Catalogue description Letter from John Hopkins Warden, one of the constables of Bedford. "the Extent of Crime...

Letter from John Hopkins Warden, one of the constables of Bedford. "the Extent of Crime regularly Committed in the County, and the organized Bands which perpetrate robbery of almost every discription require an active police for many reasons, first that a general knowledge may be obtained of loose and desperate Characters in this County, which can only be obtained by persons whose business it is to search them out - it can only be by practise that the officer becomes acquainted with the artful devices of experienced Robbers, their modes of Communication with each other, their System of plunder, and the disposal of their Booty - the unexperienced Constable, who is perhaps new to his office every year Cannot be aware of their Manuvers, in Short he has other objects in veiw, his Business of all things must be attended and knowing that his term of Service will Soon expire he Cannot he does not give it the attention his office and the Country require, but the Experienced officer Strikes at once to the point his first clue serves him as the Sea Mark and past Cases Instruct his proceedings, the old offender will find his old Devices fail and the Juvenile (sic) depredator will be deterred from Crime by Speedy exposure thus Crime in General would become less. and a great diminuition would take place in the heavy Expence of Paying Prosecutions, and public property become more Secure. If the Magistracey of this or any County wish to see an active Police who will do their Duty, it must be made a Business of the officer or officers must have a something as a dependance for no man of Business Can Independently do his Duty he becomes an object of attack, he is Called Busy - Meddlesome - and a troublesome Man, the lower Classes in life attack him with every approbious name in the society they move, and every endeavour is made by them to injure him in his profession, thus feeling the Injury likely to be sustained he becomes passive, winking at Crime, and passes by depredation not wishing to observe it - it may be asked what benefit can acrue to the County from one or two officers residing in the County town which of all places is most likely to have the most benefit by their daily presence. - I answer that the whole of the Peace officers in the County should consider the Stationary police as the axis on which they all turn as to Correspondence, that they should be in communication with each other under printed regulations as a Guide to their Communication, that the Stationary police Communicate with the Public offices in London (if necessary and that the County Police officer to be under the direction of every magistrate to attend at any place within the County to Enquire and asist in discovering any robbery that may have been Committed free of expence to the Parish or Place where the same may have taken place - and as far as respects the County town that the officer or officers Patrols the Town of Bedford as a Silent night Watch at unseasonable Hours and for the Information of the Magistracy keep a Journal of all occurances for their Inspection".