The following is a brief summary of the principal reasons which induced the Constabulary Commissioners to recom mend the appointment of a paid police force in lieu of the present parish con stables :—The want of organization in any existing force has encouraged crime, and each person living by depredations costs much more to the community than a paid constable. Besides the expenses of judicial establishments, a sum exceed ing 2,000,000/. is paid annually in Eng land for the repression of crime, while the means for the attainment Of this object are imperfect and inefficient. Even the money at present contributed by vo luntary associations for self-protection would, it is thought, go far towards obtain ing an effective combined force ; and there would be also the saving of time to several thousand persons now annually forced into almost useless service as con stables, or a saving of money which is paid for substitutes. The extent of the force required is estimated at rather more than 8000 men, and the annual cost at a sum below 450,000/., including expenses of management and other charges : the whole cost would not exceed lid. in the pound on the valuation of real property in England and Wales in 1815; and it is pro posed that one-fourth of the annual cost be defrayed out of the consolidated fund, and the other three-fourths out of the county rate. The average number of commitments in England is upwards of 100,000 annually, which number, it is assumed, represents a total of 40,000 persons living wholly by depredation, to which must be added those who live partially by such means and escape detec tion, to meet which active body a trained force of 8000 men appears to be a mode rate estimate. The commissioners recom mended that a disposable force of 300 or 400 additional men be kept for extra ordinary services. The patronage con nected with a paid constabulary should be vested in those who are directly re sponsible for its efficiency ; and local supervision and control might be made consistent with this arrangement. The success of such a force would of course depend to a great extent upon its being seconded by popular feeling, and, contrary to the opinion of many persons, it would be less likely to infringe upon personal liberty than a body of isolated indivi duals, for an acquaintance with legal duties forms part of the training of a combined force, which must in all cases have general rules for its conduct and govern ment. Should a trained constabulary be
established, the commissioners recom mended that the men be changed from one district to another in the same manner as the officers of the Excise establish ment.
The government has not thought pro per to take any steps for the general establishment of a trained constabulary force in England and Wales ; but in 1839 an act was passed (2 & 3 Vict. c. 93) which enabled the justices in quarter ses sions to appoint county and district con stables, and thus left the improvement of the police to their discretion. A report must be previously made to the secretary of state, showing the necessity of appoint ing additional constables. By 2 & 3 Vict. no more than one constable could be ap pointed to each one thousand of the popu lation ; but by 3 & 4 Vict. C. 88, this limitation is done away with. The ex penses of the police force (rural police) are charged upon the county rate in the several divisions in which the force has been appointed. To secure unity of ac tion and general uniformity, the secretary of state is empowered to frame rules for the regulation of the force. The men employed in it are not to exercise any other employment, nor allowed to vote at elections for a member of parliament. Under the provisions of these acts a rural police force has been appointed in several counties. The act 3 & 4 Vict. c. 88, con tains provisions for the consolidation of the borough and county police in cases where the respective authorities desire to enter into such an arrangement.
In addition to the two acts above men tioned, there are other statutes which en able magistrates to obtain any additional police force which may be requisite to ensure the conservation of the peace.