The concept of uniformed police like we know them definitely originated around that time. The Met concept spread through the US, starting in the Northeast, wher

The concept of uniformed police like we know them definitely originated around that time. The Met concept spread through the US, starting in the Northeast, where it was predominantly used to protect capital (protecting warehouses, merchants, etc.). In the South, similar uniformed police organizations started from the perspective of ensuring slaves didn't run away. (And the stories from the 'police' of that era are truly, truly horrifying.) Over time, the two US concepts merged into the modern US Police organization, and yes, the Met among other things in the mid to late 1800s were part of the ancestry of modern police in America.