I read that the early police (recruited in the 1820s, I think?) were recruited from veterans of the Napoleonic Wars, and were armed only with short billy-clubs and rattles. Is that right?
*EDIT* Yikes! I just looked it up and found that the early police were armed with cutlasses for riot control, and with hidden flintlock pistols (and later revolvers) if they were going into rough areas.
There was obviously no messing about.
*EDIT* Yikes! I just looked it up and found that the early police were armed with cutlasses for riot control, and with hidden flintlock pistols (and later revolvers) if they were going into rough areas.
There was obviously no messing about.