Jack The Ripper Essay Example

1829, a significant issue was the potential conflict between the police force and army. Historically, British citizens were unsettled by the sight of 'redcoat' soldiers patrolling the streets, as they were often used by the government to quell protests and maintain order, leading to a distrust of their actions. In contrast, the navy was revered as defenders of the country and held a heroic reputation.

The Metropolitan Police Force was provided with a blue uniform as it was deemed a more fitting color. Although constables were permitted to carry cutlasses, the use of firearms was prohibited, with the bobbies armed only with a "truncheon." Nevertheless, the force's strict regulations regarding crowd control rendered them principally unpopular upon their inception.

The baton charge, which resulted in the death of PC Culley during a riot at Cold Bath Fields in London in 1833, was the most widely used method until the First World War. Such incidents remained commonplace due to the absence of the Metropolitan Police Force in other regions of Britain.

Although the primary obligation of the London police force was to avert crime, efforts to unravel crimes were also made. The Metropolitan Police introduced the first detectives in 1842, but it wasn't until the 1860s that detective work began to be organized. The progress of detective methods was gradual with 216 detectives in 1879 and an increase to 294 in 1884. Additionally, the arrests made in 1879 amounted to 13,128, while those made in 1884 were 18,344.

1878 saw the re-organisation of the Detective Department and the establishment of the Criminal Intelligence Department (CID), resulting in more detectives and more criminals caught. Early in the 19th century, the police

learned the importance of footprints and used the same techniques as bobbies to pursue suspicious characters. While several forensic advancements came about, it wasn't until 1884 that John Toms was convicted of murder due to torn paper from his pistol wadding being identical to paper found at his victim's head wound.

Introduced in 1892, the Alphonse Bertillon method was a novel way of identification that measured various body parts to ensure uniqueness. Nevertheless, by 1901, fingerprinting had become the preferred and effective mode of identifying individuals. In June of 1902, it led to the conviction of a criminal. Prior to fingerprinting's arrival on the scene, eyewitness accounts were relied upon despite their untrustworthiness.

In the late 19th century, police officers were responsible for keeping the streets safe and controlling unruly crowds. Unfortunately, their actions during events like the 1889 dock strike created a perception of bias against the working class. This led to unequal treatment of individuals from lower income brackets as police assistance was seen as primarily benefiting the middle and upper classes. As a result, policing in impoverished areas such as Whitechapel in East London became more difficult.

2. What led to the Whitechapel murders gaining such widespread infamy in 1888? The Whitechapel murders became extremely popular and continue to be a key topic in our collective consciousness, with Jack the Ripper being a prominent figure. This gruesome serial killing incident was the subject of numerous books and films. The tragic events that took place in London captivated audiences outside of Britain as well, with global coverage of happenings in Whitechapel even existing back in 1888. During this time period, Whitechapel was heavily populated by

Jewish and immigrant communities.

The Whitechapel district was infamous for its high concentration of 1,200 prostitutes struggling to make ends meet. The majority of residents endured deplorable living conditions, resulting in an alarming child mortality rate where over half of East End's children did not survive beyond five years old. Surviving children often suffered from disabilities or mental illness. In addition, more than 200 lodging houses catered to nearly 9,000 people with long rooms filled with rows of beds. Jack the Ripper exploited this environment and abundance of prostitutes to carry out his murders amidst appalling conditions. Even prior to these atrocities, the region had already captured both horror and fascination due to its extreme poverty.

Scotland Yard had an easier time solving murders prior to the Whitechapel murders of 1888 when the motive was usually clear, such as inheritance or revenge stemming from jealousy. However, these particular crimes presented a challenge to Scotland Yard due to the absence of a clear motive and the seemingly random selection of victims from a particular class of women in East London - leaving every prostitute vulnerable to becoming a victim.

The widespread nature of prostitution and women's fears caused uproar, with Jack the Ripper emerging as one of the most popular serial killers who attracted a large audience. His unique killing style made his victims' cases more intriguing compared to other mass killings. Daily reports on Jack the Ripper's actions and police investigations were widely covered by the press, leading to intense competition among newspapers for higher sales during this period.

The Jack the Ripper case was sensationalized by the media, who created several myths to maintain public interest.

Reports suggest that the press may have even posed as the killer and profitably engaged in false reporting through hoax letters sent to police. As a result, these highly-publicized crimes were dramatized in newspapers worldwide.

The newspapers' continuous coverage of the killings caused fear among people which resulted in their ongoing purchase of papers. Moreover, the Education Act of 1870 played a significant role in highlighting Jack the Ripper's case as it mandated basic education for all and the populace's increased literacy piqued their interest in the Ripper's thrilling stories featured in newspapers.

80,000 homes received police leaflets regarding Jack the Ripper's murders, causing panic among families and apprehension for women walking the streets at night. The sexual serial killer caused worldwide attention due to his lack of effort to conceal the corpses and his risky choices of killing and mutilating. All his victims being prostitutes further intensified public interest, while his uncaught status has created a puzzle for people to solve. Such cases naturally generate human curiosity.

The Ripper case garnered widespread interest due to its involvement with Victorian taboos of sex and prostitution. The political turmoil in Britain at the time was further fueled by the political parties, such as the Liberals and Radicals, who sought to leverage the high prevalence of poverty to gain political power. Additionally, the Irish Home rule advocates attempted to exploit the murders to advance their own agenda.

Despite common murders in Whitechapel, Jack the Ripper's monstrous attacks on victims drew attention to the appalling conditions. The ability to read about the crimes for the first time was a primary reason for the high level of attention. The police were unable to

catch Jack the Ripper due to the worthlessness and low cost of life in Whitechapel during 1888.

The streets of Whitechapel were dangerous, with frequent occurrences of violent crimes such as abuse, drinking, robbery, and gang fights. In addition to these issues was the presence of Jack the Ripper - a serial killer who roamed East London's streets at night without being identified until now. This article highlights the challenges that the police faced in apprehending him due to difficulties in policing such crimes. Furthermore, excessive attention from the press only made it worse. It wasn't until Polly Nicholls' death that the authorities realized they were dealing with a serial killer.

As a result of the unprecedented nature of the situation, the police were perplexed in their efforts to locate a serial killer. They were unsure about how best to commence their search and which strategies would prove fruitful. Fingerprinting was not yet an established practice at that time, while photography had only recently been introduced. Moreover, forensic evidence was not available as an option, leaving only local clues and physical evidence on the victims as leads. Despite the gravity of the situation, the Home Secretary remained oblivious to it and refused to offer any reward following the first murder. Consequently, there was minimal motivation for individuals to come forward with information due to a lack of trustworthy witnesses.

It was noted that there was a misapplication and insufficiency of proof. The credibility of the witnesses was questionable as they tended to omit details they deemed insignificant. Moreover, witnesses had the tendency to enhance their accounts over time. The suspect was described as having a dark complexion

and a foreign appearance, as per all witnesses' accounts. Notably, one witness named Israel Schwartz claimed to have witnessed the suspect pushing Elizabeth Stride and calling out to another man named Lipski.

The witness's information is unhelpfully vague for the police investigation. Mistakes were also made by the police during the investigation of Catherine Eddowes' murder. While searching for clues, part of Eddowes' apron was found in Goulston Street in Whitechapel. Written above the apron in white chalk were the words: 'The Juwes are The men That Will not be Blamed For Nothing'. However, before the words could be photographed, Sir Charles Warren, commissioner of the Metropolitan Police, ordered them to be removed. This was done to prevent potential violence against Jews due to public opinion being swayed if the words were left. If the words were a significant clue, they would likely have been written by the murderer's own hand.

Despite the assumption of a local perpetrator, evidence was ultimately lost in the investigation of Polly Nicholls' murder in Whitechapel. The preceding attacks on Emma Smith and Martha Tabram led many to believe that someone involved in prostitution may have been responsible for the killings. However, due to the high level of immigration, there was a lack of knowledge about the potential identity of the Ripper. This uncertainty and pressure on the police resulted in numerous mistakes and cases of incompetence during the investigation.

In the past, police officers would disguise themselves as prostitutes, but their police boots made them stand out. The district of Whitechapel was known for being dangerous and bleak, which made police officers hesitant to patrol the area. The media coverage of

the Ripper's actions added to the pressure on detectives, making them nervous and their findings unreliable. Sensationalized news articles made the killer more cautious and also encouraged a flood of unhelpful letters from the public, overwhelming the police. Additionally, there was a lack of evidence left behind by the killer, including any footprints.

According to the police, the killer must have possessed specific medical knowledge to carry out the precise and clean manner in which he executed his murders. His level of expertise extended to cutting the body professionally, targeting specific internal organs with accuracy. Jack the Ripper's unpredictability made it challenging for law enforcement to intervene, as he targeted victims randomly and worked quickly, leaving them unable to defend themselves.

Before the authorities suspected that the perpetrator might be a medical professional, they searched several slaughterhouses in Whitechapel and interrogated 76 butchers and slaughterers, but this was a fruitless endeavour. The killer was deemed to possess medical expertise, and this notion caused a waste of police resources. Additionally, they mistakenly apprehended 'Leather Apron' or John Pizer.

Despite 'Leather Apron' already having a notorious reputation for extorting money from prostitutes through violent means, he was arrested only three days after Annie Chapman's murder. However, he was found to have alibis for both murders and was subsequently released, resulting in a significant waste of police resources. The Ripper murders appear to be an anomaly as more than 90% of murders are committed by individuals known to their victims, while it seems that in this case, the killer and victims were complete strangers.

The efficiency of Jack the Ripper made it difficult for the police to catch him, as he

only targeted potential victims and did not plan out his killings. The murders were committed at night in poorly lit back alleys of Whitechapel, allowing him to easily escape. Therefore, the primary reason for his evasion of capture was his effectiveness as a killer.

The killer was able to quickly kill his victims and left little evidence. In addition, the lack of forensics made it challenging to identify the perpetrator.