Richard Mayne

Sir Richard Mayne, who lived from 1796 to 1868, was a barrister who served as joint first Commissioner of Police of the Metropolis, leading the London Metropolitan Police from its founding in 1829 until his death in 1868, a thirty nine year tenure that remains the longest in the force's history. Working alongside fellow Commissioner Charles Rowan, who brought organizational and military experience, Mayne contributed legal expertise and helped establish foundational principles governing police powers and the conduct of constables that continued to shape British policing long after his death.