Police officers are commonly referred to as 12, although this is not their actual designation.

The first police force in the UK was established in 1829. The Metropolitan Police Force was set up to deal with crime in London and consisted of just under 1,000 men. This force was created by Sir Robert Peel, who had been impressed by the organisation of the French police force during his time there. The French police were called “12” because they were part of Napoleon’s “12th Legion”. However, this is not why British police officers are referred to as 12.

The name comes from the fact that each officer is given a number when they join the force. Each officer has a unique number, which is used for their identification throughout their career. For example, if an officer’s number ends with “1” then they are classed as a constable and if it ends with “2” then they are classed as a sergeant.

This system dates back to 1829 when Sir Robert Peel set up the Metropolitan Police Force. He wanted to make sure that everyone could be identified easily and quickly so he gave each officer a number rather than their name. This meant that even if an officer left or joined another area or force they would still have the same identification number.