On 30th June 1800,  Britain’s first Police Act,  The Glasgow Police Act of 1800, received Royal Assent.

In late September a city merchant  John Stenhouse, was appointed Master of Police and he set about organising and recruiting the force. He appointed three sergeants and six police officers, dividing them into sections of one sergeant and two police officers to each section.

In 1801 the population of Glasgow was estimated as 77,000. Within 20 years the population had almost doubled to 147,000 and a hundred years later, in 1901, the population was ten times as large, estimated at 762,000.

On 15 November 1800 the Glasgow Police, newly formed under the Glasgow Police Act of that year, mustered in the Session House of the Laigh Kirk, Trongate, for the first time.

There were three reliefs. One sergeant and two police officers were on duty in the Police Office for twenty-four hours. The other section on patrol duty and the third section was entitled to rest for twenty-four hours. The sixty-eight watchmen were also there in their long brown coats with their personal numbers painted on their backs. Each carried a lantern and long stave. They would man sentry boxes within the City while the police officers patrolled to prevent crime. – The Glasgow Police Museum