Robert Peel establishes the Metropolitan Police Service in London

Background. Sir Robert Peel, a British Conservative statesman, first entered the Cabinet as Home Secretary from 1822 to 1827, a post in which he reformed and liberalised the criminal law and created the modern police force, leading to officers known in tribute as "bobbies" and "peelers." After a brief period out of office, he returned as Home Secretary under his political mentor the Duke of Wellington from 1828 to 1830, also serving as Leader of the House of Commons. It was during this second tenure that the Metropolitan Police Service was established in London in 1829.

Establishment of the Force. The Metropolitan Police Service was founded in 1829 under the Metropolitan Police Act. The first constables appeared on the streets of London on 29 September 1829. The force was headquartered at Great Scotland Yard, which became a metonym for the police itself. The Metropolitan Police Office, created in 1829, handled day-to-day administration.

Controversy and Reception. The Metropolitan Police was controversial even before its formation in 1829. The modern force is responsible for law enforcement in Greater London, excluding the square mile of the City of London, which is covered by the City of London Police. Separately, as biographical context, Peel initially supported continued legal discrimination against Catholics but reversed his stance and supported the Roman Catholic Relief Act 1829, writing that "though emancipation was a great danger, civil strife was a greater danger."