Captain W. L. Melville Lee 
History of Police in England [PDF ebook] 

The character of a nation is so profoundly influenced by the nature of the control to which it is subjected, that a due appreciation of the scope of police functions and a proper knowledge of the origin and extent of the powers and duties delegated to them must possess a more than academic interest. This book, originally published in 1901, provides a thorough account of the English police system at the beginning of the twentieth century and offers many points of view that are relevant today.