Durham Constabulary
{{Short description|English territorial police force}}
{{EngvarB|date=September 2013}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=May 2024}}
{{Infobox law enforcement agency
| agencyname = Durham Constabulary
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| badge = Durham Constabulary badge.svg
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| formed = {{start date and age|1839|df=yes}}
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| divtype = country
| divname = England
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| subdivtype = Police area
| subdivname = County Durham
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| map = England Police Forces (Durham).svg
| mapcaption = Map of police area
| sizearea = 862 sq. mi. (2,232 km2)
| sizepopulation = 595,308
| legaljuris = England & Wales
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| constitution1 = Police Act 1996
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| local = yes
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| oversightbody = {{plainlist|
- His Majesty's Inspectorate of Constabulary and Fire & Rescue Services
- Independent Office for Police Conduct
}}
| headquarters = Aykley Heads, Durham
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| sworntype = Police officer
| sworn = {{plainlist|
- 1,168 (2020)
- 129 special constables (2020)
}}
| unsworntype = PCSO
| multinational =
| electeetype = Police and Crime Commissioner
| minister1name = Joy Allen
| chief1name = Rachel Bacon
| chief1position = Chief constable
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| unittype = Basic Command Unit
| unitname = {{Plainlist|
- South Area
- Darlington
- East Area
- West Area
}}
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Durham Constabulary is the territorial police force responsible for policing the council areas of County Durham and Darlington in North East England. It does not cover all of the ceremonial or historic area of Durham, parts of which are covered by the neighbouring forces of Cleveland Police and Northumbria Police. The other neighbouring forces are Cumbria Constabulary to the west and North Yorkshire Police to the south.
{{As of|2020|9}}, the force has 1,168 police officers, 129 special constables, and 131 police community support officers (PCSO).
History
File:Durham Constabulary Dog Section. London Olympic games.jpg during the 2012 Summer Olympics]]
Durham Constabulary was one of the first county police forces to be set up, established in 1839. The force absorbed Durham City Police (formed in 1836) in 1921, Hartlepool Borough Police (formed in 1851) in 1947, Sunderland Borough Police (formed in 1837) in 1967, and Gateshead Borough Police (formed in 1836) and South Shields Borough Police (formed in 1839) in 1968, when it also lost some of its area to Teesside Constabulary.
In 1965, the force had an establishment of 1,763 and an actual strength of 1,626.The Thin Blue Line, Police Council for Great Britain Staff Side Claim for Undermanning Supplements, 1965
As a result of the Local Government Act 1972, the northern area of the force including Gateshead, Sunderland and South Shields became part of the Northumbria Police area, whilst Hartlepool and Stockton-on-Tees in the south-east became part of the jurisdiction of Cleveland Constabulary in 1974.
=Chief constables=
- 1848–1892: Colonel George Francis White{{cite web|url=http://www4.wlv.ac.uk/btw/authors/1121|title=George Francis White|publisher=University of Wolverhampton|access-date= 21 June 2018}}
- 1892–1902: John Henry Eden{{cite web|url=https://www.britishempire.co.uk/forces/yorkshireregimentwilfrededen.htm|title=Brigadier George Wilfred Eden|publisher= The British Empire|access-date= 21 June 2018}}
- 1902–1922: William George Morant{{cite web|url=http://british-police-history.uk/show_nav.cgi?force=durham_county&tab=0&nav=alpha|title=Durham County Constabulary|publisher=British Police History|access-date= 21 June 2018}}
- 1922–1942: Sir George Morley (knighted in 1937 Coronation Honours){{cite web|url=https://issuu.com/durhamnarpo/docs/durham_constabulary_open_day_1973|title=Durham Constabulary Open Day|date=19 January 2016 |publisher= Durham Constabulary|access-date= 22 June 2018}}
- 1943–1944: Captain H. Studdy
- 1944–1950: Colonel Sir Eric St Johnston (afterwards Chief Constable of Lancashire, 1950–67){{cite web|url=https://www.justiceinspectorates.gov.uk/hmicfrs/about-us/who-we-are/previous-chief-inspectors/|title=Previous Chief Inspectors|publisher=Her Majesty’s Inspectors of Constabulary|access-date= 21 June 2018}}
- 1950–1970: Alec A. Muir{{cite web|url=https://www.facebook.com/durhamconstabulary/posts/811121042299848 |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/iarchive/facebook/224330430978915/811121042299848 |archive-date=2022-02-26 |url-access=limited|title=Durham Constabulary|via=Facebook|access-date= 21 June 2018}}{{cbignore}}
- 1970–1976: Arthur George "Peter" Puckering
- 1981–1988: Eldred James Boothby
- 1988–1997: Frank Taylor
- 1997–2002: George Hedges
- 2002–2005: Paul T. Garvin
- 2005–2012: Jon Stoddart{{cite web|url=http://www.thejournal.co.uk/news/north-east-news/durham-police-chief-jon-stoddart-4410564|title=Durham police chief Jon Stoddart to leave the force after 30 years|publisher=The Journal|access-date=21 June 2018|archive-date=16 February 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200216012035/http://www.thejournal.co.uk/news/north-east-news/durham-police-chief-jon-stoddart-4410564|url-status=dead}}
- 2012–2019: Michael Barton
- 2019–2023: Jo Farrell{{cite web |title=PCC congratulates Chief Constable on new appointment. {{!}} News {{!}} Durham Police & Crime Commissioner |url=https://www.durham-pcc.gov.uk/news/pcc-congratulates-chief-constable-on-new-appointment |website=Durham Police and Crime Commissioner |access-date=13 May 2024}}
- 2023–Present: Rachel Bacon
=Officers killed in the line of duty=
{{See also|List of British police officers killed in the line of duty}}
The Police Roll of Honour Trust and Police Memorial Trust list and commemorate all British police officers killed in the line of duty. Since its establishment in 1984, the Police Memorial Trust has erected 50 memorials nationally to some of those officers.
Since 1960, the following officers of Durham Constabulary were killed while attempting to prevent or stop a crime in progress:{{Cite web|url=http://www.policememorial.org.uk/index.php?page=durham-constabulary|title=Police Roll of Honour Trust}}
- PC Keith Maddison, 1997 (collapsed and died while pursuing suspects from a stolen vehicle)
- DC James Brian Porter, 1982 (shot dead by two armed robbers, posthumously awarded the Queen's Commendation for Brave Conduct)
- PC Glenn Russel Corder, 1980 (his vehicle crashed during a police pursuit)
- PC William Ralph Shiell, 1940 (shot dead by burglars)
- PC Matthew Walls Straughan, 1927 (shot dead by a suspect)
Operations
Durham Constabulary is managed by Chief Constable Rachel Bacon and her executive team, composed of Deputy Chief Constable Ciaron Irvine, Assistant Chief Constable Tonya Antonis, and Assistant Chief Officer Gary Ridley.{{Cite web |title=Our Executive |url=https://live-durham-con.cloud.contensis.com/About-Us/Our-Force/OurExecutive.aspx |access-date=2023-11-27 |website=Durham Constabulary}}
The force operates through a number of functional commands: Neighbourhood And Safeguarding, Response Policing, Crime and Criminal Justice, Tasking and Co-ordination and Support Services, which all report to the Executive Team.
Since 2010, Durham Constabulary and neighbouring Cleveland Police have shared road policing and firearms teams through a joint Specialist Operations Unit. These officers are based at Wynyard Park Business Park and Spennymoor. In May 2021 the Chief Constable of Cleveland Police gave notice that they would be withdrawing from the CDSOU. Since 2022 Clevaland and Durham have operated separate Road Policing and Armed provisions but kept a joint training facility.{{cite news|date=5 April 2010|title=Forces agree single firearms teams|publisher=Cleveland Police|url=http://www.cleveland.police.uk/news/releases/release9742.aspx|url-status=live|access-date=16 September 2011|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110706215442/http://www.cleveland.police.uk/news/releases/release9742.aspx|archive-date=6 July 2011}} Durham and Cleveland Police have shared a tactical training centre in Urlay Nook, near Teesside International Airport (formerly Durham Tees Valley Airport), since 2001.
{{As of|2020|9}}, the force has 1,168 police officers, 129 special constables, and 131 police community support officers (PCSO), 65 police support volunteers (PSV), and 924 staff.{{cite web | url = https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/956740/police-workforce-sep20-tables.ods | publisher = Home Office | title = Data tables for 'Police workforce, England and Wales: 30 September 2020' | access-date = 14 May 2021 | date = 28 January 2021}}
File:Durham Police Armed Response Vehicle during 2012 Easter Egg Run.jpg
PEEL inspection
His Majesty's Inspectorate of Constabulary and Fire & Rescue Services (HMICFRS) conducts a periodic police effectiveness, efficiency and legitimacy (PEEL) inspection of each police service's performance. In its latest PEEL inspection, Durham Constabulary was rated as follows:{{cite web | url = https://www.justiceinspectorates.gov.uk/hmicfrs/wp-content/uploads/peel-assessment-2021-22-durham.pdf | title = PEEL 2021/22 Police effectiveness, efficiency and legitimacy: An inspection of Durham Constabulary | publisher = Her Majesty's Inspectorate of Constabulary and Fire & Rescue Services | date = 27 October 2021 | access-date = 29 January 2022}}
| class="wikitable" | |||||
| {{nbsp}} | Outstanding | Good | Adequate | Requires Improvement | Inadequate |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| style="vertical-align:top;" |
|2021 rating |{{ubl|Disrupting serious organised crime|Good use of resources}} |{{ubl|Preventing crime|Investigating crime|Treatment of the public|Responding to the public|Protecting vulnerable people|Managing offenders|Developing a positive workplace |
|{{ubl|Supporting victims}}
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|}
See also
References
{{Reflist}}
External links
{{Commons category}}
- {{Official website}}
- [https://www.justiceinspectorates.gov.uk/hmicfrs/police-forces/durham Durham] at HMICFRS
- {{YouTube|u=DurhamPolice999}}
{{UK home nations police forces}}
{{Authority control}}
Category:Police forces of England