Royal Parks Constabulary
When you think of London’s historic law enforcement, you probably picture the Bow Street Runners or Victorian bobbies marching through the smog. But there was another completely separate, highly specialised force that ruled over 5,000 acres of the capital for generations: the Royal Parks Police. If you’ve ever strolled through Hyde Park or spotted the deer in Richmond, you’ve walked their beat. Here’s the story of London’s green-space guardians and why you won't see them anymore. From Marble Arch Lodgers to the Royal Parks Constabulary PC Pollard and Snooks the cat inside Marble Arch. Long before the Metropolitan Police even existed, security in places like Regent’s Park was a bit of a royal patchwork. That changed with the Parks Regulation Act 1872, which turned traditional 'Royal Park Keepers' into fully-fledged constables.
