Thief-takers

What were thief-takers?

Thief-takers were mercenaries who tracked down criminals and stolen goods for the reward of money.

Why were thief-takers part of law enforcement?

There were 3 main reasons why thief-takers were used as part of law enforcement:

• ❖ Thief-takers were hired by victims of crime, who were responsible for catching the criminal themselves.
• ❖ They were sometimes criminals who stole the goods first before claiming the money for their return.
• ❖ Criminal thief-takers sometimes used their role to inform on rival criminal gangs.