You had to pay a fee to have them attempt to solve whatever crime you wanted investigated.
Too bad if you’re poor.
If you’re rich the crime will be solved. Doesn’t matter if they got the right person.
Police take bribes, so they can find the other “right person”.
They were used to force workers back to work when they rebelled over poor pay and working conditions.
They were used to hunt down escaped slaves.
Want to know why people didn’t want state-funded cops? Because those police would be used to limit their freedoms. Anyone participated in a protest lately? How about being pulled over because of your color? Assets seized? Not that you would have avoided these things with private police, though. Modern police still protect the capital of the wealthy, just on the taxpayer dime now, the rich don’t have to pay them directly.