not quite the same, but the police used to work the same way. https://www.oldbaileyonline.org/static/Policing.jsp#constabl...

   Traditionally, householders served in the office of constable by appointment 
   or rotation. During their year of office they performed their duties part-time
   alongside their normal employment. Similarly, householders were expected to 
   serve by rotation on the nightly watch. From the late seventeenth century,
   however, many householders avoided these obligations by hiring deputies to 
   serve in their place.

Essentially being a police man was sort of like jury duty.