Hampshire Constabulary , HAMPSHIRE CONSTABULARY

The force area includes the cities of Winchester, Southampton and Portsmouth^[3]. The current Hampshire Constabulary dates from 1967 but modern policing in Hampshire can be traced back to 1832.

[edit] History

[edit] Geographic history

The first police force formed in Hampshire was Winchester City Police in 1832. Hampshire County Constabulary was formed seven years later in 1839^[4] as a result of the County Police Act of that year. An Isle of Wight County Constabulary was formed in 1890 from the Isle of Wight part of the Hampshire force, with the granting of administrative county status to the Island.

Hampshire Constabulary absorbed various minor borough forces in the 19th century:

In 1943, during the Second World War, police forces on the south-eastern coast of England were amalgamated - with a single Sussex Constabulary being formed and various borough forces becoming part of Kent Constabulary being formed. In Hampshire, the Isle of Wight and Winchester forces were merged into the Hampshire Joint Police Force, with the county borough forces of Southampton City Police and Portsmouth City Police remaining independent.

In 1948, the merger was made permanent and regularised, with Hampshire Joint Police Force being renamed Hampshire Constabulary (elsewhere, Kent retained a single police force, but five forces re-established in Sussex). A separate force for the county borough of Bournemouth was created on April 1, 1948 (this later merged with Dorset Constabulary to form the Dorset and Bournemouth Constabulary).

The name was changed once again in 1952, to Hampshire and Isle of Wight Constabulary. In 1967 the Hampshire, Southampton and Portsmouth forces were amalgamated under the Police Act 1964 becoming the current Hampshire Constabulary. In 1974, the Local Government Act meant that responsibility for policing Christchurch moved to the control of Dorset. Since then, apart from minor border changes, the force area has remained the same.

In 1965, the force had an establishment of 1,346 and an actual strength of 1,137.^[5]

Proposals made by the Home Secretary on March 20, 2006 would see the force stay as a standalone strategic force for Hampshire and the Isle of Wight.^[6]

Hampshire Constabulary is overseen by Hampshire Police Authority.[1] A police authority is an independent organisation that ensures the efficiency and effectiveness of a police force.

[edit] Time-line of policing in Hampshire and the Isle of Wight

The different police forces and names of forces that have policed the modern counties of Hampshire and the Isle of Wight are graphically illustrated in the following time-line:

[edit] Chief Constables

[edit] Significant events

[edit] Structure and organisation

[edit] Headquarters

The headquarters of Hampshire Constabulary is located in a tall post-war office building in West Hill, Winchester on the site of the first headquarters which were built in 1847. The building can be seen on the skyline from most approaches to the city. The force’s central administration departments are based here together with the Chief Constable and staff officers. Plans have been announced (24 June 2008) to sell off the building for development and to move the headquarters to Chandlers Ford.

However the majority of the operational headquarters’ departments including the force control room are located at the Support Headquarters in Netley, just outside Southampton.

[edit] Territorial organisation

Until April 2006 Hampshire Constabulary was divided into 10 Basic Command Units (BCUs) with 46 associated police stations as follows:

[edit] Current organisation

[edit] Members of ACPO

Chief Constable (CC) Alex Marshall
Deputy Chief Constable (DCC) Simon Cole
Assistant Chief Constable Territorial Operations (ACC(TO)) (Temporary) John Campbell
Assistant Chief Constable Specialist Operations (ACC(SO)) David Pryde
Assistant Chief Constable Personnel and Operational Services (ACC(OS)) (Temporary) Stephanie Morgan
Director of Finance and Resources Michael Coombes^[14]

The force is currently divided into 6 local policing areas known as Operational Command Units (OCUs). The accompanying map shows the divisions, along with major cities in the county. There are also forcewide OCUs for Specialist Operations, They include:
Operations OCU
Which itself encompasses:

[edit] Equipment

[edit] Headgear

While on foot Hampshire Constabulary male constables and sergeants wear the combed version of the custodian helmet. Hampshire is one of the few British constabularies not to use the Brunswick Star; instead the helmet carries a crowned rose within a wreath with a banner "Hampshire". There are two different types of helmet plates according to rank. Constables' plates are larger and of uncoloured white metal. These are the largest helmet plates in England and make Hampshire officers stand out when in company of officers from other forces.

Sergeants' helmets have plates which are smaller and contain enamelled blue and red colouring. The colours are present in the name "Hampshire", the centre of the Hampshire rose and the centre of the crown.

As in other forces, officers working in vehicles wear peaked caps instead of helmets.

[edit] Vehicles and livery

Hampshire Constabulary has had a distinctive traditional vehicle paint scheme of red and white diagonal stripes above a chequered blue and white band for many years. This is now less commonly used than the more generic and nationally recognised blue and yellow Battenburg markings.
The force uses many different vehicles. Some of them are listed below with principal uses.

[edit] Hampshire Constabulary in fiction and the media

[edit] Graham Hurley’s ‘Joe Faraday’ series.

Graham Hurley draws on his knowledge of the Hampshire Constabulary, in particular Portsmouth CID for his series of police procedural novels. Set in Portsmouth and revolving around the fictional Detective Inspector Joe Faraday they portray a gritty picture of the city and its crime.^[15]

[edit] Inspector Wexford - The Ruth Rendell Mysteries

Ruth Rendell’s series of crime novels are set in the fictional town of Kingsmarkham. In the books this is described as being in Sussex. When the books were televised, starring George Baker as Detective Chief Inspector Reg Wexford, Romsey in Hampshire was chosen as the setting for the location filming. Baker’s character is often seen wearing a Hampshire Constabulary tie and warrant card badge. Hampshire Constabulary authorised the use of the force logo and have provided props and material for the series.^[16]

[edit] Traffic Cops

Hampshire Constabulary has featured in various series of Traffic Cops, an occasional BBC One documentary. The programme focuses on the work of Hampshire's Roads Policing officers and highlights issues relating to road safety and reducing the number of road deaths and serious injuries. In previous series, Traffic Cops has attracted over seven million viewers.

[edit] See also

[edit] External links

[edit] Notes

^ Hampshire Constabulary: Specialist Operations
^ http://www.hampshire.police.uk/Internet/localpolicing/index.htm, Hampshire Constabulary Jurisdiction Chart Showing The Area that the Hampshire Constabulary has Jurisdiction in.
^ http://www.hampshire.police.uk/Internet/localpolicing/index.htm, Hampshire Constabulary Jurisdiction Chart Showing the Cities in the Hampshire Constabulary's Jurisdiction
^ http://www.hants.org.uk/hchs/summary.html, A Brief Summary of the History of the Hampshire Constabulary Also Including the Year of Founding.
^ The Thin Blue Line, Police Council for Great Britain Staff Side Claim for Undermanning Supplements, 1965
^ http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk_politics/4825524.stm BBC News, Accessdate March 28th 2007
^ http://www.hampshire.police.uk
^ Neyroud, P. 'Community Policing' Policing (2007) 1(2):127-129
^ http://www.hants.org.uk/hchs/storm_sw.html Retrieved on February 5th 2008
^ Frontline (Force newspaper), June 2006.
^ http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/hampshire/7732250.stm
^ http://www.hampshire.police.uk/NR/rdonlyres/B5B76101-A8F4-4CFE-AD98-1350A93E0536/0/officerconvictioninformation.pdf
^ http://www.pressassociation.co.uk/component/pafeeds/2008/11/15/police_with_crime_records_defended?camefrom=home
^ Hampshire Constabulary: Home
^ http://www.grahamhurley.co.uk/books/intro.htm, Retrieved on February 22, 2006.
^ http://www.tabardroad.co.uk/, Inspector Wexford: The Ruth Rendell Mysteries starring George Baker and Christopher Ravenscroft:. Retrieved on February 22, 2006.

Hampshire Constabulary

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