City of London Police

City of London Police
Logo of the City of London Police.
Mission statement	Policing the City 24 hours [1]
Agency overview
Formed	1839
Annual budget	£61.2m (2006/7)
Legal personality	Governmental: Government agency
Jurisdictional structure
Operations jurisdiction*	Police area of the City of London in the country of England, UK
Map of City of London Police's jurisdiction.
Size	1.1 sq mi / 2.8 km²
Population	approx 8,000 (residential) approx 300,000 (daily commuter)[2]
Legal jurisdiction	England & Wales
Governing body	City of London Corporation
Constituting instrument	City of London Police Act 1839
General nature	Law enforcement Local civilian police
Operational structure
Headquarters	Wood Street station, Bassishaw
Police Officers	813[3]
Agency executive	Michael Bowron QPM, Commissioner
Divisions	2
Facilities
Stations	3
Website
http://www.cityoflondon.police.uk/
Footnotes
* Police area agency: Prescribed geographic area in the country, over which the agency has usual operational jurisdiction.

The City of London Police is the territorial police force responsible for law enforcement within the City of London, England, including the Middle and Inner Temple. The service responsible for law enforcement within the rest of Greater London is the Metropolitan Police Service, a separate organisation.

With around 1,200 employees, including 813 police officers, 85 Special Constables, 48 PCSOs and three police stations (located in Snow Hill, Wood Street and Bishopsgate), the City of London Police is the smallest territorial police force in England and Wales, both in terms of geographic area - the square mile centre of London - and the number of police officers. ^[4] Mike Bowron has been its commissioner since February 2007.

The City of London area has a resident population of 8,043 with 4,421 households.^[5] These numbers are increased by the daily influx of approximately 300,000 commuters working in the City,^[5] with an additional 300,000 cars passing through the square mile a day, along with a number of tourists.^[5]

History of policing in the City

Policing in the City of London has existed since Roman times. Wood Street Police Station the current headquarters of the City Police, is built on part of the site of a Roman fortress, which may have housed some of the first police in the City.^[6]

Prior to 1839, the responsibility for policing in the City was divided between day and night, primarily under the two Sheriffs. It was these officers responsible for ensuring the Night Watch was maintained. Policing during the day eventually came under the City Patrol, which evolved into the City Day Police, which was modelled on the Metropolitan Police. In 1838, the Day Police and Night Watch were merged into a single organisation. The passing of the City of London Police Act 1839 gave statutory approval to the force as an independent police body, heading off attempts made to merge it with the Metropolitan Police.^[7]

During 1842, the City Police moved its headquarters from Corporation's Guildhall to 26 Old Jewry, where it remained until it was relocated to Wood Street in 2002.^[6]

Organisation

The City Police is organised into five Basic Command Units:^[8]

• Economic Crime Directorate
• Counter Terrorism and Serious Crime Directorate
• Specialist Support Directorate
• Territorial Policing Directorate
• Corporate Services Directorate

Leadership structure

• Commissioner Michael Bowron
• Assistant Commissioner Frank Armstrong
• Commander Patrick Rice

• Detective Chief Superintendent Steve Head - Responsible for Economic Crime Directorate
• Chief Superintendent Alex Robertson - Responsible for Specialist Support Directorate
• Chief Superintendent Ken Stewart - Responsible for Counter Terrorism and Serious Crime Directorate
• Chief Superintendent Rob Bastable - Responsible for Territorial Police Directorate

Uniform

Where the majority of British police forces have silver-coloured badges, those of the City Police are gold. The force also have a unique red and white chequered sleeve and cap bands (red and white being the colours of the City of London), which in most other British police forces are black and white. Their helmet badge does not feature the Brunswick Star, which is used on most other police helmets in England and Wales.

Ranks in the City of London Police

Police van with City of London logo and Battenburg livery - April 2007

The ranks from constable to chief superintendent are the same as all other British police forces. The three senior ranks are similar to those used by the Metropolitan Police.

• Police Constable (PC) (collar number)
• Police Sergeant (Sgt or PS) (three point-down chevrons under collar number)
• Inspector (Insp) (two stars of the Order of the Bath, informally known as pips)
• Chief Inspector (Ch Insp) (three pips)
• Superintendent (Supt) (crown)
• Chief Superintendent (Ch Supt) (crown over one pip)
• Commander (Cmdr) (crossed tipstaves in a laurel wreath)
• Assistant Commissioner (AC) (pip over Commander's badge)
• Commissioner (crown above one pip above Commander's badge)

Commissioners of Police for the City of London

City Police Mounted Section officer

• Daniel Whittle Harvey (1839–1863)
• Colonel Sir James Fraser, KCB (1863–1890)
• Sir Henry Smith, KCB (1890–1902)
• Sir William Nott-Bower, KCVO (1902–1925)
• Lieutenant-Colonel Sir Hugh Turnbull, KCVO, KBE, KPM (1925–1950)
• Colonel Sir Arthur Young, KBE, CMG, CVO, KPM (1950–1971)
• Charles James Page, CBE, QPM (1971–1977)
• Peter Marshall, QPM (1977–1985)
• Owen Kelly, QPM (1985–1994)
• William Taylor, CBE, QPM (1994–1998).
• Perry Nove, CBE, QPM (1998–2002)
• James Hart, CBE, QPM (2002–2006)
• Michael Bowron QPM (16 February 2007– present)

Olympics

Teams of the City of London Police participated in the Olympic games three times in the tug of war tournament. At the 1908 Summer Olympics they won the gold medal, beating a team of the Liverpool Police in the final. In 1912 the team was beaten in the final by one of the Stockholm Police. At the 1920 Summer Olympics the team regained its title, beating The Netherlands. This was the last time tug of war was an Olympic sport, which means the City of London Police is still the reigning Olympic champion.^[9][10]

See also

• Project Griffin
• The Honourable Artillery Company
• List of police forces in the United Kingdom
• Law enforcement in the United Kingdom
• Fraud Squad

External links

• City of London Police/ Official Website

References