The Bow Street unit is best described as which of the following?

• A. They were a formal, paid London police force organized under Peel
• B. They were an early English police unit led by Henry Fielding
• C. They were a private security firm hired by London merchants
• D. They were a social club for magistrates

Answer: (B)

Bow Street Runners were an early English police unit formed and led by Henry Fielding, who served as the Bow Street magistrate in Westminster. They represented one of the first attempts at a professional, publicly accountable policing force in London—patrolling, pursuing criminals, and conducting investigations on behalf of the Bow Street magistracy. This distinguishes them from Peel’s later, formal Metropolitan Police of 1829, from private security hired by merchants, or from a social club for magistrates. Henry Fielding’s leadership and the public policing function they served make this description the best fit.