Merthyr Tydfil Police cause a diplomatic incident...
"Punish rude Merthyr Police says Spanish Ambassador...
Serious Diplomatic Incident Investigated
The Home Office and Foreign Office received an official complaint from Spain about a recent visit to Merthyr Tydfil by the Spanish Vice Consul, who was sent there on a fact finding mission.
The South Wales miners in the area had petitioned the Spanish Government in support of the Spanish miners.
When the local Chief of Police was asked about this by the Embassy staff he made remarks hostile to Spain; criticising the measures used to repress the recent disorders in Spain. His information came from the large Spanish population in Dowlais.
A sacking was avoided when the Foreign Office pointed out to the Home Office that they could not discipline the Merthyr Police as they were under the direct control of the Local Authority."
Official Home Office Papers October 1917
In the same period of history, police work included the need to deal with problems that disturbed the peace of a local library:
In 1909, The Chief Constable of the newly formed Merthyr Tydfil Borough Police wrote to his Constables to instruct them to pay frequent visits to the Free Library in Troedyrhiw and to tell them that,
"any cases of disorderly conduct be forthwith reported with a view to proceedings".
It seems that the librarian at Troedyrhiw some serious problem with the behaviour of some boys between 13 and 18 years of age, but that a Sergeant Lewis had personally cautioned them and also informed their parents.