UK Police Force
Join Date: Apr 2008
Location: Hampshire
Posts: 0
Originally Posted by Slaine
Do we still have one? and if so what are they up to and where?
Join Date: Oct 2002
Location: West Wiltshire, UK
Age: 69
Posts: 412
Right now the UK has 48 separate police forces, 45 regional forces, plus 3 specialist forces. I believe there used to be more than this, but some have amalgamated over the years. Arguably it would make more sense to have a single force, as I believe there has been a fair bit of criticism about the divisions created by the present structure. Some of these can be a bit barking mad; for example, I was involved ina serious road traffic accident in Hampshire, and was a bit shaken up, but needed to be interviewed. Hampshire Police ran me home (not far, we then lived 3 miles from the Hampshire border) and in the car on the way home the Hampshire chaps had to stop on the county border and wait for permission to drive into Wiltshire, as that was the jurisdiction of another police force.
Join Date: Mar 2009
Location: SW England
Age: 75
Posts: 3,874
The British army used to have 109 regiments of foot (infantry). Over the years successive amalgamations have bought this number down to 12, including the Paras and the Gurkhas. And yet we still have 45 regional police forces/constabularies, call them what you will. Even a pipsqueak little county like Dorset still has its own police force, complete with HQ, chief constable, police commissioner etc. The police are always bleating on about how little money they have, but they seem to be able to resist rationalisation in this area. How and why?
Psychophysiological entity
Join Date: Jun 2001
Location: Tweet Rob_Benham Famous author. Well, slightly famous.
Age: 82
Posts: 3,132
I recall someone saying 40 years ago when comparing US forces, that in the UK, the police are the police. Seems that's not so true. Certainly my call to Chelmsford got the reply that the issues was Transport Police.
Of course, it would have been chaos without them, but frankly, I've always seemed to have come off worst. The one time a boatload of them came to fingerprint my car etc., after I'd found an annoying lad it in at 03:00. (Car radio in hand, extracted with nothing but a nail file.) Hours wasted and then the CPS said it wouldn't be in the public interest to prosecute. They had spent many dozens of hours catching him prior to this, with 6 men on duty one night because they knew he was mapping out their normal four. He ran into the new pair with his arms loaded with fur coats. Odd lad, he was in my car dressed just like a jockey.
I think we had 4 police type forces in my Texas town. My neighbour was a Trooper and drove around at night with a lot of computers and firearms. Told me not to walk around at night without "carrying something."
I got told of a county with 8 police forces. University was one, so it shows how specialist they are.
Of course, it would have been chaos without them, but frankly, I've always seemed to have come off worst. The one time a boatload of them came to fingerprint my car etc., after I'd found an annoying lad it in at 03:00. (Car radio in hand, extracted with nothing but a nail file.) Hours wasted and then the CPS said it wouldn't be in the public interest to prosecute. They had spent many dozens of hours catching him prior to this, with 6 men on duty one night because they knew he was mapping out their normal four. He ran into the new pair with his arms loaded with fur coats. Odd lad, he was in my car dressed just like a jockey.
I think we had 4 police type forces in my Texas town. My neighbour was a Trooper and drove around at night with a lot of computers and firearms. Told me not to walk around at night without "carrying something."
I got told of a county with 8 police forces. University was one, so it shows how specialist they are.
Thought police antagonist
Join Date: Jul 2003
Location: Where I always have been...firmly in the real world
Posts: 1,192
Originally Posted by VP959
Right now the UK has 48 separate police forces, 45 regional forces, plus 3 specialist forces. I believe there used to be more than this, but some have amalgamated over the years. Arguably it would make more sense to have a single force, as I believe there has been a fair bit of criticism about the divisions created by the present structure. Some of these can be a bit barking mad; for example, I was involved ina serious road traffic accident in Hampshire, and was a bit shaken up, but needed to be interviewed. Hampshire Police ran me home (not far, we then lived 3 miles from the Hampshire border) and in the car on the way home the Hampshire chaps had to stop on the county border and wait for permission to drive into Wiltshire, as that was the jurisdiction of another police force.
However, we have been regaled with this event before, last time it included a conversation with one of the officers about ANPR, and last time, as I said, both my BiLs being former career officers were intrigued to learn they should have been providing a taxi service in addition to their usual duties. True, they did take people home at times, but usually in very different circumstances to the one described.
Of course, as with the domestic violence you encountered, involving not one, but two forces, one of which had an officer as your next door neighbour this being an M.o.D police officer on an M.o.D estate and yet no action was taken even when criminal damage ensued then as I said at the time, one of my BiLs found this, in his 30 year professional experience, to be " highly unusual ".
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Law_en...United_Kingdom
Join Date: Jul 2010
Location: Asia
Posts: 1,376
The NCA or National Crime Agency is the UK equivalent of the FBI and would probably be about the closest thing to a national force.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/National_Crime_Agency
Seperation of powers may have something to do with having so many different forces as having a single person in command of a national police force would concentrate too much authority with one person.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/National_Crime_Agency
Seperation of powers may have something to do with having so many different forces as having a single person in command of a national police force would concentrate too much authority with one person.
Join Date: Nov 2010
Location: Sweden
Posts: 448
Whilst a unified English police force may be viable I think a UK wide force would be problematic.
England and Scotland have different legal systems, Northern Ireland has very different policing requirements to,for example, Cornwall. Wales probably requires some level of bi-lingualism, in some areas at least.
Then there is the question of financing, I believe policing is a devolved matter.
Finally, amalgamation of the various constabularies in Scotland into a national force was not without it’s issues, and that is a much smaller undertaking than even an English force, let alone a UK wide effort.
England and Scotland have different legal systems, Northern Ireland has very different policing requirements to,for example, Cornwall. Wales probably requires some level of bi-lingualism, in some areas at least.
Then there is the question of financing, I believe policing is a devolved matter.
Finally, amalgamation of the various constabularies in Scotland into a national force was not without it’s issues, and that is a much smaller undertaking than even an English force, let alone a UK wide effort.
Gentleman Aviator
Join Date: Jul 2000
Location: Teetering Towers - somewhere in the Shires
Age: 73
Posts: 3,583
And I believe Scotland has amalgamated into one force/service, Nor Iron always did; PSNI (nee RUC). Not sure about Wales. Although a visiting mate - when I worked in Cardiff - once said:
"Where's this place Heddlu? They seem to have a lot of coppers....."
"Where's this place Heddlu? They seem to have a lot of coppers....."
Join Date: Jul 2008
Location: -
Age: 52
Posts: 230
Originally Posted by Tankertrashnav
The British army used to have 109 regiments of foot (infantry). Over the years successive amalgamations have bought this number down to 12, including the Paras and the Gurkhas. And yet we still have 45 regional police forces/constabularies, call them what you will. Even a pipsqueak little county like Dorset still has its own police force, complete with HQ, chief constable, police commissioner etc. The police are always bleating on about how little money they have, but they seem to be able to resist rationalisation in this area. How and why?
Alba Gu Brath
Join Date: Oct 2000
Location: Merseyside
Age: 53
Posts: 713
Originally Posted by Tankertrashnav
The British army used to have 109 regiments of foot (infantry). Over the years successive amalgamations have bought this number down to 12, including the Paras and the Gurkhas. And yet we still have 45 regional police forces/constabularies, call them what you will. Even a pipsqueak little county like Dorset still has its own police force, complete with HQ, chief constable, police commissioner etc. The police are always bleating on about how little money they have, but they seem to be able to resist rationalisation in this area. How and why?
Join Date: Mar 2009
Location: SW England
Age: 75
Posts: 3,874
Take your point about the size of the Empire, indeed nine of those regiments of foot were permanently assigned to service in India, quite apart from the massive Indian Army, which was a separate entity. Your argument holds good for numbers of soldiers and police, but not their organisation. I would still argue that as well as the PSNI and Scotland, there should be a unified force in Wales and something like six regional forces (NE, NW etc) in England. And other than the fact that they have rather nice fancy helmet plates do we still have to have a separate City of London Police, like an island in the middle of the Met?
Below the Glidepath - not correcting
Join Date: Jun 2005
Location: U.S.A.
Posts: 1,816
I'm sure I read today somewhere that the role of the British Police was to facilitate and enable the mass attendance at funerals of family members and friends of organized criminal enterprises, despite Government mandated restrictions that law abiding citizens are currently being arrested and fined for breaching. Apparently this service is extended to those in the North and the South. What a great service to the community and an inspiring message to rule followers everywhere.
Join Date: Nov 2000
Location: Pewsey, UK
Posts: 1,963
Originally Posted by Two's in
I'm sure I read today somewhere that the role of the British Police was to facilitate and enable the mass attendance at funerals of family members and friends of organized criminal enterprises, despite Government mandated restrictions that law abiding citizens are currently being arrested and fined for breaching. Apparently this service is extended to those in the North and the South. What a great service to the community and an inspiring message to rule followers everywhere.
B) Can you let me know what you're smoking?
Join Date: Nov 2000
Location: Pewsey, UK
Posts: 1,963
