The Depression is usually cited as the reason for the origins of provincial policing in Nova Scotia. This neglects the period preceding the Depression. In particular, the struggle to enforce prohibition between 1921 and 1929 resulted in the centralization of social control in Nova Scotia. Provincial policing became the unintentional public policy success of the prohibition era. A centralized temperance inspectorate formed the foundation of provincial policing. Moreover, between 1930 and 1932, the Nova Scotia Police was established to enforce the Nova Scotia Liquor Control Act which, in turn, generated revenue on behalf of an emerging welfare state. In the final analysis, provincial policing was influenced by middle-class prohibitionists, but it ultimately reflected the interests of state bureaucrats.