ABSTRACT
This chapter examines the historical development of the office of special constable from the seventeenth century until 1856, when the County and Borough Police Act provided a financial incentive to local authorities to set up full time paid police forces. In so doing, it explores the identities and motivations of the individuals who enrolled, the ways in which they were deployed, and how they interacted with other law enforcement agencies such as the military and the emerging nineteenth century police forces. A recurrent theme in the development of permanent civilian police was the relationship between the state (the Home Office) and the local authorities. This chapter also charts how the use of special constables reflected the Home Office’s changing relationship with local justices, initially by giving the justices greater power and freedom in the appointment of special constables and then by using that power to force the justices to appoint regular police forces rather than deploying the military in times of crisis.
