1. RECAP First PC to finish gets a special prize! Anti-Semitism Fenians
Discrimination against Jews
Special Branch
Political party to represent workers & threatened revolution
Social Democratic Federation
Set up to challenge Irish terrorism in 1867
Anarchists
Poor Law 1834
Political movement-oppose all forms of government
Set up the workhouse system
An example of improved ‘model’ housing in Whitechapel
Fenians
Peabody Estate
Charles Warren
Lodging Houses
Irish, Catholic Nationalists. Seen as terrorists.
Offered a bed in squalid conditions
The Police Commissioner for the Met Police.

2. LEARNING AIM: To understand the problems
H Division faced policing in the Whitechapel community

3. L.ACHIEVEMENTS: Inspector Police Constable
LAUNCHING 1-3
SECURING 6-7
You will outline the main difficulties facing the police in this area.
You will understand the links between these difficulties.
Sergeant
DEVELOPING 4-5
Commander
MASTERING 8-9
You will add specific details about these difficulties.
You will answer a 4 mark question where you are expected to ask a question about a source.

4. STARTER
What do the various artefacts on this page tell you about the problems we face doing our jobs in Whitechapel?
Evidence Test
High crime rate, gang violence, high population and low police numbers, tension between immigrants, alcoholism, prostitution, maze like streets, low police pay, night shifts, poverty.

5. Factor FACT How will this make policing the area difficult?
Location & geography of Whitechapel.
Night time
Pay
Attitudes towards the police.
Poverty
Prostitution and brothels
Alcohol/Opium Dens
Immigration
Gangs
Understaffed
Increased social work
Metropolitan Streets Act 1867
Printout for students.

6. Factor FACT How will this make policing the area difficult?
Location & geography of Whitechapel.
Maze like streets, high pollution, few street signs, noisy in the day and night, very high numbers of people. Narrow alleyways, poor lighting and complex buildings.
Difficult for a new officer or someone new to H Division area.
Lack of communication would make seeking help difficult.
Finding or chasing suspects difficult. Difficult to see/hear/smell if anything is wrong due to the squalid conditions anyway.
It was easy for a criminal to hide.
A typical shift for a PC
The police worked at night, questioning the local people to simply find out what they were doing. Would meet the beat sergeant who would write events in his diary. If the PC was not in his place he could be fined or dismissed. Work was boring.
Police were seen as interfering and getting in the way.
It would be too isolated at times.
Some officers would try to avoid work due to the boredom.
Pay
Pay for the police what not good and the quality of police recruits could vary
This meant the police skills were lacking in some areas.
There were examples of sleeping in doorways, drinking in bars or just standing around chatting.
Attitudes towards the police.
In poorer areas like Whitechapel, the police were seen in a negative light. The police were seen as part of the government who were the ones to blame for the amount of poverty. The police could be ‘heavy handed’ (aggressive and violent).
Little co-operation with the police, fewer witnesses would want to speak to the police and it would be difficult to collect information about crimes.
Poverty
Poverty in the poorer areas tended to lead to higher crime rates.
This would mean the police are overstretched with work.
Prostitution and brothels
It was harder for women to find work and so many became prostitutes to survive. Some worked in brothels, others walked the streets. It was not illegal. No contraception available with women having illegal ‘backstreet abortions’. Estimated 62 brothels and 1,200 prostitutes in Whitechapel.
Women at a higher risk walking the streets.
The police often turned a blind eye to illegal, dangerous abortions which led to the death of even more women.
Women were more vulnerable – and their addiction to alcohol also caused the police problems.
Alcohol/Opium Dens
Many men and women were alcoholics to overcome their terrible conditions. Alcohol was strong and cheap. Pubs and ‘Gin Houses’ on every corner which were cleaner than many homes. In 1 mile, there were over 45 pubs or gin palaces.
Drunkenness led to further violence.
Alcoholics turned to more crime to get their alcohol.
Opium Dens were popular with some, and difficult for the police to find.
Immigration
There were tensions between the different nationalities – Irish, Jewish, Polish, Chinese, English.
This led to further violence.
Gangs
Protection Rackets
Gangs like the ‘Bessarabian Tigers’ were made up of immigrants from Eastern Europe. These gangs demanded protection money from local shop owners. If the owners did not pay up every week, their shop would be smashed up.
Ordinary people were afraid to report these gangs as they would be attacked too.
It was almost impossible to gather information to arrest any gang members.
Understaffed
H Division was constantly understaffed.
They made little attempt to stop fights as getting involved would cause even more tension.
Increased social work
More laws were introduced by the government which meant the police had to deal with issues such as lunacy, litter, runaway horses, fires and accidents.
This meant police were overstretched with what was expected of them and could not spend as long tackling ‘real crime’.
Metropolitan Streets Act 1867
More laws about street trading, traffic and also made the muzzling of dogs compulsory.
Some of these laws (such as the dog muzzling) were dropped as even respectable citizens were ignoring them.
Handout with answers.

7. HEADLINE: ‘Savage Attack Upon A Policeman’
Source A
A drawing in the Illustrated Police News, published in October 6th, It shows the discovery of prostitute, Catherine Eddowes, at night, on Mitre Square in Whitechapel.
Source B
A story published in The Illustrated Police News, 2nd June 1883, about a gang attack on a Whitechapel policeman.
HEADLINE: ‘Savage Attack Upon A Policeman’
John Harris, Jane Reynolds and Alfred Lindsey were charged in committing a murderous assault on Dennis Mortimer, a police constable. Constable Mortimer heard loud cried of ‘Stop him!’ and as he tackled Harris, a mob of young ruffians collected around him and commenced pelting him with stones and hitting him with sticks. Mortimer made strenuous efforts to protect himself, but on drawing his truncheon, according to a witness, the female, Reynolds wrenched it from his hand and struck him on the side of the head with it, and another girl also hit him about his head. The prisoner and his gang made their escape, leaving the constable unconscious.

8. POLICE EXAM:
Source B
A story published in The Illustrated Police News, 2nd June 1883, about a gang attack on a Whitechapel policeman.
HEADLINE: ‘Savage Attack Upon A Policeman’
John Harris, Jane Reynolds and Alfred Lindsey were charged in committing a murderous assault on Dennis Mortimer, a police constable. Constable Mortimer heard loud cried of ‘Stop him!’ and as he tackled Harris, a mob of young ruffians collected around him and commenced pelting him with stones and hitting him with sticks. Mortimer made strenuous efforts to protect himself, but on drawing his truncheon, according to a witness, the female, Reynolds wrenched it from his hand and struck him on the side of the head with it, and another girl also hit him about his head. The prisoner and his gang made their escape, leaving the constable unconscious.
How could you follow up Source B to find out more about the attack on PC Dennis Mortimer.
Complete the table below [4]

9. Anti-Semitism Fenians
Discrimination against Jews
Political party to represent workers & threatened revolution
Social Democratic Federation
Special Branch
Set up to challenge Irish terrorism in 1867
Anarchists
Poor Law 1834
For printing
Political movement-oppose all forms of government
Set up the workhouse system
An example of improved ‘model’ housing in Whitechapel
Fenians
Lodging Houses
Peabody Estate
Charles Warren
Irish, Catholic Nationalists. Seen as terrorists.
Offered a bed in squalid conditions
The Police Commissioner for the Met Police.

10. LEARNING AIM:
To effectively revise your knowledge and skills from the Whitechapel Study.

11. The 5 Victims Contextual Knowledge of Whitechapel KEY PEOPLE
IMMIGRATION TENSIONS
FEATURES OF THE WHITECHAPEL ENVIRONMENT
PROBLEMS OF THE NEWSPAPERS
Contextual Knowledge of Whitechapel
Police Techniques
The 5 Victims
IMPROVEMENTS
The difficulties policing Whitechapel

12. Evidence Revision Sheet