Challenges Facing the Police

Challenges Facing the Police in Whitechapel

Unfortunately the police in Whitechapel did not track down Jack the Ripper and as a result, were regarded by many as incompetent, however, they did face a number of challenges.

The alleyways in Whitechapel

The area of Whitechapel was a maze of alleyways and the majority of people lived in tenement buildings.
The alleyways provided plenty of shelter for a criminal to hide and furthermore areas for crimes to be committed and undetected.

The transient population

The population was transient, meaning people moved around from place to place, so this made tracking people down very difficult.
Doss houses did not keep records of who stayed there so there was no way of knowing who was sleeping where.

The media

The newspaper sensationalised the stories of the Ripper murders.
Witnesses were interviewed for the newspapers, giving lurid stories about the goings on in Whitechapel.
Cartoons would depict the police as inept and incompetent.
The press also published letters claiming to be from Jack the Ripper.
- It was one of these that gave the Ripper his nickname.

The Whitechapel Vigilance Committee

George Lusk, a builder from Whitechapel felt that the police were not doing enough to try to catch Jack the Ripper.
The Vigilance Committee was established as a result, where the local residents took matters ‘into their own hands’.
The committee hired private detectives to investigate the killings.
They also offered rewards for information.
- This was a method that often caused more harm than good as people would come forward with false information.

1Medieval England, 1000-1500

1.1Changing Definition of Crime in Medieval England

1.1.1Early Medieval Society

1.2Nature of Law Enforcement & Punishment

1.2.1Enforcing the Law in Medieval Society

1.2.2Punishments in Medieval England

1.2.3End of Topic Test - Early Medieval Society

1.3Case Studies From 1000-1500

1.3.1The Church

1.3.2End of Topic Test - The Church

1.3.3Grade 9 - Medieval England

2Early Modern England, 1500-1700

2.1Changing Definitions of Crime

2.1.1Early Modern Society

2.1.2Crime in the Early Modern Period

2.1.3End of Topic Test - Early Modern Crime

2.2Nature of Law Enforcement & Punishment

2.2.1Punishments in Early Modern Society

2.2.2Law Enforcement in Early Modern Society

2.2.3End of Topic Test - Early Modern Law Enforcement

2.2.4Grade 9 - Early Modern England

2.3Case Studies From 1500-1700

2.3.1Key Individuals

2.3.2End of Topic Test - Case Studies 1500-1700

2.3.3Grade 9 - Case Studies From 1500-1700

318th & 19th Century Britain

3.1Changing Definition of Crime in Industrial Britain

3.1.1Society in Industrial Britain

3.1.2Crime in Industrial Britain

3.1.3End of Topic Test - Crime in Industrial Britain

3.2Nature of Law Enforcement & Punishment

3.2.1Punishment in Industrial Society

3.2.2Punishment in Industrial Society 2

3.2.3Policing in the Industrial Period

3.2.4End of Topic Test - Punishment

3.3Case Studies From 1700-1900

3.3.1Changes to the Prison System

3.3.2End of Topic Test - Case Studies From 1700-1900

3.3.3Grade 9 - 18th & 19th Century

4Modern Britain, 1900-Present

4.1Changing Definition of Crime in Modern Britain

4.1.1Society in Modern Britain

4.1.2Crime in Modern Britain

4.1.3End of Topic Test - Crime in Modern Britain

4.2Nature of Law Enforcement & Punishment

4.2.1Punishment in Modern Britain

4.2.2Attitudes Towards Punishment

4.2.3Capital Punishment

4.2.4End of Topic Test - Punishment in Modern Britain

4.2.5Grade 9 - Modern Britain

4.3Case Studies 1900-2000

4.3.1Modern Britain Case Studies

4.3.2End of Topic Test - Modern Britain Case Studies

4.3.3Grade 9 - Case Studies 1900-2000

5Whitechapel Local Study

5.1The Geographical Area & Living Conditions

5.1.1Accommodation in Whitechapel

5.1.2Living Conditions

5.1.3End of Topic Test - Whitechapel Local Study

5.2The People of Whitechapel

5.2.1Alcohol & Immigration

5.2.2Prostitution

5.2.3Racial Tensions

5.2.4End of Topic Test - The People of Whitechapel

5.2.5Grade 9 - Whitechapel

5.3Policing in Whitechapel

5.3.1The Police Force in Whitechapel

5.3.2Jack the Ripper

5.3.3Challenges Facing the Police

5.3.4End of Topic Test - Policing in Whitechapel

5.3.5Grade 9 - Policing Whitechapel

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