History
Municipal Corporations, Act 1835 Police Forces were raised by Durham City (Feb 1836), Gateshead (October 1936), South Shields (1839) and Sunderland (October 1837) thus having an organised Police Force before the County.
The County Police Act (also known as the 'Rural Police Act') of 1839 invested the County Justices of England and Wales with discretionary power to establish a uniform system of police at a ratio of not more than one Constable to 1,000 head of population.
Durham County Magistrates were amongst the first to act and on the 10th December 1839, the first Chief Constable was appointed. His salary was £250 p.a. with an allowance of £100 to cover all travelling and other expenses. At its inception the authorised establishment of the Force was one Chief Constable, five Superintendents and sixty Constables. The administrative county was divided into four operational divisions with a force headquarters in Old Elvet, Durham.
The first members of the Force were appointed on the 20 January 1840. Uniforms were issued on the 15 February 1840 and followed the civilian pattern set by the Metropolitan Police, consisting of a blue tailed coat, thick trousers, black boots and a top hat; which was reinforced with a cane frame to protect the wearer's head if attacked.. In addition each officer was issued with a truncheon, handcuffs, lantern, knapsack, journal and instruction book. These officers became operational on the 29 February 1840.
On the 23rd September, 1848 the First Chief Constable died and a successor was appointed. The Force was then re-organised and a new code of regulations and instructions was introduced.
In 1851 the town of Hartlepool broke away from the County to form their own Borough Police Force in accordance with the 1835 Act.
By 1877 the Headquarters building in Durham was inadequate and a new Headquarters incorporating a residential training school was erected in 1879-1880 and eventually became headquarters of Durham Division.
The Chief Constable submitted in his quarterly report to the Police Committee on 6th August, 1899, and at his request telephones were installed in 13 important police stations. Many forces were not connected to the national telephone service for many years after this.
The year 1892 saw the retirement of the Chief Constable. In the year following his appointment there must have been unbounded jubilation in the service when it was decided to permit members of the Force one day's leave per month 'when and where practicable'! The high point of emancipation was reached on the 1st April, 1901, when for the first time since the formation of the Constabulary in 1840, officers and constables were permitted to wear plain clothes when off duty.
In the troubled year immediately before the First World War a Mounted Branch was formed, but on the outbreak of war in August 1914 it was disbanded and was not re-formed until January, 1923.
On the 1st April 1921, the Durham City Police was amalgamated with the County Constabulary
In January 1921 it was announced that the Superintendents in charge of the ten divisions were to be allowed to use motorcars. The West Hartlepool Superintendent, however, and Inspectors in charge of Stanhope and Barnard Castle, could only have motorcycles and sidecars.
Detective Superintendent was appointed to take charge of the Criminal Investigation Department. In the same year all Divisional Headquarters were provided with wireless receiving sets and a private telephone network installed between Constabulary headquarters of neighbouring forces and important divisional and sub-divisional offices.
After the outbreak of the Second World War the first women to be employed by the County were members of the Women's Auxiliary Police Corps. At the end of the War the Auxiliary Force was stood down and in 1946/47 resulted in the first full time policewomen.
On the 1st April 1947, the Hartlepool Borough Police force was amalgamated with the County Constabulary, making the total strength of the force at this time was 1,314 officers and men, including one Woman Chief Inspector, two Women Police Sergeants and ten Police Women.
During the Cyprus Emergency in the 1950's several Durham Police Officers were seconded to serve with the Cyprus Police.
The passing of the Police Act, 1964, brought amalgamation, when the Force, together with the former Sunderland, South Shields and Gateshead Borough Police Forces, united to form in 1967-1968 the renamed Durham Constabulary. Manpower of the Force at this time was 2,802 and the Force Headquarters moved to its present site at Aykley Heads, Durham.
On 1st April, 1974, new County boundaries took effect and Durham Constabulary lost Gateshead, Sunderland, South Shields, Stockton and Hartlepool to the new Forces of Northumbria Police and Teesside Police ( which later became Cleveland Constabulary) respectively, thus halving the manpower to 1,357.
Detailed History of Policing and Durham Constabulary
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