The bow street runners were the first police, there was a big need for a police force and so the Fielding brothers set up the bow street runners. The need for police was caused by the increasing pickpocketing rates and high number of pickpocketing organisations, police were also needed for a number of other affairs which included theft, assault, murder, begging, fraud, poaching, cruelty to children and indecent exposure,police were also needed as the period before 1829 had a very high crime rate all over britain and the old system of constables were not working.