invaluable. A very welcome grant from the Police History Society has gone some way to defray the cost of travelling. The reading of draft submissions was greatly assisted by the ‘passengers waiting at the bus stop’, and it was they who pointed out to me the errors of my writing factually as well as grammatically, ensuring that I had not made too many mistakes or assumptions. In addition, they provided a very supportive voice when confidence flagged. Writing this thesis has involved a considerable amount of time which could have been spent on other activities and I am grateful to my family for making this possible. Above all I am grateful to my supervisor, Professor David Taylor at the University of Huddersfield. Without his advice, guidance and constructive criticism this work would never have come to fruition. 7 1 CHAPTER 1. Introduction. The purpose of this thesis is to examine in detail the way in which the Metropolitan Police dealt with criminals or suspected criminals in the period from c. 1850 to 1914. In particular this will include a detailed examination of the centrality of identification, the linked issues of targeting and harassment and the suggestion that they were involved in the creation of a criminal class. The subject matter under examination has been well covered by both contemporary and modern writers although from a more general point of view and with a different emphasis from that in this work. The issues will be examined by use of a number of documents previously underused including police orders enabling a fresh look to be taken of the main areas. It is not claimed that, as a result, a mass of new information will be revealed but in this way some previously held assumptions as to the ability of the police to deal effectively with criminals will be questioned. This being particularly the case in the matter of identification, the problems faced by police in this area have often failed to be appreciated by historians. This thesis is concerned, not with what might be called ‘street crime’, largely those offences under the Vagrancy and Metropolitan Police Acts the bulk of which were dealt with by way of summary trial. More specifically it will deal with those offences such as burglary and housebreaking, cases being heard at the higher courts 2 on committal, and offenders who were the subject of preventive legislation.1 In order to be able to concentrate on these topics certain areas of police activity have been excluded from this work. Police actions in relation to the contagious diseases legislation and the later suffragette movement caused allegations of police targeting and harassment but neither were the subject of the preventative legislation which is at the heart of this study.2 The contagious disease enactments were primarily concerned with the physical health of the armed forces and police concerns with the suffragette movement were more in relation to public order than crime. The issues involved will be examined as far as the evidence allows from a ‘bottom up’ point of view and will take into account those who can be described as being on the receiving end of police work.3 In particular this will include the views of those released from prison on licence, ‘ticket of leave’. Additionally it will take into account public opinion expressed at a variety of levels by people drawn from a cross section of society not least, when available, those of serving police officers. Background. The period has been chosen for a number of reasons, the most important of which is that it was inaugurated by a ‘watershed’ in the criminal justice system, the ending of significant transportation in the 1850s.