ABSTRACT
Drawing on archival research this work examines the nature of the leaders of the ‘new police’ in Scotland. In recent years, academics have argued that the first recognizably new police force was formed in Glasgow in 1800, closely followed by other cities and burghs in Scotland. A close study of these early Masters of Police will assist in explaining the development of police systems throughout the country. This study will then move on to compare and contrast the careers of two of Scotland’s most influential Chief Constables: James Smart of the Glasgow City Police and Alfred List of the county force of Midlothian. Both Smart and List encountered events early in their service that affected their methods of policing and during their careers they developed systems of policing appropriate to the rapidly expanding industrial city and the sparely populated rural county area. This study emphasizes that there was no model followed in Scotland and that early police leaders responded to local social and economic influences. However, all Masters of Police and Chief Constables were the servants of their Police Commissioners and only remained in post at their pleasure.
