Police Act 1964
Encyclopedia
The Police Act 1964 was an Act
of the Parliament of the United Kingdom
that updated the legislation governing police forces in England and Wales
, constituted new police authorities, gave the Home Secretary
new powers to supervise local constabularies, and allowed for the amalgamation
of existing forces into more efficient units.
to "review the constitutional position of the police throughout Great Britain".
The appointment of the commission followed two high-profile scandals involving borough police forces. These exposed problems in the relationship between the chief constable and Watch Committee of each borough, and disputes between central and local government over the control of local forces. In 1958, following a trial into police corruption in Brighton
, the presiding judge stated that the judiciary could have no faith in police evidence until the chief constable had been replaced. Brighton Watch Committee complained that they could not properly supervise the force, as they had no access to the annual report of Her Majesty's Inspectorate of Constabulary
, which was sent to the Home Secretary. In 1959 the watch committee of Nottingham suspended the city's chief constable, Aethalstan Popkess, when he refused to furnish a report on his investigations into alleged corruption of councillors. Details of the investigation were however leaked to the press on the eve of municipal elections. The committee were subsequently forced to reinstate Popkess when the Home Secretary, Rab Butler
, threatened to withdraw central government funding.
Among the particular subjects for investigation by the commission were:
The commission published its final report on 31 May 1962. This recommended an urgent review on the number and size of police areas. Among its recommendations were:
The commission noted that of 158 police forces in Great Britain, 97 had an establishment of less than 350.Royal commission reject national police force, The Times, 1 June 1962
on 10 June 1964. Among its provisions were:
Luton's force had only been formed on 1 April, when it became a county borough, but Mr Brooke said he did not regard the continuance of its existence as in the best interests of policing efficiency. The amalgamations were vigorously, but unsuccessfully, opposed by the boroughs: Luton's campaign went as far as serving a High Court writ on the Home Secretary in an attempt to stop the merger.
In the meantime, the first amalgamation under the Act took place on April 1, 1965 as the result of local government reorganisation, with the formation of the Mid Anglia Constabulary.
Following a change in government at the general election
, Frank Soskice
became Home Secretary. In 1965 he announced that Exeter City's force would be merged with that of Devon. In addition to the Bedfordshire/Luton, Devon/Exeter, and Northamptonshire/Northampton mergers, 1966 saw the establishment of a new West Midlands Constabulary covering the county boroughs of Dudley
, Walsall
, Warley
, West Bromwich
and Wolverhampton
, which had been constituted or enlarged by local government reorganisation.
, Roy Jenkins
announced that the number of police forces in England
and Wales
was to be reduced from 117 to 49. Where the local authorities concerned did not agree a voluntary scheme he would make a compulsory amalgamation.
† Existing combined force
‡ New county borough
. Police areas were realigned to correspond to one or more of the non-metropolitan or metropolitan counties
created by the 1972 legislation. The sections on the composition of police authorities were repealed by the Police and Magistrates' Courts Act 1994, and new authorities constituted.
Act of Parliament
An Act of Parliament is a statute enacted as primary legislation by a national or sub-national parliament. In the Republic of Ireland the term Act of the Oireachtas is used, and in the United States the term Act of Congress is used.In Commonwealth countries, the term is used both in a narrow...
of the Parliament of the United Kingdom
Parliament of the United Kingdom
The Parliament of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland is the supreme legislative body in the United Kingdom, British Crown dependencies and British overseas territories, located in London...
that updated the legislation governing police forces in England and Wales
England and Wales
England and Wales is a jurisdiction within the United Kingdom. It consists of England and Wales, two of the four countries of the United Kingdom...
, constituted new police authorities, gave the 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...
new powers to supervise local constabularies, and allowed for the amalgamation
Consolidation (business)
Consolidation or amalgamation is the act of merging many things into one. In business, it often refers to the mergers and acquisitions of many smaller companies into much larger ones. In the context of financial accounting, consolidation refers to the aggregation of financial statements of a group...
of existing forces into more efficient units.
Royal Commission
A Royal Commission on the Police had been appointed in 1960 under the chairmanship of Henry WillinkHenry Willink
Sir Henry Urmston Willink, 1st Baronet PC, MC, KC , was a British politician and public servant.He is best known for his service in the Conservative Party as Minister of Health from 1943-1945 in the wartime Coalition Government of the United Kingdom...
to "review the constitutional position of the police throughout Great Britain".
The appointment of the commission followed two high-profile scandals involving borough police forces. These exposed problems in the relationship between the chief constable and Watch Committee of each borough, and disputes between central and local government over the control of local forces. In 1958, following a trial into police corruption in Brighton
Brighton
Brighton is the major part of the city of Brighton and Hove in East Sussex, England on the south coast of Great Britain...
, the presiding judge stated that the judiciary could have no faith in police evidence until the chief constable had been replaced. Brighton Watch Committee complained that they could not properly supervise the force, as they had no access to the annual report of Her Majesty's Inspectorate of Constabulary
Her Majesty's Inspectorate of Constabulary
Her Majesty's Inspectorate of Constabulary and Her Majesty's Inspectorate of Constabulary for Scotland in the United Kingdom have statutory responsibility for the inspection of police forces.-England and Wales:...
, which was sent to the Home Secretary. In 1959 the watch committee of Nottingham suspended the city's chief constable, Aethalstan Popkess, when he refused to furnish a report on his investigations into alleged corruption of councillors. Details of the investigation were however leaked to the press on the eve of municipal elections. The committee were subsequently forced to reinstate Popkess when the Home Secretary, Rab Butler
Rab Butler
Richard Austen Butler, Baron Butler of Saffron Walden, KG CH DL PC , who invariably signed his name R. A. Butler and was familiarly known as Rab, was a British Conservative politician...
, threatened to withdraw central government funding.
Among the particular subjects for investigation by the commission were:
- The constitution and functions of police authorities
- The accountability of police officers including chief constables
- The relationship of the police to the public and procedures for dealing with complaints
- The remuneration of police constables
The commission published its final report on 31 May 1962. This recommended an urgent review on the number and size of police areas. Among its recommendations were:
- No single national force was to be formed, but central government should exercise more powers over local forces
- Retention of small police forces of between 200 and 350 officers "justifiable only by special circumstances such as the distribution of the population and the geography of the area"
- The optimum size for a police force was more than 500 members, with the police area having a population of at least 250,000
- There was "a case" for single police forces for major conurbations
- A large reduction in the number of forces in Scotland was needed, to between 20 and 33
The commission noted that of 158 police forces in Great Britain, 97 had an establishment of less than 350.Royal commission reject national police force, The Times, 1 June 1962
The Act
The Act received the royal assentRoyal Assent
The granting of royal assent refers to the method by which any constitutional monarch formally approves and promulgates an act of his or her nation's parliament, thus making it a law...
on 10 June 1964. Among its provisions were:
- England and Wales, outside London, was to consist of "police areaPolice areaA police area is the area for which a territorial police force in the United Kingdom is responsible for policing.Every location in the United Kingdom has a designated territorial police force with statutory responsibility for providing policing services and enforcing criminal law, which is set out...
s". These were to be administrative counties, county boroughs or "combined police areas", consisting of combinations of counties and county boroughs. - The Home Secretary had the power to force compulsory amalgamation schemes from 1 July 1964.
- New "Police AuthoritiesPolice authorityA police authority in the United Kingdom, is a body charged with securing efficient and effective policing of a police area served by a territorial police force or the area and/or activity policed by a special police force...
" were to be established: these were to be known as watch committees (in boroughs), police committees (in counties - replacing joint standing committees) or combined police authorities. - Police authorities were to consist of two-thirds elected members and one-third magistrates. Previously all members of watch committees had been councillors or aldermen, while county SJCs were fifty percent county councillors and aldermen, fifty percent magistrates.
- The police authorities had less powers than their predecessors, especially the boroughs, with the Home Secretary taking on more supervision than before. The authority were required to maintain an efficient police force, but had no operational role.
- Chief constables were given the power to appoint, direct and control special constables.
- The chief constable could appoint police cadetsBritish Police CadetsThe term Police Cadets has two principle meanings in the United Kingdom. It may refer to the Police Cadet scheme which allows young adults to serve on the pay-roll of their local police in a virtual apprenticeship, leading to subsequent enrollment as a full-time Police Constable; this scheme was...
with the permission of the authority. - The chief constable was required to make an annual report to the police authority.
- A police authority could also request other reports on policing in the police area.
- Police authorities were empowered to choose chief constables, deputy and assistant chief constables from a Home OfficeHome OfficeThe Home Office is the United Kingdom government department responsible for immigration control, security, and order. As such it is responsible for the police, UK Border Agency, and the Security Service . It is also in charge of government policy on security-related issues such as drugs,...
shortlist. They could also require the Chief Constable to retire, subject to the Home Secretary's approval. - The Home Secretary could order a complaint against a police force to be investigated by officers of another force.
Amalgamations
On 10 July 1964, the Home Secretary, Henry Brooke, announced he would be using his powers under the Act to amalgamate the county borough forces of Luton and Northampton with the county forces of Bedfordshire and Northamptonshire respectively.Luton's force had only been formed on 1 April, when it became a county borough, but Mr Brooke said he did not regard the continuance of its existence as in the best interests of policing efficiency. The amalgamations were vigorously, but unsuccessfully, opposed by the boroughs: Luton's campaign went as far as serving a High Court writ on the Home Secretary in an attempt to stop the merger.
In the meantime, the first amalgamation under the Act took place on April 1, 1965 as the result of local government reorganisation, with the formation of the Mid Anglia Constabulary.
Following a change in government at the general election
United Kingdom general election, 1964
The United Kingdom general election of 1964 was held on 15 October 1964, more than five years after the preceding election, and thirteen years after the Conservative Party had retaken power...
, Frank Soskice
Frank Soskice
Frank Soskice, Baron Stow Hill PC was a British lawyer and Labour Party politician.-Background and education:...
became Home Secretary. In 1965 he announced that Exeter City's force would be merged with that of Devon. In addition to the Bedfordshire/Luton, Devon/Exeter, and Northamptonshire/Northampton mergers, 1966 saw the establishment of a new West Midlands Constabulary covering the county boroughs of Dudley
Dudley
Dudley is a large town in the West Midlands county of England. At the 2001 census , the Dudley Urban Sub Area had a population of 194,919, making it the 26th largest settlement in England, the second largest town in the United Kingdom behind Reading, and the largest settlement in the UK without...
, Walsall
Walsall
Walsall is a large industrial town in the West Midlands of England. It is located northwest of Birmingham and east of Wolverhampton. Historically a part of Staffordshire, Walsall is a component area of the West Midlands conurbation and part of the Black Country.Walsall is the administrative...
, Warley
County Borough of Warley
Warley was a county borough and civil parish forming part of the West Midlands conurbation, England, and geographical county of Worcestershire. It was formed in 1966 by the combination of the existing county borough of Smethwick with the municipal boroughs of Oldbury and Rowley Regis Warley was a...
, West Bromwich
West Bromwich
West Bromwich is a town within the Metropolitan Borough of Sandwell, in the West Midlands, England. It is north west of Birmingham lying on the A41 London-to-Birkenhead road. West Bromwich is part of the Black Country...
and Wolverhampton
Wolverhampton
Wolverhampton is a city and metropolitan borough in the West Midlands, England. For Eurostat purposes Walsall and Wolverhampton is a NUTS 3 region and is one of five boroughs or unitary districts that comprise the "West Midlands" NUTS 2 region...
, which had been constituted or enlarged by local government reorganisation.
1966 amalgamation scheme
On 16 May 1966, the new Home SecretaryHome 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...
, Roy Jenkins
Roy Jenkins
Roy Harris Jenkins, Baron Jenkins of Hillhead OM, PC was a British politician.The son of a Welsh coal miner who later became a union official and Labour MP, Roy Jenkins served with distinction in World War II. Elected to Parliament as a Labour member in 1948, he served in several major posts in...
announced that the number of police forces 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...
and Wales
Wales
Wales is a country that is part of the United Kingdom and the island of Great Britain, bordered by England to its east and the Atlantic Ocean and Irish Sea to its west. It has a population of three million, and a total area of 20,779 km²...
was to be reduced from 117 to 49. Where the local authorities concerned did not agree a voluntary scheme he would make a compulsory amalgamation.
Proposed amalgamations
- Lancashire County Constabulary to merge with borough police forces of Barrow-in-Furness, Blackburn, Blackpool, Bolton, Burnley, Oldham, Rochdale, St Helens, Southport, Warrington and Wigan
- Borough forces of Manchester, Salford and Stockport to merge
- Bootle Borough Police and Liverpool City Police
- Cheshire† County Constabulary to merge with Wallasey and Birkenhead Borough Police
- Cumberland and Westmorland Constabulary † to merge with Carlisle City Police
- Durham County Constabulary to merge with Sunderland Borough Police
- The police of the new county boroughCounty boroughCounty borough is a term introduced in 1889 in the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland , to refer to a borough or a city independent of county council control. They were abolished by the Local Government Act 1972 in England and Wales, but continue in use for lieutenancy and shrievalty in...
of Teesside to merge with the Yorkshire North Riding Constabulary - Sheffield City Police and Rotherham Borough Police to merge
- Amalgamation of Yorkshire West Riding Constabulary with borough police forces of Barnsley, Bradford, Dewsbury, Doncaster, Halifax, Huddersfield and Wakefield
- Yorkshire East Riding Constabulary to merge with city police of Kingston upon Hull and York
- Worcestershire, Herefordshire and Shropshire County Constabularies to merge with Worcester City Police
- Leicestershire & Rutland Constabulary† to merge with Leicester City Police
- Staffordshire County Constabulary and Stoke-on-Trent City Police
- Derbyshire County Constabulary and Derby Borough Police
- Warwickshire County Constabulary and Coventry City Police
- Lincolnshire† Constabulary, with Lincoln City Police and Grimsby Borough Police
- Nottinghamshire County Constabulary and Nottingham City Police
- Norfolk County Constabulary, Norwich City Police and Great Yarmouth Borough Police
- East Suffolk Constabulary, West Suffolk Constabulary and Ipswich Borough Police
- East Sussex Constabulary, West Sussex constabulary and the borough forces of Brighton, Eastbourne and Hastings
- Essex Constabulary and Southend-on-Sea Borough Police
- Berkshire, Buckinghamshire and Oxfordshire Constabularies with Oxford City Police and Reading Borough Police
- Somerset County Constabulary and Bath City Police (voluntary scheme agreed)
- Bournemouth Borough Police and Dorset Constabulary
- Portsmouth City Police, Southampton City Police and Hampshire & Isle of Wight Constabulary †
- Cornwall Constabulary, Devon & Exeter Police† and Plymouth City Police
- Denbighshire, Flintshire and Gwynedd† Constabularies
- Glamorgan Constabularies with Merthyr Tydfil, Cardiff and Swansea borough forces
- Pembrokeshire, Cardiganshire & Carmarthenshire† and Mid Wales† Constabularies
- Monmouthshire Constabulary and Newport Borough Police
- It was also envisaged that the forces of Gateshead, Newcastle upon Tyne, South Shields and Tynemouth would be combined into a single Tyneside force if the recommendations of the Local Government Commission for EnglandLocal Government Commission for England (1958 - 1967)The Local Government Commission for England was established by the Local Government Act 1958 to review the organisation of local government, and make "such proposals as are hereinafter authorised for effecting changes appearing to the Commissions desirable in the interests of effective and...
were carried into effect.
- It was also envisaged that the forces of Gateshead, Newcastle upon Tyne, South Shields and Tynemouth would be combined into a single Tyneside force if the recommendations of the Local Government Commission for England
† Existing combined force
Amalgamations carried out
The amalgamations carried out under the Act differed slightly from the original scheme announced in 1966. In Yorkshire, The North and East Riding constabularies were combined with York City Police, while the borough forces of Hull and Teesside were allowed to continue unmerged. Stockport Borough Police were amalgamated with the Cheshire Constabulary instead of with Manchester and Salford, and the scheme for a Tyneside force was dropped when the Local Government Commission's recommendations were not carried out. Instead Northumberland Constabulary was merged with the two county boroughs north of the Tyne, and Durham Constabulary absorbed those on south Tyneside.| Date | New force | Old forces |
|---|---|---|
| 1 April 1965The force's foundation coincided with the creation of the two new administrative counties of Cambridgeshire and Isle of Ely Cambridgeshire and Isle of Ely Cambridgeshire and Isle of Ely was, from 1965 to 1974, an administrative county of England. In 1974 it became part of an enlarged Cambridgeshire.-Formation:... and Huntingdon and Peterborough Huntingdon and Peterborough Huntingdon and Peterborough was a short-lived administrative county in East Anglia in the United Kingdom. It existed from 1965 to 1974, when it became part of Cambridgeshire.-Formation:... . In 1974 these merged to form the non-metropolitan county of Cambridgeshire and the force was renamed accordingly |
Mid Anglia Constabulary | Cambridgeshire Constabulary Cambridgeshire Constabulary Cambridgeshire Constabulary is the territorial police force responsible for law enforcement within the ceremonial county of Cambridgeshire in the United Kingdom. In addition to the non-metropolitan county, the Police area includes the city of Peterborough, which became a unitary authority area in... , Cambridge City Police, Huntingdonshire Constabulary, Isle of Ely Constabulary, Peterborough Combined Police |
| 1 April 1966 | Bedfordshire and Luton Constabulary | Bedfordshire, Luton Borough Police |
| 1 April 1966 | Northampton and County Constabulary | Northamptonshire, Northampton Borough Police |
| 1 April 1966 | West Midlands Constabulary West Midlands Constabulary The West Midlands Constabulary was a police force in the West Midlands of England.It was created on April 1, 1966 under the Police Act 1964, with the re-organisation of the Black Country area as the five contiguous county boroughs of Dudley, Walsall, Warley, West Bromwich and Wolverhampton... |
Dudley Borough Police, Walsall Borough Police, Wolverhampton Borough Police; also areas from Staffordshire Constabulary, Worcestershire Constabulary. |
| 1 October 1966 | Devon and Exeter Police | Devon Constabulary, Exeter City Police |
| 1 January 1967 | Somerset and Bath Constabulary Somerset and Bath Constabulary Somerset and Bath Constabulary was a short-lived police force in England from 1967 to 1974. It was created as a merger of the Somerset Constabulary and Bath City Police and covered the administrative county of Somerset and the county borough of Bath... |
Somerset Constabulary, Bath City Police Bath City Police The Bath City Police was a British police force that existed before 1967 and covered the county borough of Bath. It was merged with the Somerset Constabulary in 1967 to form the short-lived Somerset and Bath Constabulary, which in 1972 amalgamated into the Avon and Somerset Constabulary.... |
| 1 April 1967 | Cumbria Constabulary Cumbria Constabulary Cumbria Constabulary is the territorial police force in England covering Cumbria. It is currently the fifth-largest force in England and Wales in terms of geographic area but one of the smallest in terms of officer numbers. Given the force area's size and population of just under 500,000, it is... |
Cumberland and Westmorland Constabulary, Carlisle City Police |
| 1 April 1967 | Derby County and Borough Constabulary | Derbyshire Constabulary Derbyshire Constabulary Derbyshire Constabulary is the territorial police force responsible for policing the county of Derbyshire, England. The force covers an area of over with a population of just under one million.-Organisation and structure:... , Derby Borough Police |
| 1 April 1967 | Devon and Cornwall Constabulary Devon and Cornwall Constabulary Devon and Cornwall Police, formerly Devon and Cornwall Constabulary, is the territorial police force responsible for policing the counties of Devon and Cornwall in England and the unitary authorities of Plymouth, Torbay and the Isles of Scilly.... |
Devon and Exeter Police, Plymouth City Police, Cornwall Constabulary |
| 1 April 1967 | Durham County Constabulary Durham Constabulary Durham Constabulary is the territorial police force responsible for policing the non-metropolitan county of County Durham and the unitary authority of Darlington. The force covers the 2,232 km² of the county which has a resident population of 595,308. It is one of the smaller forces of the... |
Durham County, Sunderland Borough Police |
| 1 April 1967 | Gwent Constabulary | Newport Borough Police Newport Borough Police (Monmouthshire) The Newport Borough Police was the police force for the borough of Newport, Monmouthshire between 1836 and 1967.In 1830 four watchmen were appointed to patrol the streets of Newport for the purpose of maintaining law and order. They also served to protect the people and their property.By 1834... , Monmouthshire Constabulary Monmouthshire Constabulary Monmouthshire Constabulary was the Home Office police force for the county of Monmouthshire , United Kingdom until 1967.The force was established in 1857... |
| 1 April 1967 | Hampshire Constabulary Hampshire Constabulary Hampshire Constabulary is the territorial police force responsible for policing Hampshire and the Isle of Wight in southern England.The force area includes the cities of Winchester, Southampton and Portsmouth... |
Hampshire and Isle of Wight Constabulary, Portsmouth City Police, Southampton City Police |
| 1 April 1967 | Leicester and Rutland Constabulary | Leicestershire and Rutland Constabulary, Leicester City Police Leicester City Police The city of Leicester in England was policed independently until 1 April 1967 when its police force was merged with the Leicestershire and Rutland Constabulary to form the Leicester and Rutland Constabulary.... |
| 1 April 1967 | Lincolnshire Constabulary | Lincolnshire, Grimsby Borough Police, Lincoln City Police |
| 1 April 1967 | Liverpool and Bootle Constabulary Liverpool and Bootle Constabulary Liverpool and Bootle Constabulary was a short-lived police force in England from April 1, 1967 to April 1, 1974. It was created as a merger of the Liverpool City Police and Bootle Borough Police, and covered the adjacent county boroughs of Liverpool and Bootle... |
Liverpool City Police, Bootle Borough Police |
| 1 April 1967 | Suffolk Constabulary Suffolk Constabulary Suffolk Constabulary is the territorial police force responsible for policing Suffolk in East Anglia, England.Suffolk Constabulary is responsible for policing an area of , with a population of... |
East Suffolk Constabulary, West Suffolk Constabulary, Ipswich Borough Police |
| 1 June 1967 | South Wales Constabulary | Glamorgan Constabulary Glamorgan Constabulary Glamorgan Constabulary, or Glamorganshire Constabulary, was the Home Office police force for the county of Glamorgan, Wales.The force was formed in 1841... , Cardiff City Police, Merthyr Tydfil Borough Police, Swansea Borough Police |
| 1 June 1967 | Sheffield and Rotherham Constabulary Sheffield and Rotherham Constabulary Sheffield and Rotherham Constabulary was a short-lived police force in England from June 1, 1967 to April 1, 1974. It was created as a merger of the Sheffield City Police and Rotherham Borough Police, and covered the adjacent county boroughs of Sheffield and Rotherham... |
Sheffield City Police, Rotherham Borough Police |
| 1 July 1967 | Cheshire Constabulary Cheshire Constabulary Cheshire Constabulary is the territorial police force responsible for policing the English unitary authorities of Cheshire East, Cheshire West and Chester, Halton and Warrington. The force is responsible for policing an area of with a population of roughly 1 million.The Chief Constable of the... |
Cheshire, Birkenhead Borough Police, Stockport Borough Police, Wallasey Borough Police |
| 1 October 1967 | Dorset and Bournemouth Constabulary | Dorset Constabulary, Bournemouth Borough Police |
| 1 October 1967 | Gwynedd Constabulary Gwynedd Constabulary Gwynedd Constabulary was the Home Office police force for the counties of Caernarfonshire, Anglesey and Merionethshire, Wales.The force was formed in 1950 by the merger of Caernarfonshire Constabulary, Anglesey Constabulary and Merionethshire Constabulary... |
Gwynedd Constabulary, Denbighshire Constabulary Denbighshire Constabulary Denbighshire Constabulary was the Home Office police force for the county of Denbighshire, Wales, until 1967, when it amalgamated with Gwynedd Constabulary and Flintshire Constabulary to form a new Gwynedd Constabulary, which was renamed North Wales Police in 1974.In 1965, the force had an... , Flintshire Constabulary Flintshire Constabulary Flintshire Constabulary was the Home Office police force for the county of Flintshire, Wales, from 1856 until 1967.In 1965, the force had an establishment of 256 and an actual strength of 231.... |
| 1 October 1967 | West Mercia Constabulary West Mercia Constabulary West Mercia Police, formerly known as West Mercia Constabulary, is the territorial police force responsible for policing the counties of Shropshire , Herefordshire and Worcestershire in England. The force area covers making it the fourth largest police area in England and Wales... |
Herefordshire Constabulary Herefordshire Constabulary Herefordshire Constabulary was the Home Office police force for the county of Herefordshire, England, until 1967.The force was formed in 1857. In 1965, it had an establishment of 257 and an actual strength of 221, making it the second smallest county police force in England after West Suffolk... , Shropshire Constabulary, Worcestershire Constabulary, Worcester City Police |
| 1 January 1968 | Norfolk Joint Police | Norfolk Constabulary Norfolk Constabulary Norfolk Constabulary is the territorial police force responsible for the county of Norfolk in England. As of March 2009 the force had a strength of 1,668 police officers, 243 Special Constables, 277 PCSOs and just over 1,300 police staff.-History:... , Great Yarmouth Borough Police, Norwich City Police |
| 1 January 1968 | Staffordshire and Stoke-on-Trent Constabulary | Staffordshire Constabulary, Stoke-on-Trent City Police |
| 1 January 1968 | Sussex Constabulary | East Sussex Constabulary, West Sussex Constabulary, Brighton Borough Police, Eastbourne Borough Police, Hastings Borough Police |
| 1 April 1968 | Dyfed-Powys Constabulary | Carmarthenshire and Cardiganshire Constabulary Carmarthenshire and Cardiganshire Constabulary Carmarthenshire and Cardiganshire Constabulary was the Home Office police force for the counties of Carmarthenshire and Cardiganshire, Wales.It was created on 1 July 1958 by the amalgamation of Carmarthenshire Constabulary and Cardiganshire Constabulary under section 4 of the Police Act 1946... , Mid Wales Constabulary Mid Wales Constabulary Mid-Wales Constabulary was the Home Office police force for the counties of Brecknockshire, Radnorshire and Montgomeryshire, Wales, between 1948 and 1968.... , Pembrokeshire Constabulary |
| 1 April 1968 | Nottinghamshire Combined Constabulary | Nottinghamshire Constabulary, Nottingham City Police |
| 1 April 1968 | Teesside Constabulary‡ | Middlesbrough Borough Police Middlesbrough Borough Police Middlesbrough Borough Police, sometimes referred to as Middlesbrough Constabulary, was the police force of Middlesbrough, England. On 1 April 1968, the force was amalgamated into Teesside Constabulary, which itself became part of Cleveland Constabulary in 1974.In 1934, the force had a strength of... , parts of the areas of North Riding Constabulary and Durham County Constabulary |
| 1 April 1968 | Thames Valley Constabulary | Berkshire Constabulary Berkshire Constabulary Berkshire Constabulary is a former Home Office police force which was responsible for policing the county of Berkshire in Southern England. Berkshire Constabulary was merged with several other adjacent police forces in 1968 to form the Thames Valley Police.... , Buckinghamshire Constabulary Buckinghamshire Constabulary Buckinghamshire Constabulary was the Home Office police force for the county of Buckinghamshire, England, until 1968.Buckinghamshire Constabulary was established in 1857. It later absorbed Buckingham Borough Police and Chepping Wycombe Borough Police... , Oxfordshire Constabulary Oxfordshire Constabulary Oxfordshire Constabulary was the Home Office police force for the county of Oxfordshire, England, until 1968.Oxfordshire Constabulary was established in 1857. It later absorbed Banbury Borough Police and Chipping Norton Borough Police and Henley Borough Police... , Oxford City Police, Reading Borough Police Reading Borough Police The Reading Borough Police was a police force for the borough of Reading in the United Kingdom. The force was created in 1836, at which time it had a strength of 30 constables, two sergeants and two inspectors.... |
| 1 June 1968 | Manchester and Salford Police Manchester and Salford Police Manchester and Salford Police was, from June 1, 1968 to April 1, 1974, a police force in England. It was created as a merger of the Manchester City Police and Salford City Police, and covered the adjacent county boroughs of Manchester and Salford... |
Manchester City Police Manchester City Police The Manchester City Police was, from the early 19th century until 1968, the territorial police force of the city of Manchester, in northern England.Under the provisions of the Police Act 1964, Manchester City Police merged with the Salford City Police to create the... , Salford City Police |
| 1 July 1968 | York and North East Yorkshire Police York and North East Yorkshire Police The York and North East Yorkshire Police was a police force in England from 1968 to 1974, covering the North Riding of Yorkshire, the East Riding of Yorkshire and the county borough of York. It was a merger of the two riding forces with the York City Police... |
East Riding of Yorkshire Constabulary, North Riding of Yorkshire Constabulary, York City Police |
| 1 October 1968 | Durham County Constabulary Durham Constabulary Durham Constabulary is the territorial police force responsible for policing the non-metropolitan county of County Durham and the unitary authority of Darlington. The force covers the 2,232 km² of the county which has a resident population of 595,308. It is one of the smaller forces of the... |
Durham County, Gateshead Borough Police, South Shields Borough Police |
| 1 October 1968 | West Yorkshire Constabulary West Yorkshire Constabulary The West Yorkshire Constabulary was, from 1968 to 1974, the statutory police force for the West Riding of Yorkshire, in northern England.It was formed under the Police Act 1964, and was a merger of the previous West Riding Constabulary along with six borough forces for the county boroughs of... |
West Riding Constabulary, Barnsley Borough Police Barnsley Borough Police Barnsley Borough Police was the police force operating in county borough of Barnsley, England until 1 October 1968. The force was merged with other forces in 1968 to form the West Yorkshire Constabulary. The area passed to the South Yorkshire Police in 1974.... , Dewsbury Borough Police, Doncaster Borough Police Doncaster Borough Police Doncaster Borough Police was the police force operating in the county borough of Doncaster, England until 1 October, 1968. The force was then merged with others to form a West Yorkshire Constabulary. From 1974 its area passed to the South Yorkshire Police.... , Halifax Borough Police, Huddersfield Borough Police, Wakefield City Police. |
| 1 April 1969 | Essex and Southend-on-Sea Joint Constabulary | Essex Constabulary, Southend-on-Sea Borough Police Southend-on-Sea Borough Police The Southend-on-Sea Borough Police is a police force that was established by the county borough of Southend-on-Sea in 1914. This force existed independently until 1969.... |
| 1 April 1969 | Lancashire Constabulary Lancashire Constabulary Lancashire Constabulary is the territorial police force responsible for policing the ceremonial county of Lancashire in the North West England. The force's headquarters are at Hutton, near the city of Preston... |
Lancashire, Barrow-in-Furness Borough Police, Blackburn Borough Police, Blackpool Borough Police, Bolton Borough Police, Burnley Borough Police, Bury Borough Police, Oldham Borough Police, Preston Borough Police, Rochdale Borough Police, St Helens Borough Police, Southport Borough Police, Warrington Borough Police, Wigan Borough Police |
| 1 April 1969 | Northumberland Constabulary Northumberland Constabulary Northumberland Constabulary was the Home Office police force for the county of Northumberland, England, until 1974.Northumberland Constabulary absorbed Berwick-upon-Tweed Borough Police in 1921 and Newcastle upon Tyne City Police and Tynemouth Borough Police in the late 1960s, more than doubling... |
Northumberland Constabulary, Newcastle-upon-Tyne City Police, Tynemouth Borough Police |
| 1969 | Warwickshire and Coventry Constabulary | Warwickshire Constabulary, Coventry City Police |
‡ New county borough
Police areas unaffected by amalgamations
The following territorial police forces were not subject to amalgamations under the 1964 Act:- In Greater London: The Metropolitan PoliceMetropolitan policeMetropolitan Police is a generic title for the municipal police force for a major metropolitan area, and it may be part of the official title of the force...
, City of London PoliceCity of London PoliceThe City of London Police is the territorial police force responsible for law enforcement within the City of London, England, including the Middle and Inner Temple. The service responsible for law enforcement within the rest of Greater London is the Metropolitan Police Service, a separate... - County Constabularies: Hertfordshire, Surrey, Wiltshire
- Combined Constabularies: Gloucestershire, Kent
- Borough forces: Birmingham, Bradford, Bristol, Kingston-upon-Hull, Leeds
Later changes
Several of the amalgamated forces formed under the 1964 Act had short existences, as a wholesale reorganisation of local government in England and Wales outside London was carried out in 1974 under the Local Government Act 1972Local Government Act 1972
The Local Government Act 1972 is an Act of Parliament in the United Kingdom that reformed local government in England and Wales on 1 April 1974....
. Police areas were realigned to correspond to one or more of the non-metropolitan or metropolitan counties
Metropolitan county
The metropolitan counties are a type of county-level administrative division of England. There are six metropolitan counties, which each cover large urban areas, typically with populations of 1.2 to 2.8 million...
created by the 1972 legislation. The sections on the composition of police authorities were repealed by the Police and Magistrates' Courts Act 1994, and new authorities constituted.