Apologies for cross posting
The British Police: Forces and Chief Officers 1829-2000 by Martin
Stallion and David Wall (1999) Police History Society ISBN 0-
9512538-4-0 £15
For many years a major hurdle for the police historian has been to
actually locate the names of the many independent police forces
that have existed since the ‘new’ police legislation was introduced
in Britain during the early 19th Century. Furthermore, police
historians have also been continually frustrated by the lack of
information about the men, and until 1995 they were all men, who
were chief officers of the forces. Such information is important,
particularly before the Second World War, because policing was
not only very localised, but its practice also tended to be shaped
by those same individuals.
Drawing upon painstakingly conducted research, this book firstly
contains some short essays which discuss the development of the
British police since 1829 and also some of the problems that are
associated with conducting historical research into the British
police forces. Secondly, it then lists each of the independent police
forces that are known to have existed in Britain since the
Metropolitan Police Act 1829 (see sample entry overleaf). Not only
does it give important information about each force, but it also lists
the chief officers of those forces from their inception, and in many
cases, to their demise. Thirdly, to further assist the researcher the
book also contains an alphabetical index of chief officers. Fourthly,
a bibliography of British police force histories is included for those
researchers who wish to further explore police history. This book
will fill an important gap in the literature on police history and
provide a reference point for existing and future historians of the
police.
Please send cheque for £15 (inc. P&P), payable to the "Police
History Society", to The British Police, 68 High Garrett, Braintree,
Essex. CM7 5NT.
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