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 Authority Metropolitan Police Authority The Metropolitan Police Authority (MPA) was the local police authority responsible for scrutinising and supporting the work of the Metropolitan Police Service, the police force for Greater London (excluding the City of London Police area). The establishment of the MPA in 2000 marked a fundamental change in the policing of London; establishing, for the first time, a local police authority for the metropolis, with the aim of ensuring that the Metropolitan Police Service was democratically accountable. The MPA had a strategic role and was not responsible for the day-to-day delivery of policing – which continued to be