History of the Metropolitan Police Service History of the Metropolitan Police Service The history of the Metropolitan Police Service is long and complex, with many different events taking place between its inception in 1829 to the present day. Before the passing of the Metropolitan Police Act 1829, law enforcement among the general population in England was carried out by unpaid parish constables who were elected, and later appointed by the local justice of the peace. In certain circumstances, such as serious public disorder, the army would intervene to support the local authorities; yeomanry were extensively used for this purpose before police forces developed. Because this system
Metropolitan Police Marine Policing Unit Metropolitan Police Marine Policing Unit The Marine Policing Unit (MPU), formally known as Thames Division, is a Central Operations (CO) branch of London's Metropolitan Police Service. Its forerunner, the Marine Police Force, was England's first recognised preventive police unit. The MPU is headquartered on Wapping High Street, in the east of the city, from where it operates a fleet of vessels responsible for policing the River Thames within Greater London. Thames Division was formed in 1839 when the Marine Police Force was absorbed into the Metropolitan Police Force. The original marine force is considered the first preventive police unit in