In "Down With The Tide" (Household Words, February 5, 1853), Charles Dickens describes a night out with the Thames Police force. The police point out that many suicides take place on the Thames, principally at Waterloo Bridge. The following additional information is provided:

Dickens mentions that there are different kinds of boats that the Thames Police use, including duty boats and supervision boats. The duty boats are rowed "Ran-Dan", a rower at each oar (starboard and port), and one with a pair of sculls. The duty boat bears a total of four people: the three rowers and a "sitter", who is an Inspector.

A typical oar usually pivots through an oar lock attached to the gunwale on the side of a boat. A scull (sometimes called a 'sweep oar') is a single oar mounted through a pivot point at the stern. The person who sculls often works the scull while standing. The Thames Police duty boats use a sculler with two sculls, used simultaneously, but often a sculler uses only a single scull, as exemplified by Lizzie Hexam with her father, Gaffer.

Dickens notes that the Thames Police force district extends from Battersea to Barking Creek. It is composed of 98 men, eight duty boats and two supervision boats. The police wait silently in dark places. One of the Thames Policemen, whom Dickens called "Pea", tells Dickens that the reason for lurking quietly in the dark is that "River thieves can always get rid of stolen properly in a moment, by dropping it overboard. We want to take them with the property, so we lurk about and come out upon 'em sharp. If they see us or hear us, over it goes." Theft is aided by the ability of the Thames river thieves to meld into the tiers of boats in the pool at night.

Dickens notes that there are four kinds of thieves on the Thames River: