ENGLISH DISTASTE FOR MANY ASPECTS OF THE FRENCH POLICE SYSTEM, PARTICULARLY ITS MILITARY CHARACTER AND PERVASIVE INTERVENTION IN COMMUNAL AND INDIVIDUAL LIFE, LONG BLOCKED ATTEMPTS TO REFORM LONDON'S LOCAL NIGHT WATCH/NIGHTLY POLICE ESTABLISHMENTS AND GREATLY INFLUENCED THE NATURE OF THE POLICE FORCE THAT EVENTUALLY EMERGED UNDER HOME SECRETARY ROBERT PEEL IN 1829. PEEL'S NEW POLICE TOOK THE FORM OF A UNIFORMED PATROL FORCE UNDER THE DIRECTION OF THE CENTRAL GOVERNMENT. PEEL ENVISIONED THE PRINCIPAL OBJECTIVE OF THE NEW FORCE AS THE PREVENTION OF CRIME. THE NEW POLICEMAN, THOUGH PART OF A MILITARY ORGANIZATIONAL STRUCTURE, WAS ALWAYS DISTINGUISHED FROM THE SOLDIER. THE POLICEMAN WAS GRANTED ENGLAND'S MOST ANCIENT PUBLIC OFFICE, THAT OF CONSTABLE. WITH THE OFFICE CAME A UNIQUE STATUS AND A STRONG IMPLICATION OF PERSONAL RESPONSIBILITY FOR PERFORMANCE AS AN OFFICER OF THE CROWN. PEEL'S DECISION TO PAY THE CONSTABLES A RELATIVELY LOW WAGE IS IN PART RESPONSIBLE FOR THE PERSISTENT STEREOTYPE OF THE POLICEMAN AS A LOWER-CLASS, POORLY EDUCATED PERSON. HOWEVER, BY LIMITING FINANCIAL INCENTIVES, PEEL MADE CERTAIN THAT HIS CONSTABLES WOULD NOT ADOPT A SUPERIOR AIR TOWARD THE PUBLIC. WHEN THEY FIRST BEGAN TO PATROL THE STREETS OF LONDON, THE CONSTABLES ENCOUNTERED CONSIDERABLE ANTAGONISM FROM THE PUBLIC. HOWEVER, THE TIDE OF PUBLIC OPINION WAS TURNED IN FAVOR OF THE POLICE BY THE CAREFUL ATTENTION PAID TO COMPLAINTS FILED AGAINST CONSTABLES, BY THE CONSTABLES' COMPETENCE AND SENSE OF RESPONSIBILITY AND HONOR, AND BY THE FORCE'S EFFECTIVE, RESTRAINED HANDLING OF AN ARMED MOB AT COLD BATH FIELDS IN MAY OF 1833.