NOT a provision of the Statute of Winchester?

• A. It established a paid police force in London
• B. It mandated watch and ward
• C. It required sworn constables
• D. It required reporting of crimes to local authorities

Answer: (A)

Medieval policing reforms focused on formalizing local, unpaid enforcement rather than creating a centralized paid force. The Statute of Winchester established a system to keep the peace in towns: every town was to maintain watch and ward for nighttime security, and sworn constables to enforce the peace, arrest offenders, and present them to the courts. It also mandated that information about crimes be reported up to local authorities like sheriffs and justices of the peace, creating a clear chain of accountability. The key point is that it did not create a paid police force in London; that development would come much later with the creation of the Metropolitan Police in the 19th century.