ENGLAND

The history of police forces in many other locations can be traced through the helmet plates and buttons (2 major
collections) which faithfully represented the civic pride of towns, cities and small counties which once had their own
police forces following the Metropolitan Police model before amalgamations reduced the number to the current 43
in England and Wales.

The state of crime in London prior to the formation of the Metropolitan Police and the unsafe nature of the streets
can be seen by a leaflet of "Confessions of a condemned prisoner" (1687), and "An Authentic Narrative" of methods
of robbery sent to Sir John Fielding in 1765. "Life preservers" and other interesting methods of self defence were
carried or worn by law abiding citizens who sometimes had a dramatic response to fear of crime.

The nature of the system of watchmen can be seen by the picture of Charles Rowe, the instruction book of Thomas
Robinson "The Complete Parish Officer" and the "Rules" to be followed by patrol and watchmen. Steps to improve
the system were begun by Colonel de Veil who moved to Bow Street as a magistrate and set up a public office there
in 1729.

From 1748, Henry Fielding expanded the work at Bow Street and his work was continued in 1754 by his blind half
brother John. The Bow Street Runners were the earliest form of detective force operating from the courts to enforce
the decisions of magistrates. The legacy of the Bow Street Runners can be seen from furniture reputedly owned by a
famous Runner, Mr Townsend, the handwritten memoirs of Harry Goddard (1824) and the 1876 obituary of William
Ballard, another Bow Street Runner. In 1763 John Fielding introduced the Bow Street horse patrol to make the
highways around London safer. Funding lasted for only 18 months. He also became responsible for street lighting
and lamp posts in an eighteenth century initiative similar to more modern moves to link street lighting with crime
prevention. In 1796 Patrick Colquoun published his treatise on the Police of the River Thames which led directly to
the establishment of the Marine Police at Wapping, and a dramatic fall in crime and corruption then rampant
throughout the London docks. Wapping remains the headquarters of Thames Division to this day.

Insight into the working of the early courts are provided by original documents dealing with the appointment and
yearly accounts of Thomas Venables, from 1820 - 1829 the Receiver of the police offices attached to 7 London
magistrates courts like Bow Street established by the 1792 Middlesex Justices Act. Each court had three magistrates
and six police officers.

Robert Peel became Home Secretary in 1822, and eventually persuaded the House of Commons to pass the
Metropolitan Police Act in 1829. Aspects of Peel's life and possessions are in the museum, and an original copy of a
Royal Pardon signed by Peel six days after the Act became law.

The first Metropolitan Police patrols went on to the streets on 29th September 1829 three months after the
Metropolitan Police Act after much planning and other work performed by the first joint Commissioners.

JAPAN

The Japanese government established a European-style civil police system in 1874, under the centralized control of
the Police Bureau within the Home Ministry, to put down internal disturbances and maintain order during the Meiji
Restoration. By the 1880s, the police had developed into a nationwide instrument of government control, providing
support for local leaders and enforcing public morality. They acted as general civil administrators, implementing
official policies and thereby facilitating unification and modernization. In rural areas especially, the police had great
authority and were accorded the same mixture of fear and respect as the village head. Their increasing involvement
in political affairs was one of the foundations of the authoritarian state in Japan in the first half of the twentieth
century.
The centralized police system steadily acquired responsibilities, until it controlled almost all aspects of daily life,
including fire prevention and mediation of labor disputes. The system regulated public health, business, factories,
and construction, and it issued permits and licenses. The Peace Preservation Law of 1925 gave police the authority
to arrest people for "wrong thoughts". Special Higher Police (Tokko) were created to regulate the content of motion
pictures, political meetings, and election campaigns. The Imperial Japanese Army's military police (Kempeitai) and
the Imperial Japanese Navy's Tokeitai, operating under their respective services and the justice and home ministries
aided the civilian police in limiting proscribed political activity. After the Manchurian Incident of 1931, military
police assumed greater authority, leading to friction with their civilian counterparts. After 1937 police directed
business activities for the war effort, mobilized labor, and controlled transportation.

After Japan's surrender in 1945, occupation authorities retained the prewar police structure until a new system was
implemented and the Diet passed the 1947 Police Law. Contrary to Japanese proposals for a strong, centralized force
to deal with postwar unrest, the police system was decentralized. About 1,600 independent municipal forces were
established in cities, towns, and villages with 5,000 inhabitants or more, and a National Rural Police was organized
by prefecture. Civilian control was to be ensured by placing the police under the jurisdiction of public safety
commissions controlled by the National Public Safety Commission in the Office of the Prime Minister. The Home
Ministry was abolished and replaced by the less powerful Ministry of Home Affairs, and the police were stripped of
their responsibility for fire protection, public health, and other administrative duties.

When most of the occupation forces were transferred to Korea in 1950–51, the 75,000 strong National Police
Reserve was formed to back up the ordinary police during civil disturbances, and pressure mounted for a centralized
system more compatible with Japanese political preferences. The 1947 Police Law was amended in 1951 to allow
the municipal police of smaller communities to merge with the National Rural Police. Most chose this arrangement,
and by 1954 only about 400 cities, towns, and villages still had their own police forces. Under the 1954 amended
Police Law, a final restructuring created an even more centralized system in which local forces were organized by
prefectures under a National Police Agency.

The revised Police Law of 1954, still in effect in the 1990s, preserves some strong points of the postwar system,
particularly measures ensuring civilian control and political neutrality, while allowing for increased centralization.
The National Public Safety Commission system has been retained. State responsibility for maintaining public order
has been clarified to include coordination of national and local efforts; centralization of police information,
communications, and record keeping facilities; and national standards for training, uniforms, pay, rank, and
promotion. Rural and municipal forces were abolished and integrated into prefectural forces, which handled basic
police matters. Officials and inspectors in various ministries and agencies continue to exercise special police
functions assigned to them in the 1947 Police Law.

PHILIPPINES

Brief History and

Mandate
On November 4, 1954, Congressmen Gregorio Tan and Lorenzo Ziga were killed in a highway tragedy. There being
no unit at that time which handles promotion of safety along the highways, members of the two houses passed a
resolution for the creation of a Police Unit that shall ensure safety along the Highways. The house resolution was
sent into motion through General Orders No 535, GHQ, AFP dated December 6, 1954 activating the TRAFFIC
CONTROL GROUP under the umbrella of the Philippine Constabulary. Its concern was strengthened through the
force and effect of Executive Order No 209 dated December 22, 1954 issued by President Ramon Magsaysay
defining the power, duties and responsibilities of the Traffic Control Group (TRAFCON) “to include but is not
limited to the enforcement of traffic safety laws, rules and regulations, general supervision of local police forces as
to Land Transportation (now LTO) in the enforcement of driver’s license and motor vehicle registration
requirements and regulations of motor vehicle public carries.”

Promotion of Traffic Safety along the Highways was the unit’s mission while traffic supervision and control in the
implementation of Commonwealth Act No. 3992 was the organization’s essential function. The unit hit the highways
with only 12 McArthur type jeeps, 12 Officers and 41 Enlisted Personnel mostly coming from the 10th BCT. In three
years time, it expanded its operational jurisdiction into eight (8) Traffic Districts nationwide with the acquisition of
32 units of Ford Fairlane and the conduct of in-service training of new members/recruits.

On December 1957, the TRAFCON was reorganized and was further expanded to 27 Traffic Districts and 5 Special
Traffic Teams in Manila by virtue of GO#262, HPC dated December 27, 1957. During this time, an effective
communications network and equipment for the use of the unit was also set into motion. Due to its growing
commanding presence and credibility in the highways, the said unit was engaged to manage a major traffic direction
and control during the holding of the 10th World Boys Scouts Jamboree in Mt Makiling on July 17 – 26, 1959. A
year thereafter, the Group expanded its effectiveness through the procurement of eight (8) R-69 BMW and the
formation of a Motorcycle Unit. This was the time where the distinctive boots, breeches, Sam brown belt and crash
helmets emerged on the highways and became the distinguishing mark of the Highway Patrol Group.

Several important changes in the TRAFCON’s function likewise occurred from 1961 to 1967 such as:

1. Its active participation with the operations of the

Bureau of Customs against “Hot Cars”.
2. The establishment of the Safety Education Branch to
educate erring motorists.
3. Its new role in enforcing Republic Act 4136 otherwise
known as the Land Transportation and Traffic Code.

The enactment of RA 4136 on June 20, 1964 created the Land

Transportation Commission. This law likewise partially
repealed Commonwealth Act 3992.