▁chief ▁magistr ate ▁Henry ▁Field ing . ▁Despite ▁being ▁blind ed ▁in ▁a ▁n avy ▁accident ▁at ▁the ▁age ▁of ▁ 1 9 , ▁John ▁set ▁up ▁his ▁own ▁business ▁and , ▁in ▁his ▁spare ▁time , ▁studied ▁law ▁with ▁Henry . ▁ ▁App oint ed ▁Henry ' s ▁personal ▁assistant ▁in ▁ 1 7 5 0 , ▁John ▁helped ▁him ▁to ▁root ▁out ▁cor ruption ▁and ▁improve ▁the ▁compet ence ▁of ▁those ▁engaged ▁in ▁admin ister ing ▁justice ▁in ▁London . ▁They ▁formed ▁the ▁first ▁professional ▁police ▁force , ▁the ▁Bow ▁Street ▁R unn ers . ▁Through ▁the ▁regular ▁circul ation ▁of ▁a ▁police ▁gaz ette ▁containing ▁descri ptions ▁of ▁known ▁crim inals , ▁Field ing ▁also ▁established ▁the ▁basis ▁for ▁the ▁first ▁police ▁criminal ▁records ▁department . ▁ ▁When ▁Henry ▁died ▁in ▁ 1 7 5 4 , ▁John ▁was ▁appointed ▁magistr ate ▁at ▁Bow ▁Street ▁in ▁his ▁place , ▁becoming ▁ren owned ▁as ▁the ▁" Bl ind ▁Be ak ", ▁and ▁alleg edly ▁being ▁able ▁to ▁recognize ▁three ▁thousand ▁crim inals ▁by ▁the ▁sounds ▁of ▁their ▁voices . ▁He ▁also ▁continued ▁to ▁develop ▁his ▁ideas ▁on ▁crime ▁prevent ion ▁and ▁youth ▁employ ment , ▁helping ▁to ▁found ▁the ▁As yl um ▁for ▁Or phan ▁Girls ▁in ▁Lamb eth ▁in ▁ 1 7 5 8 . ▁He ▁was ▁kn ight ed ▁in ▁ 1 7 6 1 . ▁ ▁Bibli ography ▁ ▁In ▁popular ▁culture ▁ ▁A ▁fict ional ized ▁Sir ▁John ▁Field ing ▁is ▁the ▁protagon ist ▁of ▁eleven ▁historical