ABSTRACT
Since the mid-nineteenth century, the function, structure and role of the police have continually adapted to meet the encroaching demands made by the public and local and central governments. This chapter explores the development of the provincial police since 1856. It highlights the shift from the local to the central and will show that the changes in the police organisation have shaped both the nature and role of the chief constable. One of the products of the quiet revolution at the Home Office was the Police Act 1890. The general unrest that existed within the police, during and following the First World War, was instrumental in bringing about the appointment of a committee, chaired by Lord Desborough, in March 1919 to advise the Home Secretary on police pay and conditions of service. The Desborough Committee’s recommendations symbolised a change in the official perception of policing towards the idea of a standardised police service.
