West Midlands Constabulary
{{about|the force which existed from 1966 to 1974|the modern-day force|West Midlands Police}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=April 2023}}
{{Use British English|date=June 2013}}
{{Infobox law enforcement agency
|agencyname = West Midlands Constabulary
|formedyear = {{Start date|1966|04|01|df=y}}
|preceding1 = Dudley Borough Police
|preceding2 = Walsall Borough Police
|preceding3 = Wolverhampton Borough Police
|preceding4 = Staffordshire Constabulary (part)
|preceding5 = Worcestershire Constabulary (part)
|dissolved = {{End date|1974|03|31|df=y}}
|superseding = West Midlands Police
|country = United Kingdom
|countryabbr = UK
|divtype = country
|divname = England
|legaljuris = England & Wales
|constitution1 = Police Act 1964
|police = Yes
|local = Yes
|sworntype = Constable
|chief1name = Norman W. Goodchild
|chief1position = Chief constable
|chief2name = Edwin Solomon
|chief2position = Chief constable
|parentagency = Home Office
}}
The West Midlands Constabulary was a police force in the West Midlands of England.
It was created on 1 April 1966 under the Police Act 1964, with the re-organisation of the Black Country area as the five contiguous county boroughs of Dudley, Walsall, Warley, West Bromwich and Wolverhampton. Dudley Borough Police, Walsall Borough Police and Wolverhampton Borough Police were incorporated wholly into the new force. It also took in parts of the Staffordshire Constabulary and Worcestershire Constabulary.[http://www.knowledgenetwork.gov.uk/HO/CircularsOld.nsf/0/3B8A274F27248B2680256D7300434C90/$file/Home%20Office%20Circular%20067%20-%201966.pdf Home Office circular 67-1966 announcing the force's creation]
The force was initially headed by Chief Constable Norman W. Goodchild, former Chief Constable of Wolverhampton Borough Police, until 1967, when he was replaced by Edwin Solomon, former Chief Constable of Walsall Borough Police.[https://web.archive.org/web/20040113214434/http://www.gornalguy.pwp.blueyonder.co.uk/pageone.htm History of WM Police.] Accessed via the Wayback Machine on 31 January 2006
On 1 April 1974 it amalgamated with the Birmingham City Police and parts of Staffordshire County and Stoke-on-Trent Constabulary, Warwickshire and Coventry Constabulary and West Mercia Constabulary to form the West Midlands Police, because of the Local Government Act 1972 which created the new West Midlands metropolitan county, which covered the West Midlands constabulary area along with Birmingham and Coventry and a few other surrounding towns.