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When police forces were first set up, they consisted of ordinary constables and inspectors. A constable’s role was to patrol the streets and ‘walk the beat’ (a specific patrol area).

The nature of the police and the role of officers changed in the 20th century. The range of ranks within the police is continually increasing, eg constable, sergeant, inspector and chief inspector.

• The Metropolitan Police set up the Flying Squad in 1919. It was given this name because the officers used cars to react quickly to crimes, especially robberies. It were later renamed the Central Robbery Squad.
• In 1946 the Fraud Squad was set up, and in 1965 the Special Patrol Group was set up to deal with major emergencies and inner-city disturbances.
• Since 1878, each force has had a Criminal Investigation Department (CID), consisting of detectives who wear plain clothes.
• There are also specialist murder, bomb and vice squads in each force.
• The Dog Handling Squad was set up in 1946.
• Counter Terrorism Command (also known as SO15) was set up in 2006.

Increasingly, national police units have been set up to deal with crimes on a national scale. Examples include the ACRO Criminal Records Office and the National Wildlife Crime Unit.

Other national organisations have been set up by the government to support police work on specific crimes. For example, the National Crime Agency tackles serious organised crime.