On this day, the territorial police force responsible for law enforcement and crime prevention within Greater London, know as the Metropolitan Police Service or simply the Met, was founded, and the constables of the service appeared on the streets of London for the first time. Ten years later, the Metropolitan Police Act 1839 consolidated policing within London by expanding the Metropolitan Police District and either abolishing or amalgamating the various other law enforcement entities within London into the Metropolitan Police such as the Thames River Police and the Bow Street Runners. As the force responsible for the majority of the UK’s capital, the Met has significant responsibilities and unique challenges, such as protecting 164 foreign embassies and High Commissions, policing London City and Heathrow airports, protecting the Palace of Westminster, and managing a high volume of protests and events.
