Who petitioned the British Parliament to form the London Metropolitan Police Force?

• A. Henry Fielding
• B. Charles Dickens
• C. Sir Robert Peel
• D. William Pitt the Younger

Answer: (C)

The concept here is the origin of a modern, organized police force in London. Sir Robert Peel, serving as Home Secretary, championed and pushed through the Metropolitan Police Act of 1829 to establish a centralized, professional police service for London. This reform moved policing from a loose network of parish constables and informal patrols to a standing, publicly funded force under civilian control, focused on preventive policing and public accountability. The Metropolitan Police Service that resulted laid the blueprint for modern policing in the world, earning Peel a lasting legacy with officers commonly known as “Peelers” or “Bobbies.” Henry Fielding laid groundwork with the Bow Street Runners earlier but didn’t create a parliamentary police force; Dickens was a writer commenting on society, and Pitt the Younger was a political leader who did not itself form the Metropolitan Police.