Hertfordshire Constabulary
Encyclopedia
Hertfordshire Constabulary is the territorial police force
responsible for policing the county of Hertfordshire
in England
. Its headquarters is situated in Welwyn Garden City
. The force is headed by Chief Constable
Andy Bliss and its manpower consists of over 3,900 Police Officers and staff, supported by more than 410 Special Constables.
Until 2000, parts of Hertfordshire (Hertsmere
and part of Broxbourne
council areas) were in the Metropolitan Police District
and covered by the Metropolitan Police Service
.
In 1965, the force had an establishment of 1,317 officers and an actual strength of 885.
The LPC replaced the previous three area commands, which reduced duplication and complexity in how frontline officers and staff are managed and supported.
The LPC comprises various units including:
) and non-emergency (101) telephone numbers. The Force Communications Room receives an average of 3000 calls a day and prioritises Police responses according to the nature of the received call.
The Constabulary also complies fully with the Freedom of Information Act 2000
and has been approved by the Information Commissioner. The Force maintains a 'transparent' service, whilst restricting some information for security purposes.
. They are participants in the Chiltern Air Support Unit
, in partnership with Thames Valley Police
and Bedfordshire Police, which operates helicopters
from RAF Benson
and RAF Henlow
.
, the then Home Secretary
, on 20 March 2006 would have seen the force merge with neighbouring forces Bedfordshire Police
and Essex Police
to form a strategic police force. However, in July 2006, the then Prime Minister Tony Blair
signalled that police force mergers will not be forced through by the central government, and given the amount of local opposition to such mergers it is not expected that any voluntary mergers will be carried out.
lists and commemorates all British police officers killed in the line of duty, and since its establishment in 1984 has erected over 38 memorials to some of those officers.
Since 1900, the following officers of Hertfordshire Constabulary are listed by the Trust as having been killed while attempting to prevent, stop or solve a criminal act:
Territorial police force
The phrase Territorial Police Force varies in precise meaning according to the country to which it is related, generally distinguishing a force whose area of responsibility is defined by sub-national boundaries from others which deal with the entire country or a restricted range of...
responsible for policing the county of Hertfordshire
Hertfordshire
Hertfordshire is a ceremonial and non-metropolitan county in the East region of England. The county town is Hertford.The county is one of the Home Counties and lies inland, bordered by Greater London , Buckinghamshire , Bedfordshire , Cambridgeshire and...
in England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
. Its headquarters is situated in Welwyn Garden City
Welwyn Garden City
-Economy:Ever since its inception as garden city, Welwyn Garden City has attracted a strong commercial base with several designated employment areas. Among the companies trading in the town are:*Air Link Systems*Baxter*British Lead Mills*Carl Zeiss...
. The force is headed by Chief Constable
Chief Constable
Chief constable is the rank used by the chief police officer of every territorial police force in the United Kingdom except for the City of London Police and the Metropolitan Police, as well as the chief officers of the three 'special' national police forces, the British Transport Police, Ministry...
Andy Bliss and its manpower consists of over 3,900 Police Officers and staff, supported by more than 410 Special Constables.
History
The Constabulary was founded in 1841, under the County Police Act, five years after the Hertford Borough Police and St Albans Borough Police had been formed. In 1889, the Hertford Borough Police force was merged into Hertfordshire. St Albans remained independent until 1947.Until 2000, parts of Hertfordshire (Hertsmere
Hertsmere
Hertsmere is a local government district and borough in Hertfordshire, England. Its council is based in Borehamwood. Other towns in the borough include Bushey, Elstree, Radlett and Potters Bar.-History:...
and part of Broxbourne
Broxbourne (borough)
Broxbourne is a local government district and borough in Hertfordshire, England. Its council is based in Cheshunt, other towns include Broxbourne, Hoddesdon and Waltham Cross. The eastern boundary of the district is the River Lea...
council areas) were in the Metropolitan Police District
Metropolitan Police District
The Metropolitan Police District is the police area which is policed by London's Metropolitan Police Service. It currently consists of Greater London, excluding the City of London.-History:...
and covered by the Metropolitan Police Service
Metropolitan Police Service
The Metropolitan Police Service is the territorial police force responsible for Greater London, excluding the "square mile" of the City of London which is the responsibility of the City of London Police...
.
In 1965, the force had an establishment of 1,317 officers and an actual strength of 885.
Organisation
On 1 April 2010, Hertfordshire Constabulary launched its Local Policing Command (LPC), providing a more efficient and effective way to oversee the delivery of local policing services across the county. Victims of crime and members of the public who make contact with us should not notice the changes which have been made to protect community policing and crime investigation at every level.The LPC replaced the previous three area commands, which reduced duplication and complexity in how frontline officers and staff are managed and supported.
The LPC comprises various units including:
- Intervention & Response (responding to 999 calls and on general patrol),
- Neighbourhood (covering local & quality of life issues),
- Plain clothes and Detective Units (Local Crime, Case Investigation, Tactical Team),
- Intelligence and Tasking Units,
- The LPC is supported by numerous centrally based units such as Firearms, Dog Section, Roads Policing, Air Support, Control Room, Forensic Services and Major Crime.
Contacting
Hertfordshire Constabulary operates Emergency (999/1121-1-2
112 is the principal emergency telephone number that can be dialed free of charge from any telephone or any mobile phone in order to reach emergency services in the European Union , its candidates for accession, members of the EEA agreement, as well as several other countries in the world...
) and non-emergency (101) telephone numbers. The Force Communications Room receives an average of 3000 calls a day and prioritises Police responses according to the nature of the received call.
The Constabulary also complies fully with the Freedom of Information Act 2000
Freedom of Information Act 2000
The Freedom of Information Act 2000 is an Act of Parliament of the Parliament of the United Kingdom that creates a public "right of access" to information held by public authorities. It is the implementation of freedom of information legislation in the United Kingdom on a national level...
and has been approved by the Information Commissioner. The Force maintains a 'transparent' service, whilst restricting some information for security purposes.
Joint Operations
Hertfordshire Constabulary regularly co-operates with neighbouring forces in joint operations, including a joint Major Crime Unit with Bedfordshire PoliceBedfordshire Police
Bedfordshire Police, is the territorial police force responsible for policing the ceremonial county of Bedfordshire in England, which includes the unitary authorities of Bedford, Central Bedfordshire and Luton. Its headquarters are in Kempston. The county had an estimated population of 602,500 in...
. They are participants in the Chiltern Air Support Unit
Chiltern Air Support Unit
The Chiltern Air Support Unit are a police helicopter unit that operates under a consortium agreement between Bedfordshire Police, Thames Valley Police and Hertfordshire Police.-History:...
, in partnership with Thames Valley Police
Thames Valley Police
Thames Valley Police, formerly known as Thames Valley Constabulary, is the territorial police force responsible for policing the Thames Valley area covered by the ceremonial counties of Berkshire, Buckinghamshire and Oxfordshire....
and Bedfordshire Police, which operates helicopters
Police aircraft
A police aircraft is an airplane, helicopter, powered paraglider, or blimpused in police operations. They are commonly used for traffic control, ground support, search and rescue, high-speed car pursuits, observation, air patrol and riot control...
from RAF Benson
RAF Benson
RAF Benson is a Royal Air Force station near Benson in South Oxfordshire, England. It is home to the Royal Air Force's support helicopters, the Aérospatiale Puma and the EH-101 Merlin, known as the Puma HC.Mk 1 and the Merlin HC.Mk 3 and Mk 3a....
and RAF Henlow
RAF Henlow
RAF Henlow is a Royal Air Force station in Bedfordshire, England, equidistant from Bedford, Luton and Stevenage. It houses the RAF Centre of Aviation Medicine, the RAF Signals Museum and 616 Volunteer Gliding Squadron.- History :...
.
Merger proposal
Proposals made by Charles ClarkeCharles Clarke
Charles Rodway Clarke is a British Labour Party politician, who was the Member of Parliament for Norwich South from 1997 until 2010, and served as Home Secretary from December 2004 until May 2006.-Early life:...
, the then Home Secretary
Home Secretary
The Secretary of State for the Home Department, commonly known as the Home Secretary, is the minister in charge of the Home Office of the United Kingdom, and one of the country's four Great Offices of State...
, on 20 March 2006 would have seen the force merge with neighbouring forces Bedfordshire Police
Bedfordshire Police
Bedfordshire Police, is the territorial police force responsible for policing the ceremonial county of Bedfordshire in England, which includes the unitary authorities of Bedford, Central Bedfordshire and Luton. Its headquarters are in Kempston. The county had an estimated population of 602,500 in...
and Essex Police
Essex Police
Essex Police is a territorial police force responsible for policing the county of Essex in the east of England.It is one of the largest non-metropolitan police forces in the United Kingdom, employing approximately 3,600 police officers and operating across an area of over and with a population of...
to form a strategic police force. However, in July 2006, the then Prime Minister Tony Blair
Tony Blair
Anthony Charles Lynton Blair is a former British Labour Party politician who served as the Prime Minister of the United Kingdom from 2 May 1997 to 27 June 2007. He was the Member of Parliament for Sedgefield from 1983 to 2007 and Leader of the Labour Party from 1994 to 2007...
signalled that police force mergers will not be forced through by the central government, and given the amount of local opposition to such mergers it is not expected that any voluntary mergers will be carried out.
Officers killed in the line of duty
The Police Memorial TrustPolice Memorial Trust
The Police Memorial Trust is a charitable organisation founded in 1984 and based in London. The trust's objective is to erect memorials to British police officers killed in the line of duty, at or near the spot where they died, thereby acting as a permanent reminder to the public of the sacrifice...
lists and commemorates all British police officers killed in the line of duty, and since its establishment in 1984 has erected over 38 memorials to some of those officers.
Since 1900, the following officers of Hertfordshire Constabulary are listed by the Trust as having been killed while attempting to prevent, stop or solve a criminal act:
- PC Frank Edwin Hulme, 1958 (collapsed and died after a violent arrest)
- PC Arthur William Burch and PC Anthony Richard Silcock, 1960 (their vehicle crashed during a police pursuitCar chaseA car chase is the vehicular pursuit of a suspect by law enforcement officers. Car chases are often captured on film and broadcast due to the availability of video footage recorded by police cars and police and media helicopters participating in the chase...
) - WPC Mandy Dawn Rayner, 1982 (fatally injured when her stationary vehicle was struck during a police pursuit)
- PC Francis John Mason QGM, 1988 (shot, posthumously awarded the Queen's Gallantry MedalQueen's Gallantry MedalThe Queen's Gallantry Medal is the third level civil decoration of the United Kingdom and Commonwealth.It was instituted on 20 June 1974 to replace the Order of the British Empire for Gallantry, the British Empire Medal for Gallantry, and the Colonial Police Medal for Gallantry...
)
See also
- Law enforcement in the United Kingdom
- List of law enforcement agencies in the United Kingdom
- Table of police forces in the United KingdomTable of police forces in the United KingdomThis table of police forces in the United Kingdom includes territorial police forces and special police forces. It does not include non-police law enforcement agencies or bodies of constables not constituted as police forces.-Table:-England and Wales:...