Thief catchers were popularly known as "thief-takers." This was a job in the<em> 19th century of England </em>that allowed the hired person (thief-taker) to capture a criminal. They were hired by the <u>victims of the crime</u> and was also paid with bounty by the government (just like bounty hunters).
The reason behind this was the disorder that occurred in the streets of England when a huge number of people migrated to the area. In the <em>17th century, </em>the<u> existing of property crimes became evident.</u><u> Theft became a common crime.</u> These included<em> robberies, shoplifting, counterfeiting money and the like. </em>Since it was very hard to chase and arrest offenders, the thief-takers became a new role in the society. The number of people who applied for the position grew until it became popular in the 19th century.
