Up until the last couple of centuries most countries didn’t have any sort of pro-active policing, beyond posting a bounty or a wanted notice. Unless you were c

Up until the last couple of centuries most countries didn’t have any sort of pro-active policing, beyond posting a bounty or a wanted notice. Unless you were caught red handed it was up to private citizens - thief takers, bounty hunters, or the aggrieved victims and family - to attempt to apprehend wanted criminals.