Norfolk Constabulary

"Norfolk Police" redirects here. It is not to be confused with Norfolk Police Department.

Norfolk Constabulary is the territorial police force responsible for the county of Norfolk in England. In 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

Norfolk Constabulary was founded in 1839 under the County Police Act 1839, and was one of the first county forces to be formed.

In 1965, it had an establishment of 636 officers and an actual strength of 529.

In 1968 it amalgamated with Norwich City Police and Great Yarmouth Borough Police to form Norfolk Joint Constabulary. In 1974 it returned to the name Norfolk Constabulary.

Proposals made by the Home Secretary on 20 March 2006 would see the force merge with neighbouring forces Cambridgeshire Constabulary and Suffolk Constabulary to form a strategic police force for East Anglia. The Norfolk Police Authority was enthusiastic for the merger, but the neighbouring forces were not. With the announcement in July 2006 by the Home Office that the principle of merger was under review, the Norfolk Constabulary announced their intention to recruit a permanent Chief Constable, a process that they had delayed while merger was likely.

On 2 January 2007, Ian McPherson became the new Chief Constable of Norfolk Constabulary. Originally from Lancashire, his previous position was Deputy Chief Constable of North Yorkshire Police.

In 2008 the force changed uniforms to black combat style trousers with a polo shirt but reverted to the more traditional white shirt and tie in November 2012.

In response to plans drawn up in January 2013, talks are now being held with the hopes that Suffolk Constabulary's control room will merge with Norfolk Constabulary's in Wymondham. This will potentially mean the loss of 134 jobs from Suffolk's current control room in Martlesham.

Plans to merge the control rooms serving Norfolk and Suffolk police and save £1.85m, have been scrapped. At a meeting the Suffolk Police and Crime Commissioner Tim Passmore said the risks were too great. Mr Passmore told the Norfolk/Suffolk collaboration panel, there was a lack of confidence in a joint control room which would have been based in Norfolk. Norfolk Police and Crime Commissioner Stephen Bett said he was "disappointed" the merger had been scrapped. Mr Passmore has previously raised concerns about the business case for the merger which he had called "fundamentally flawed".

Officers killed in the line of duty

See also: List of British police officers killed in the line of duty

The Police Memorial Trust 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 Norfolk Constabulary are listed by the Trust as having been killed while attempting to prevent, stop or solve a criminal act:

• PC Charles William Alger, 1909 (shot)
• PC Robert Craig Orr McLaren, 1981 (his vehicle crashed during a police pursuit)

See also

• Law enforcement in the United Kingdom
• List of law enforcement agencies in the United Kingdom
• Table of police forces in the United Kingdom

Bibliography

• A Movable Rambling Police: An Official History of Policing in Norfolk, by Brian David Butcher published by the Norfolk Constabulary and printed in King's Lynn in 1989 no ISBN

External links

• Norfolk Constabulary
• 'Beatwise', Norfolk Constabulary's youth website for teenagers between 13-18.
• 'Wisekids', Norfolk Constabulary's youth website for children aged between 7-12.
• Norfolk Constabulary Official Twitter page
• Norfolk Constabulary Official Facebook page
• Norfolk Constabulary Official YouTube page