Port of Bristol Police
Encyclopedia
The Port of Bristol Police (PoBP) are a body of uniformed, warranted constables whose purpose is to protect the port complexes and community situated at the mouth of the River Avon on the border between Bristol
and Somerset
. Officers are sworn under powers in legislation derived from the Harbours, Docks and Piers Clauses Act 1847.
The PoBP has existed at the Avonmouth Docks
since 1884, but has been in its present form since the end of the Second World War. The PoBP in modern times is responsible for the policing and certain security measures at Avonmouth Docks
, Royal Portbury Dock
and the trading estates owned by The Bristol Port Company that are situated at the outskirts of the port areas.
First Corporate Shipping Limited, traded as The Bristol Port Company, are the statutory undertakers (within the meaning of the Police and Criminal Evidence Act 1984) of the harbour area and are solely responsible for financing and employing the PoBP.
; it remains within the police area of Avon & Somerset Constabulary. There is a Memorandum of Understanding
(MoU) between the PoBP and Avon & Somerset Constabulary, which formalises and reiterates the long-standing arrangement that agrees that the PoBP will deal with all policing within the port area, with the exception of the most serious incidents and offences such as murder
, acts of terrorism
, etc. The MoU also allows for the mutual provision of training requirements and the provision by A&S to the PoBP of specialist roles such as Crime Scene Investigators, Dog Units
, Custody Suite Facilities and the use of Administrative Support Units following the charging of offenders.
powers for up to one mile (1.6 kilometre) outside the port’s limits, in practice their remit is to concentrate on policing the port area. Within that the PoBP are responsible for the prevention and detection of offences including those involving assaults, property, road traffic, maritime matters (including The Railways and Transport Safety Act 2003
and International Ship and Port Facility Security Code
(ISPS)) and enforcing and prosecuting the local byelaws vested within the Port. The investigation of port-based offences makes it necessary to work at considerable distance outside of their constabulary jurisdiction.
A force of 51 men were duly appointed as constables under this Act and were stationed in a Police Office building at Wapping Wharf, adjacent to the Bristol Dock Company office at Underfall Yard, Bristol City Docks. This force can boast to be among the first in the country to have formed a similar Dock Police to that of London.
Section 22 of the Bristol Docks Act 1803 gave the company powers to appoint constables for the purpose of preventing thefts on the Rivers. The City Docks, then as now, lie on the Rivers Froome and Avon
. Jurisdiction of the constables extended to land within the City of Bristol boundary and where the docks lay within the adjoining counties of Gloucestershire and Somerset then constabulary powers were also enjoyed and offenders brought before the Bristol Justices.
Section 25 of the 1803 Act gave power to constables to stop and detain persons suspected of having goods stolen from vessels in the harbor. This power was not only given to constables appointed under the Act but extended to.....every Constables, Petty Constables, and Watchman of every Parish, Precinct and Place in the said City of Bristol......
Section 26 provides powers to magistrates to issue warrants to the said constables.
Section 32 provided penalties of Transportation to such places beyond the seas for fourteen years........or imprisonment or whipping.
In 1848 the Bristol Dock Company was taken into the ownership of Bristol City Council and began trading as the Port of Bristol Authority. It was then deemed unnecessary by the new authority to continue with the inherited police force, as Bristol had by then in 1842 formed a River Police section of the Bristol Constabulary.
In 1877 the Bristol and Portishead Pier and Railway Company formed a small police force at Portishead Dock composed of a sergeant and six constables. A force of similar size was also formed by the Bristol Port and Channel Dock Company at Avonmouth in 1878.
These two dock companies were subsequently acquired by the Port of Bristol Authority in 1884 and the present Port of Bristol Police Force were then reformed from its beginnings in 1803.
Existing records show six constables joining in 1885, they were W.Hawes, J.Kilminster, J.Cook, M.Bailey, J.Smith and C.Beasant. Supervisory officers appointed at that time were sergeants J.Morcombe and W.Jelly. In command was Inspector Twitt on secondment from Bristol Constabulary.
Little is known of these first officers, however the following letter from a retired Dock employee appeared in the February 1957 issue of the Ports newspaper Tideway.
Mention was also made of other officers who joined in the period 1885 to 1901 and include Sergeant J.Davis 1886 at Portishead Dock. A memorandum dated 2nd Feb 1902 from the Portishead Dock Master to the Secretary of the Dock Company shows that Messrs Pearson, Huggins & Co of Bristol were supplying dock police with naval police hats , reefer jacket coats, knitted polo necked jumpers, (with the words DOCK POLICE woven in silver wire across the chest,) together with trousers and boots. These were issued to Sgt Davis, Constables Hill, Russell, Smith, Poulson, Brown, Parrell , Grandfield, Charler, Phillips and Hookway and later a helmet to replace the earlier hat and a top coat instead of the reefer jacket coat.
28 January 1929 The Chairman reported that the Sub-Committee appointed in Minute No. 10,053 of the 12th Nov 1928, had this day considered recommendations of the General Manager for the reorganization of the Police and Fire Brigade arrangements at Avonmouth and Royal Edward Docks, and the following Minute had been passed to them:-
11th Feb 1929.........also for the deduction of the number of the Dock Police (at Portishead Dock) from 12 to 7 and for the transfer of the balance for duty at Avonmouth, be approved.
25th Feb 1929 With reference to Minute No 10,201 of 28 January 1929, read memorandum dated 19 January 1929, the General manager, reporting that the Chief Constable has obtained the sanction of the Home Office to loan to the Committee of either a Sergeant or an Inspector for the purpose of organising the proposed new Dock Police Force at Avonmouth Docks, and submitting for the approval of the Committee draft ruled and regulations for this service. Resolved that the report be recorded, and that he draft rules and regulations to be signed by all members of the force be approved.
29 April 1929 Authorised expenditure for repairs, decorations etc., to four of the Dock Committee houses at Avonmouth to be occupied by Dock Police transferred from Portishead Dock. Amount of Estimate £45. Additionally authorized to arrange for gas and electricity supply at 55, Richmond Terrace, Avonmouth.
13 May 1929 Annual supply of one pair of boots and waterproof leggings to members of the Dock Police Force at Avonmouth. Estimated costs £45. Costs of first issue will be about £70 owing to double issue of boots in order that arrangements may be made for repairs as required.
10 June 1929 That in reference to the report made by the Dock Police that they arrested G.Hookwas, foreman, Sack Department, Avonmouth, on a charge of disposing of sacks under the control of the Docks Committee, the Dock Police be requested to proceed with this prosecution.
10 June 1929 J.R. Hoult (31) twisted left ankle when crossing permanent way, R.E. Dock, whilst on Police patrol duty.
14 October 1929 Fatal Accident Dock Policeman J.R. Hoult. With reference to minute No. 10,541, the Town Clerk reported negotiation conducted with the representatives of the widow of Dock policeman John Hoult with regard to the claim for compensation arising out of the death of her husband, and it was proposed that his claim should be settled by the payment of a sum of £800 less the amount of the weekly payments of £2.10s.Od made to Mrs Hoult by the Docks Committee since the date of the accident, and that Messrs. John Robinson & Co had agreed to pay 50 per cent of the total claim, viz £400, and to ignore the sum of £50 which they had already paid to the widow, subject to the Dock Committee agreeing to bear the cost of any legal expenses concerning the settlement of the matter. Resolved that the proposed settlement be approved.
9 December 1929 Number of established posts (for the purpose of proposed Corporation Superannuation Scheme) Dock Policeman, including Dock Fire Policeman (28) Estimated increase of posts during five years of scheme (12)
During the two world wars the War Reserve Police were introduced and supported the Dock Police Force. The Force was restructured in 1929 and 1945 with stations at Portishead and Avonmouth Docks. When Royal Portbury Dock was built in the 1970s an additional station was built there and Portishead Docks Stn was closed.
In 1991 there was an establishment of a Chief Police Officer (Supt rank), two Chief Inspectors, two Inspectors, one Staff Sgt (replaced by a Station Sgt) nine tour Sgts and 80 Police Constables, allowing for one Detective Sgt and four Detective Constables, all trained at the Detective Training School in Hendon, London.
The force was then restructured with Bristol City Council leasing the Port Estate to the Bristol Port Company, the force was then reduced in size to one Inspector, one Station Sgt and two Tour Sgts and twenty constables. These were joined in 2005 by a number of newly created Police Community Support Officers. All Police Officers are trained at the Port of Dover Police Training College .
The Port of Bristol Police force formerly used two ranks not common in British police forces: Junior Sergeant (introduced at some point between 1958 and 1963, and obsolete by 1969), between Constable and Sergeant, and Staff Sergeant (introduced at some point between 1951 and 1958), between Sergeant and Inspector.
A Bristol Docks Police baton inscribed ‘Property of the Bristol Docks Company – 1804’ and two other batons dated 1825 are on display at the Bristol Museum.
Bristol
Bristol is a city, unitary authority area and ceremonial county in South West England, with an estimated population of 433,100 for the unitary authority in 2009, and a surrounding Larger Urban Zone with an estimated 1,070,000 residents in 2007...
and Somerset
Somerset
The ceremonial and non-metropolitan county of Somerset in South West England borders Bristol and Gloucestershire to the north, Wiltshire to the east, Dorset to the south-east, and Devon to the south-west. It is partly bounded to the north and west by the Bristol Channel and the estuary of the...
. Officers are sworn under powers in legislation derived from the Harbours, Docks and Piers Clauses Act 1847.
The PoBP has existed at the Avonmouth Docks
Avonmouth Docks
The Avonmouth Docks are part of the Port of Bristol, in England. They are situated on the northern side of the mouth of the River Avon, opposite the Royal Portbury Dock on the southern side, where the river joins the Severn estuary, within Avonmouth....
since 1884, but has been in its present form since the end of the Second World War. The PoBP in modern times is responsible for the policing and certain security measures at Avonmouth Docks
Avonmouth Docks
The Avonmouth Docks are part of the Port of Bristol, in England. They are situated on the northern side of the mouth of the River Avon, opposite the Royal Portbury Dock on the southern side, where the river joins the Severn estuary, within Avonmouth....
, Royal Portbury Dock
Royal Portbury Dock
The Royal Portbury Dock is part of the Port of Bristol, in England. It is situated near the village of Portbury on the southern side of the mouth of the Avon, where the river joins the Severn estuary — the Avonmouth Docks are on the opposite side of the Avon, within Avonmouth...
and the trading estates owned by The Bristol Port Company that are situated at the outskirts of the port areas.
First Corporate Shipping Limited, traded as The Bristol Port Company, are the statutory undertakers (within the meaning of the Police and Criminal Evidence Act 1984) of the harbour area and are solely responsible for financing and employing the PoBP.
Mission statement
"The aim of the Port of Bristol Police is to safeguard the well-being and property of those using the port and the local community by the effective and proper enforcement of legislation and regulation whilst maintaining the traditional policing standards the public expect."Memorandum of Understanding
The port does not constitute a separate police areaPolice area
A 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...
; it remains within the police area of Avon & Somerset Constabulary. There is a Memorandum of Understanding
Memorandum of understanding
A memorandum of understanding is a document describing a bilateral or multilateral agreement between parties. It expresses a convergence of will between the parties, indicating an intended common line of action. It is often used in cases where parties either do not imply a legal commitment or in...
(MoU) between the PoBP and Avon & Somerset Constabulary, which formalises and reiterates the long-standing arrangement that agrees that the PoBP will deal with all policing within the port area, with the exception of the most serious incidents and offences such as murder
Murder
Murder is the unlawful killing, with malice aforethought, of another human being, and generally this state of mind distinguishes murder from other forms of unlawful homicide...
, acts of terrorism
Terrorism
Terrorism is the systematic use of terror, especially as a means of coercion. In the international community, however, terrorism has no universally agreed, legally binding, criminal law definition...
, etc. The MoU also allows for the mutual provision of training requirements and the provision by A&S to the PoBP of specialist roles such as Crime Scene Investigators, Dog Units
Police dog
A police dog, often referred to as a "K-9 dog" in some areas , is a dog that is trained specifically to assist police and other law-enforcement personnel in their work...
, Custody Suite Facilities and the use of Administrative Support Units following the charging of offenders.
Jurisdiction
Although the PoBP possess constabularyConstabulary
Constabulary may have several definitions.*A civil, non-paramilitary force consisting of police officers called constables. This is the usual definition in Britain, in which all county police forces once bore the title...
powers for up to one mile (1.6 kilometre) outside the port’s limits, in practice their remit is to concentrate on policing the port area. Within that the PoBP are responsible for the prevention and detection of offences including those involving assaults, property, road traffic, maritime matters (including The Railways and Transport Safety Act 2003
Railways and Transport Safety Act 2003
The Railways and Transport Safety Act 2003 is an Act of the United Kingdom Parliament-Purposes of the Act:The purposes of the Act include:-*the creation of the Rail Accident Investigation Branch...
and International Ship and Port Facility Security Code
International Ship and Port Facility Security Code
The International Ship and Port Facility Security Code is an amendment to the Safety of Life at Sea Convention on minimum security arrangements for ships, ports and government agencies...
(ISPS)) and enforcing and prosecuting the local byelaws vested within the Port. The investigation of port-based offences makes it necessary to work at considerable distance outside of their constabulary jurisdiction.
History
The Port of Bristol Police started as The Bristol Docks Company in 1803. The Bristol Docks Act 1803 created the company and provided for the improvement of the Port and Harbour of Bristol.A force of 51 men were duly appointed as constables under this Act and were stationed in a Police Office building at Wapping Wharf, adjacent to the Bristol Dock Company office at Underfall Yard, Bristol City Docks. This force can boast to be among the first in the country to have formed a similar Dock Police to that of London.
Section 22 of the Bristol Docks Act 1803 gave the company powers to appoint constables for the purpose of preventing thefts on the Rivers. The City Docks, then as now, lie on the Rivers Froome and Avon
River Avon, Bristol
The River Avon is an English river in the south west of the country. To distinguish it from a number of other River Avons in Britain, this river is often also known as the Lower Avon or Bristol Avon...
. Jurisdiction of the constables extended to land within the City of Bristol boundary and where the docks lay within the adjoining counties of Gloucestershire and Somerset then constabulary powers were also enjoyed and offenders brought before the Bristol Justices.
Section 25 of the 1803 Act gave power to constables to stop and detain persons suspected of having goods stolen from vessels in the harbor. This power was not only given to constables appointed under the Act but extended to.....every Constables, Petty Constables, and Watchman of every Parish, Precinct and Place in the said City of Bristol......
Section 26 provides powers to magistrates to issue warrants to the said constables.
Section 32 provided penalties of Transportation to such places beyond the seas for fourteen years........or imprisonment or whipping.
In 1848 the Bristol Dock Company was taken into the ownership of Bristol City Council and began trading as the Port of Bristol Authority. It was then deemed unnecessary by the new authority to continue with the inherited police force, as Bristol had by then in 1842 formed a River Police section of the Bristol Constabulary.
In 1877 the Bristol and Portishead Pier and Railway Company formed a small police force at Portishead Dock composed of a sergeant and six constables. A force of similar size was also formed by the Bristol Port and Channel Dock Company at Avonmouth in 1878.
These two dock companies were subsequently acquired by the Port of Bristol Authority in 1884 and the present Port of Bristol Police Force were then reformed from its beginnings in 1803.
Existing records show six constables joining in 1885, they were W.Hawes, J.Kilminster, J.Cook, M.Bailey, J.Smith and C.Beasant. Supervisory officers appointed at that time were sergeants J.Morcombe and W.Jelly. In command was Inspector Twitt on secondment from Bristol Constabulary.
Little is known of these first officers, however the following letter from a retired Dock employee appeared in the February 1957 issue of the Ports newspaper Tideway.
Mention was also made of other officers who joined in the period 1885 to 1901 and include Sergeant J.Davis 1886 at Portishead Dock. A memorandum dated 2nd Feb 1902 from the Portishead Dock Master to the Secretary of the Dock Company shows that Messrs Pearson, Huggins & Co of Bristol were supplying dock police with naval police hats , reefer jacket coats, knitted polo necked jumpers, (with the words DOCK POLICE woven in silver wire across the chest,) together with trousers and boots. These were issued to Sgt Davis, Constables Hill, Russell, Smith, Poulson, Brown, Parrell , Grandfield, Charler, Phillips and Hookway and later a helmet to replace the earlier hat and a top coat instead of the reefer jacket coat.
28 January 1929 The Chairman reported that the Sub-Committee appointed in Minute No. 10,053 of the 12th Nov 1928, had this day considered recommendations of the General Manager for the reorganization of the Police and Fire Brigade arrangements at Avonmouth and Royal Edward Docks, and the following Minute had been passed to them:-
11th Feb 1929.........also for the deduction of the number of the Dock Police (at Portishead Dock) from 12 to 7 and for the transfer of the balance for duty at Avonmouth, be approved.
25th Feb 1929 With reference to Minute No 10,201 of 28 January 1929, read memorandum dated 19 January 1929, the General manager, reporting that the Chief Constable has obtained the sanction of the Home Office to loan to the Committee of either a Sergeant or an Inspector for the purpose of organising the proposed new Dock Police Force at Avonmouth Docks, and submitting for the approval of the Committee draft ruled and regulations for this service. Resolved that the report be recorded, and that he draft rules and regulations to be signed by all members of the force be approved.
29 April 1929 Authorised expenditure for repairs, decorations etc., to four of the Dock Committee houses at Avonmouth to be occupied by Dock Police transferred from Portishead Dock. Amount of Estimate £45. Additionally authorized to arrange for gas and electricity supply at 55, Richmond Terrace, Avonmouth.
13 May 1929 Annual supply of one pair of boots and waterproof leggings to members of the Dock Police Force at Avonmouth. Estimated costs £45. Costs of first issue will be about £70 owing to double issue of boots in order that arrangements may be made for repairs as required.
10 June 1929 That in reference to the report made by the Dock Police that they arrested G.Hookwas, foreman, Sack Department, Avonmouth, on a charge of disposing of sacks under the control of the Docks Committee, the Dock Police be requested to proceed with this prosecution.
10 June 1929 J.R. Hoult (31) twisted left ankle when crossing permanent way, R.E. Dock, whilst on Police patrol duty.
14 October 1929 Fatal Accident Dock Policeman J.R. Hoult. With reference to minute No. 10,541, the Town Clerk reported negotiation conducted with the representatives of the widow of Dock policeman John Hoult with regard to the claim for compensation arising out of the death of her husband, and it was proposed that his claim should be settled by the payment of a sum of £800 less the amount of the weekly payments of £2.10s.Od made to Mrs Hoult by the Docks Committee since the date of the accident, and that Messrs. John Robinson & Co had agreed to pay 50 per cent of the total claim, viz £400, and to ignore the sum of £50 which they had already paid to the widow, subject to the Dock Committee agreeing to bear the cost of any legal expenses concerning the settlement of the matter. Resolved that the proposed settlement be approved.
9 December 1929 Number of established posts (for the purpose of proposed Corporation Superannuation Scheme) Dock Policeman, including Dock Fire Policeman (28) Estimated increase of posts during five years of scheme (12)
During the two world wars the War Reserve Police were introduced and supported the Dock Police Force. The Force was restructured in 1929 and 1945 with stations at Portishead and Avonmouth Docks. When Royal Portbury Dock was built in the 1970s an additional station was built there and Portishead Docks Stn was closed.
In 1991 there was an establishment of a Chief Police Officer (Supt rank), two Chief Inspectors, two Inspectors, one Staff Sgt (replaced by a Station Sgt) nine tour Sgts and 80 Police Constables, allowing for one Detective Sgt and four Detective Constables, all trained at the Detective Training School in Hendon, London.
The force was then restructured with Bristol City Council leasing the Port Estate to the Bristol Port Company, the force was then reduced in size to one Inspector, one Station Sgt and two Tour Sgts and twenty constables. These were joined in 2005 by a number of newly created Police Community Support Officers. All Police Officers are trained at the Port of Dover Police Training College .
The Port of Bristol Police force formerly used two ranks not common in British police forces: Junior Sergeant (introduced at some point between 1958 and 1963, and obsolete by 1969), between Constable and Sergeant, and Staff Sergeant (introduced at some point between 1951 and 1958), between Sergeant and Inspector.
A Bristol Docks Police baton inscribed ‘Property of the Bristol Docks Company – 1804’ and two other batons dated 1825 are on display at the Bristol Museum.