A Magistrate [Patrick Colquhoun] - A Treatise on the Police of the Metropolis; Containing a Detail of the Various Crimes and Misdemeanors by Which Public and Private Property and Security Are, at Present, Injured and Endangered: And Suggesting Remedies for Their Prevention

London, H. Fry, 1797. Leather. An early edition of this fascinating work regarding police reform from the founder of the first regular preventative police force and noted magistrate, Patrick Colquhoun. The fourth edition of the work. Lacking front free endpaper. Half title and folding plate are both present. Patrick Colquhoun was a Scottish merchant, statistician and magistrate who was responsible for founding the first regular preventative police force in England, known as Thames River Police. Following on from the theft of an estimated £500,000 worth of stolen cargo a year from the Pool of London on the River Thames, Colquhoun, along with utilitarian philosopher Jeremy Bentham and master mariner John Harriot, founded the Thames Valley Police. The first year saved an estimated £122,000 worth of cargo and rescued several lives. His work is credit as an important precursor to the 'new' police founded by Robert Peel. Colquhoun published twenty four different treatise regarding a variety of social issues and concerns, with this work 'A Treatise on the Police of The Metropolis' being the most significant. The work details a number of social issues considered important issue by Colquhoun, with accompanying advice and information regarding his suggested solution to each issue. An influential treatise written by an important figure in police reformation. In a quarter calf binding with marbled boards and paper vellum to the extremities. Externally a trifle rubbed, particularly to the spine and boards and resulting in some slight loss to the leather and cloth. Slight loss to spine label. Hinges are strained. Lacking front free endpaper. Slight offsetting to front and rear pastedown. Internally firmly bound. Pages bright and clean with just the odd spot and marginal age toning. Loss to page ix, not affecting the text. The occasional contemporary ink annotation. Good . Ill.: None. Good .

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