20th century - women police officers, transport and communication
There were wide-ranging changes in policing in the 20th century in terms of recruitment, and in the transport and communication technology available to support officers in enforcing the law.
Women police officers
The Metropolitan Police began to formally employ women in 1919, after a voluntary force was set up during World War One. Sofia Stanley was the Metropolitan Police鈥檚 first official female recruit. At first women鈥檚 roles were limited, focusing on looking after child and female suspects, and basic foot patrols. In 1973, female officers gained access to the same positions as men and they now fulfil the same roles and duties.
The first female chief constable was Pauline Clare, who was appointed in 1996 in the Lancashire Constabulary.
In April 2017, Cressida Dick became the Metropolitan Police鈥檚 first female police commissioner. However, there are still fewer female officers than male officers. However, reports from 2020 show that only 31.2 per cent of UK police officers were women. At the top rank of chief superintendent, 77 per cent were men.
Transport
In the 19th century police officers patrolled on foot, and in 1909 the police first used bicycles. This helped them to travel more quickly.
Police officers first used cars in 1919, but it was the large-scale production of cars from the 1930s that allowed policing methods to develop. Police cars and motorbikes enabled officers to get to crime scenes quickly, which increased the chances of catching criminals, gathering evidence, finding eyewitnesses or even saving the life of a victim.
In the 1970s, the police changed their methods. They reduced the number of police walking the beat and focused on rapid response teams, who were called to the scenes of crimes in cars. However, public opinion led to the reintroduction of foot, horse and bicycle patrols.
The police also now have specialist traffic officers, who can commonly be seen on motorways. Their cars are some of the fastest on the roads. The police also have well-equipped riot vans, designed to protect officers while they are dealing with riots. Police cars are now equipped with communication technology and cameras.
Since the 1980s the police have also had helicopters. These are equipped with searchlights, infra-red cameras, heat-seeking equipment and video recorders. Helicopters allow officers in the sky to direct officers on the ground to suspects, who may be hiding. They allow officers to gain a bird鈥檚-eye view of the whole scene, and they make it far harder for criminals to escape the scene of a crime.
Communication
The telegraph was developed in the late 19th century. It was first used successfully by the police in 1910 to secure the arrest of the murderer Dr Hawley Crippen, who had fled to Canada.
In 1934, two-way radios were used in cars. From the 1960s, personal two-way radios were used by police on the beat. The police also had their own telephone boxes from the 1920s, and the 999 system was set up in the 1930s. In 2009, police forces in Wales also began to use the 101 number for non-emergency matters, and between 2011 and 2014 its use for non-emergencies was rolled out across the remaining nations in the UK.