Where there police at the time of Shakespeare?

Yes, there were police during the time of Shakespeare. In medieval England, a special force known as the Watch or Watch and Ward would patrol major cities such as London and Cambridge during the night. These early forms of police were primarily responsible for preventing crimes and maintaining public order. They possessed legal authority, exercised through arrest powers and the ability to impose fines on individuals who violated city ordinances or behaved in a disorderly manner. Despite the existence of the Watch, law enforcement efforts during the Elizabethan era of Shakespeare's time was still relatively basic compared to modern policing systems.