Although law enforcement of a kind had been present in the Royal Burgh of Inverness since time immemorial, by 1827 the Inverness Courier complained of the lack of an efficient police.
A body of six watchmen patrolled the burgh at night.
The County Superintendent took overall command of the joint organisation and Town Serjeant Alexander Grant became Sub-Inspector for the Inverness District (including Inverness Burgh), with additional watchmen being appointed for the Burgh and Landward area.
This arrangement existed until 1847,[1] when the Royal Burgh set up its own police force, authority to do so being contained in a local Act of Parliament.
The first Superintendent of Inverness Burgh Police was David Anderson, appointed on 4 September 1847.