Crime, Vigilantes and New Investigation Methods
Alcohol flowed freely through Whitechapel's numerous pubs and gin houses, fuelling violence and creating addicts who turned to crime. With around 1,200 prostitutes working the streets and brothels by 1888, violence against women was tragically common.
When Jack the Ripper struck between August and November 1888, murdering and mutilating five women, the police's lack of progress frustrated local businessmen. They formed the Whitechapel Vigilance Committee on 10th September, offering rewards and patrolling streets with torches and whistles. Unfortunately, they actually hindered the investigation by sending false leads and stirring up media criticism.
However, the Ripper case did showcase new investigative techniques that the Met was developing. These included house-to-house searches covering practically all of Whitechapel, distributing 80,000 leaflets asking for information, and following up clues from crime scenes and post-mortems.
Police also took detailed drawings and photographs of crime scenes, set up soup kitchens to encourage information from the poor, and systematically interviewed suspects and witnesses. These methods represented a revolution in detective work.
Historical Impact: The Jack the Ripper case, though never solved, helped establish modern investigative policing techniques still used today.