The British Bobby

Visit the UK and you will soon encounter a familiar character in a distinctive blue and black uniform. These iconic figures in their dark uniforms, white shirts and tall helmets have patrolled the streets of Britain for almost 200 years.

So, why is a policeman sometimes called a ‘bobby’? The name is derived from the man who founded the London police force, Sir Robert Peel (Bobby is short for Robert).

A bobby refers to a police officer who walks, or cycles the streets. Bobby is however a slightly antiquated expression these days. More modern slang expressions to describe the police include ‘cops’ or ‘copper’ or ‘the boys in blue’.

In London there are two main police forces- the Metropolitan Police and the City of London Police. The City of London Police are responsible for the financial district and the Metropolitan Police for the rest of London, while every other county or metropolitan area in the country has its own police force.

Most police officers in the UK do not carry guns. Visitors are often surprised by this but the majority of police officers do not want to be armed. In the 1990s, their wooden truncheon was replaced by a baton.

There are some popular policemen and policewomen, they are fictitious characters on British TV. A well-known UK police drama is The Bill (this was on the British television for 30 years. It followed the lives of police officers working at an inner London police station)