# Help me think of a famous London cop! **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [October 31, 2001, 12:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-me-think-of-a-famous-london-cop/90633 "2001-10-31T00:26:05Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 16\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![OpalCat](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/8edcca/32.png) [@OpalCat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/OpalCat)\ **Post date:** [October 31, 2001, 12:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-me-think-of-a-famous-london-cop/90633/1 "2001-10-31T00:26:05Z")
Tomorrow is Halloween, but at Dominic’s school it’s “History Day” and the kids can come dressed in costume… provided that they are dressed as a historical figure. Dominic’s costume is a London Bobby(sp? one of the police, anyway)… so I need to fit that theme to a historical figure so that he can wear his costume to school. ---
**Author:** ![cher3](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/da6949/32.png) [@cher3](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cher3)\ **Post date:** [October 31, 2001, 12:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-me-think-of-a-famous-london-cop/90633/2 "2001-10-31T00:34:40Z")
Well, I can’t think of a specific London Bobby, but the costume itself is historical. Maybe he could learn a little bit about the history of the uniform and how they came to be called “bobbies.” That sort of thing. ---
**Author:** ![Verrain](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/46a35a/32.png) [@Verrain](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Verrain)\ **Post date:** [October 31, 2001, 12:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-me-think-of-a-famous-london-cop/90633/3 "2001-10-31T00:36:07Z")
How about Sir Robert Peel, the man that formed the first British police force? They were called Peelers after his last name and later Bobbies after his first. ---
**Author:** ![Colibri](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/colibri/32/1841_2.png) [@Colibri](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Colibri)\ **Post date:** [October 31, 2001, 12:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-me-think-of-a-famous-london-cop/90633/4 "2001-10-31T00:37:57Z")
London Bobbies are named after [Robert Peel](http://www.spartacus.schoolnet.co.uk/PRpeel.htm), the founder of the Police Force - who was a historical figure himself. So you’ve got it made. ---
**Author:** ![London\_Calling](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/49beb7/32.png) [@London\_Calling](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/London_Calling)\ **Post date:** [October 31, 2001, 12:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-me-think-of-a-famous-london-cop/90633/5 "2001-10-31T00:52:03Z")
'ello 'ello 'ello, what’s going on 'ere then ? Dunno if there are any – you got many famous cops over your way ? I’d suggest a _generic_ Bow Street Runner – can’t remember now if they were the first police force in the world but they were the first here (established in the 1750’s by Henry Fielding). Must be more info on the web somewhere. ---
**Author:** ![London\_Calling](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/49beb7/32.png) [@London\_Calling](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/London_Calling)\ **Post date:** [October 31, 2001, 1:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-me-think-of-a-famous-london-cop/90633/6 "2001-10-31T01:03:55Z")
Just to avoid confusion: The Bow Street Runners ‘evolved’ into Peel’s police force several decades later. I say evolved, they developed a reputation for entrepreneurial activities not wholly in line with the nature of their employment. It was felt there was a need for a London-wide, yet centralised/organised Force with a little more integrity so Peel took the job of putting it together loosely based on the Runners. ---
**Author:** ![matt\_mcl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/7ab992/32.png) [@matt\_mcl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/matt_mcl)\ **Post date:** [October 31, 2001, 1:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-me-think-of-a-famous-london-cop/90633/7 "2001-10-31T01:04:51Z")
There is actually a metro station in Montreal named after Sir Robert Peel. [sub]I just want attention.[/sub] ---
**Author:** ![OpalCat](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/8edcca/32.png) [@OpalCat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/OpalCat)\ **Post date:** [October 31, 2001, 1:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-me-think-of-a-famous-london-cop/90633/8 "2001-10-31T01:22:55Z")
Ok Robert Peel it is… I’ll post a picture when I get one 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![DAVEW0071](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e19b73/32.png) [@DAVEW0071](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DAVEW0071)\ **Post date:** [October 31, 2001, 12:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-me-think-of-a-famous-london-cop/90633/9 "2001-10-31T12:25:17Z")
Hmm. I was going to suggest Lestrade, Superintendent Battle or Bulldog Drummond. But since they’re literary figgers, I don’t reckon they count. Glad someone came up with Robert Peel for ya, Opal. I was no damn help at all. ---
**Author:** ![TwistofFate](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/cdc98d/32.png) [@TwistofFate](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TwistofFate)\ **Post date:** [October 31, 2001, 12:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-me-think-of-a-famous-london-cop/90633/10 "2001-10-31T12:39:23Z")
You Brits dissapoint me 😉 Dixon of Dock Green, the greatest Bobby of all time 😉 ---
**Author:** ![owlstretchingtime](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/958977/32.png) [@owlstretchingtime](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/owlstretchingtime)\ **Post date:** [October 31, 2001, 1:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-me-think-of-a-famous-london-cop/90633/11 "2001-10-31T13:32:14Z")
pah foiled. I was going to suggest George Dixon. Others (almost none of whom wore a uniform): Reagan and Carter from the Sweeney Lestrade et al from Holmes Sir Robert Mark (can’t beleive any american would have heard of him though) Sir Melville MacNaghten (failed to catch jack the ripper) Sting! (think about it) Geoff Capes (olympic shotputter and bobby) Jason King (but not for a small boy eh?) The laughing policeman Callan If I think of anymore I’ll let you know. ---
**Author:** ![London\_Calling](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/49beb7/32.png) [@London\_Calling](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/London_Calling)\ **Post date:** [October 31, 2001, 1:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-me-think-of-a-famous-london-cop/90633/12 "2001-10-31T13:41:27Z")
Jason King of ‘Department S’ ! – the ultimate [70’s icon](http://members.tripod.com/~waynetiki/jkmainframe.html) **owl** - did he have a touch of the Gary Glitters, I have no idea ? ---
**Author:** ![owlstretchingtime](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/958977/32.png) [@owlstretchingtime](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/owlstretchingtime)\ **Post date:** [October 31, 2001, 1:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-me-think-of-a-famous-london-cop/90633/13 "2001-10-31T13:56:56Z")
Re Jason King: Don’t think he was a nonce, but he was as camp as a row of tents so perhaps not what one would want a small boy to be acting like, if he’s knocking on strangers doors and asking for sweets! ---
**Author:** ![Fibonacci](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/df788c/32.png) [@Fibonacci](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fibonacci)\ **Post date:** [October 31, 2001, 5:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-me-think-of-a-famous-london-cop/90633/14 "2001-10-31T17:42:35Z")
I don’t suppose you could try to pass as “Dirty 'Arry” or “T.J. 'Ooker” ---
**Author:** ![OpalCat](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/8edcca/32.png) [@OpalCat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/OpalCat)\ **Post date:** [October 31, 2001, 6:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-me-think-of-a-famous-london-cop/90633/15 "2001-10-31T18:23:25Z")
Ok, here is the little tyke all dressed up: [The tiniest bobby](http://gallery.opalcat.com/index.cgi?mode=image&album=/Holidays/Halloween%202001&image=halloween2001a.jpg) I know it’s not very authentic, but it’s darn cute! ---
**Author:** ![ianzin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/ed655f/32.png) [@ianzin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ianzin)\ **Post date:** [October 31, 2001, 8:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-me-think-of-a-famous-london-cop/90633/16 "2001-10-31T20:49:58Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by London\_Calling \* > **owl** - did he have a touch of the Gary Glitters, I have no idea ? He was very much TV’s flavour of the month in the 1970s with a bright future ahead of him. Then he was arrested for some ‘lewd conduct’ in a genetlemen’s public toilet, and rapidly vanished from view. These days he’d probably do a George Michael, go on chat shows and laugh it all off, and use it to his advantage.