In England and Wales, watch committees were the

local government Local government is a generic term for the lowest tiers of public administration within a particular sovereign state. This particular usage of the word government refers specifically to a level of administration that is both geographically-loc ...

bodies which oversaw

policing The police are a constituted body of persons empowered by a state, with the aim to enforce the law, to ensure the safety, health and possessions of citizens, and to prevent crime and civil disorder. Their lawful powers include arrest and t ...

from 1835 until, in some areas, 1968.

Establishment

The

Municipal Corporations Act 1835 The Municipal Corporations Act 1835 (5 & 6 Will 4 c 76), sometimes known as the Municipal Reform Act, was an Act of Parliament, Act of the Parliament of the United Kingdom that reformed local government in the incorporated boroughs of England and ...

required each borough to establish a "watch committee" and to appoint

constable A constable is a person holding a particular office, most commonly in criminal law enforcement. The office of constable can vary significantly in different jurisdictions. A constable is commonly the rank of an officer within the police. Other peop ...

s to 'preserve the peace'.

Disestablishment

From 1889 counties switched to using "standing joint committees" which also had

magistrate The term magistrate is used in a variety of systems of governments and laws to refer to a civilian officer who administers the law. In ancient Rome, a '' magistratus'' was one of the highest ranking government officers, and possessed both judic ...

s among their members. For police forces working within a single borough, watch committees were retained. The Police Act 1964 replaced both sets of bodies with police authorities, comprising two-thirds elected members of county or borough

council A council is a group of people who come together to consult, deliberate, or make decisions. A council may function as a legislature, especially at a town, city or county/ shire level, but most legislative bodies at the state/provincial or nati ...

s, and one-third magistrates.

References

{{Reflist * Municipal Corporations Act 1835 * Police Act 1964 Law enforcement in England and Wales Local government in England Local government in Wales