Dorset Police

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Coverage
Dorset Police
Dorset Police area
Area	Dorset
Size	1,024 square miles
Population	687,000
Operations
Formed	1974
HQ	Winfrith
Officers	{{{officers}}}
Divisions	4
Stations	24
Chief Constable	Martin Baker

Website	Dorset Police

Dorset Police is the Home Office police force with the responsibility of policing the English county of Dorset.

As of the 31st December 2003 the force had an estabishment of 1437 police officers, 250 Special Constables and 1133 civilian staff, 83 Volunteers, 60 PCSO's (Rising to 220 by 2008).

51% of Dorsets 687,000 Population reside in 5% of the area which is the conurbations of Poole and Bournemouth. Within the tourist season this number rises by another 300,000.

The force is divided into four Divisions: Western Division covers the Western half of the county, Eastern Division covers the Eastern part of the county, and a separate division for each of Poole and Bournemouth, the two main urban conurbations of the county.

The Chief Constable is Martin Baker.

December 2006 - In a typical day Dorset Police face, > 533 calls for assistance from the public > 260 - 999 calls > 56 cases referred to the Crown Prosecution Service > 172 Crimes Recorded > 46 Crimes Detected > 101 Anti-social behaviour incidents recorded > 33 people arrested for notifiable offences > 20 People and Vehicle searches > 3 Drug offence arrests > 19 Road traffic collisions attended > 23 breath tests administered > 17,516 miles travelled in Police vehicles

The force took its present form on April 1, 1974 when the previous Dorset and Bournemouth Constabulary took in areas (that is, Christchurch and hinterland) previously covered by Hampshire Constabulary under the Local Government Act 1972. The establishment of Dorset and Bournemouth police dates from October 1, 1967 when the Dorset Constabulary merged with the Bournemouth Borough Police, covering the county borough of Bournemouth which was itself until 1974 considered part of Hampshire.[1]