| Dorset Police | |||||
| Logo of the Dorset Police. | |||||
| Agency overview | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Formed | April 1st, 1974 | ||||
| Preceding agencies |
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| Employees | 2,681[1] | ||||
| Volunteers | 295[1] | ||||
| Annual budget | £107.8 million[1] | ||||
| Legal personality | Governmental: Government agency | ||||
| Jurisdictional structure | |||||
| Operations jurisdiction* | Police area of Dorset in the country of England, UK | ||||
| Map of police area | |||||
| Size | 1,024 square miles (2,650 km2) | ||||
| Population | 710,500 | ||||
| Legal jurisdiction | England & Wales | ||||
| Governing body | Dorset Police Authority | ||||
| Constituting instrument | Police Act 1996 | ||||
| General nature | |||||
| Operational structure | |||||
| Overviewed by | Independent Police Complaints Commission/Her Majesty's Inspectorate of Constabulary | ||||
| Headquarters | Winfrith | ||||
| Constables | 1,813 (of which 295 are special constables)[1] | ||||
| Police Community Support Officers | 151[1] | ||||
| Agency executive | Martin Baker, Chief Constable | ||||
| Divisions | 2 | ||||
| Headquarterss | Winfrith | ||||
| Facilities | |||||
| Stations | 24 | ||||
| Cars | Ford Focus | ||||
| Helicopters | 1 MD 902 | ||||
| Dogs | 30 | ||||
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| Website | |||||
| www.dorset.police.uk | |||||
| Footnotes | |||||
| * Police area agency: Prescribed geographic area in the country, over which the agency has usual operational jurisdiction. | |||||
Dorset Police is the territorial police force responsible for policing the English county of Dorset in the south-west of England.
Contents |
Dorset County Constabulary was formed in 1855. On 1 October 1967 it merged with Bournemouth Borough Police to form Dorset and Bournemouth Constabulary. On 1 April 1974 this force took over some areas (mainly Christchurch and its hinterland) from Hampshire Constabulary and acquired its present name.
In 1965, Dorset County Constabulary had an establishment of 544 and an actual strength of 466.[2]
51% of Dorset's 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.
As of April 2008, the force was divided into two Divisions: Bournemouth and Poole (sometimes known as the Conurbation) Division and Dorset County Division (consisting of the rest of Dorset, stretching from Lyme Regis in the west, to Gillingham in the north and Walkford in the east of the county). This restructuring is in line with force policy of recreating a "Neighbourhood-led police force" and matches up with the local council's wards, to monitor local statistics.
The Chief Constable is Martin Baker.
In a typical day Dorset Police face (based on December 2006 figures):
CID is based at Dorset's headquarters and provides advice to all policing units on crime-related matters and maintaining a corporate approach to reducing crime, as well as providing specialist and investigative roles. The despartment is split into six sub-departments including, Child Protection Investigation, Scientific Support, Intelligence, Fraud Squad, Special Squad and HOLMES.[3]
Dorset Police is responsible for policing sections of 14 'A' roads including A338, A35, A350, A354 and A37. There are no motorways located within Dorset.
Dorset Police have a total of 420 vehicles, of which 65% are Ford Focuses, and drive a total of 6.8 million miles a year.[4][5]
The Dorset Police Ports Policing Unit is responsible for policing all designated and non-designated ports in Dorset, making sure that legislation is followed, particularly the Terrorism Act 2000. It also obtains any intelligence on smuggling and contraband. Ports in Dorset include Poole Harbour, Swanage Harbour, Portland Harbour, Weymouth Harbour, Christchurch Harbour and Bournemouth Airport.
Dorset Police' Marine Unit is responsible for policing the 89 miles of Dorset's coastline and up to 12 miles out to sea. The area is one the busiest coastal areas in the UK, including two of the busiest ports, numerous shipping lanes, thousands of private moorings, the RNLI's busiest callout area and a training centre for the Royal Marines.[6]
Dorset Police's Armed Response Group is a 24/7 sub-department of the Operations department that responds to major and serious crimes where firearms are involved. The unit responds to incidents with the capability of firearms and Taser deployment. They are currently working hard to 'crack-down' on imitation firearms.[7][8]
Dorset Police has had a Dog Section since 1953, the unit is based in Eastern Division HQ in Ferndown. The unit comprises 1 Inspector, 2 Sergeants and 18 Constables and almost 30 dogs, including German Shepherds, labradors and springer spaniel.[9]
Dorset Police has a MD 902 helicopter that can be deployed anywhere in the county in 12 minutes. It is headed by a Sergeant who serves a Executive Officer and is staffed by a Deputy Officer Sergeant and 8 full time observers. Pilots are provided by Police Aviation Services, who supply and maintain the aircraft.[10][11]
The unit also occasionally serve as an air ambulance and travel with some medical equipment. The unit can also serve in all neighbouring counties if requested and also works with other emergency services such as the coastguard for search and rescues if requested.
The Air Operations Unit is based at Dorset Police Headquarters in Winfrith.
The headquarters of Dorset Police is at Winfrith and has 21 stations at Blandford, Boscombe, Bournemouth Central, Bridport, Christchurch, Dorchester, Ferndown, Gillingham, Gravel Hill, Highcliffe, Lyme Regis, Poole, Portland, Shaftesbury, Sherborne, Swanage, Verwood, Wareham, Weymouth Wimborne and Winton.
Winfrith is also home to the Dog Section and Air Operations Unit.
Dorset Police officers wear the traditional custodian helmet in the comb style with a Brunswick star that reads 'Dorset Police' for foot patrol, a peaked cap for when on mobile patrol in vehicles, and a white peaked cap for traffic officers. Female officers wear a bowler hat, or a white bowler hat for traffic officers.
When on duty officers wear dark blue uniform shirts, and black combat trousers. Dorset Police no longer use the traditional police jumper, having favoured the black fleece with police written on the chest and back. Dorset Police do not have Brunswick stars on their epaulettes, just the rank and collar number. Regular Officers and Special Constables wear the same uniform including black combat trousers, blue shirts, black stab vests and usually a high visibility 'Tacvest' on top.
Formal dress comprises an open-necked tunic, with white shirt/blouse and tie/cravat. Constables and Sergeants wear custodian helmet's and collar numbers on their epaulettes, all higher ranked officers wear peaked caps, name badges and their rank on their epaulettes. The No.1 uniform is accompanied by black boots or shoes and occasionally black gloves, or brown gloves for the rank of Inspector and above.
Dorset Police use TETRA digital radios, PDAs, rigid handcuffs and the ASP 21" collapsible baton.
Dorset Police have a total of 420 vehicles, of which 65% are Ford Focuses, and drive a total of 6.8 million miles a year.
Dorset Police also use many other makes of vehicles from several different car manufacturers for the diverse categories of response vehicles required by the modern Police Officer.
Dorset Police use the modern yellow and blue retro-reflective battenberg markings all over all operational vehicles, as well as the Dorset Police crest on either the front or side.
Dorset Police stopped using the 'jam sandwich' police car markings between 2000 and 2005 when battenburg markings were invented.
Between 1855 and 1967 Dorset Police used the name Dorset County Constabulary, and served alongside Bournemouth Borough Police until the two forces merged in 1967, and from then was known as Dorset and Bournemouth Constabulary. In 1974 the force expanded its borders and therefore changed its name again, this time dropping the phrase 'constabulary' in favour of its current name Dorset Police.
Dorset Police employs over 2,600 people: 1518 Constables and 151 PCSO's. Dorset Police also has 295 Special Constables and an unknown number of Police Support Volunteer.
Due to budget cuts Dorset Police is not currently looking to recruit for any positions unless they are urgent. However positions for voluntary roles are available.
Training for new recruits in Dorset is held at the Headquarters in Winfrith. For Constables it consists of eight months' training and a two-year probationary period. For PCSOs it consists of 18 weeks' training and a 15 week probationary period. For Special Constables it consists of a similar but shorter programme of training during weeknights and weekends, accompanied by a two-year probationary period or less, dependent on the hours they can commit a month.
Recruits receive their warrant card and uniform during training. Once the training period is over, the new officers are posted in a local division.
The British Crime Survey for 2010 found that Dorset Police there was an overall fall in crime in Dorset by 2.5%, and the largest fall in crime was robbery which fell by 20%, making it the best eighth best performing force out of 43 in England and Wales, and first in forces similar to Dorset.[12]
The latest performance figures from Dorset Police comparing April to December 2009 with the same period during 2008 – are a 9.9% drop in burglary, 8.5 per cent drop in criminal damage, a 3.5 per cent fall in vehicle crime, a 3% drop in total violent crime, a 17.8 per cent fall in most serious violent crime, Criminal damage fell by 5.8%, violence against the person without injury by 9.3%, violence against the person by 5.2%, drug offences by 5.1% and a 2.8 per cent fall in total recorded crime.[13]
According to the British Crime Survey, 63.8 per cent of people think Dorset Police deals with local concerns, making Dorset the best performing force in England and Wales for that issue.
Some 9.9% of people say there is a high level of perceived anti-social behaviour, making Dorset the eighth best performing force in England and Wales – and the top performing force among its family of five most similar forces. Some 17.6% of people said there was a big problem with drugs while 18.8 per cent of people in Dorset said there was a big problem with drunk and rowdy behaviour. 51.6% of people in Dorset agreed that the police and local councils were dealing with issues, making Dorset the twelfth best performing force in England and Wales.[14][15]
Her Majesty's Inspectorate of Constabulary graded Dorset Police overall as 'fair' on local crime and policing, protection from serious harm, confidence and satisfaction.
In detail they were graded as 'fair' at Neighbourhood Policing, neighbourhood presence and solving crime. They were rated as 'good' at reducing crime.
They were graded 'excellent' at suppressing gun crime, suppressing knife crime, comparative satisfaction of the BME community, confidence in the police and proportion of police cost met by council.
They were scored 'poor' and 'stable' on reducing road death and injury.[16]
Dorset Police is under the local oversight of Dorset Police Authority. The DPA is an independent body made up of 17 members, 9 who are local councillors and 8 who are independent members. Mr M.G. Taylor CBE DL is the Chairman.
The responsible government department is the Home Office. If the Government continues its plans to introduce an elected Police Commissioner into every police force, then the Dorset Police Authority will be scrapped.
In 2006 the Home Office announced plans to reduce the number of police forces in the UK from 42 to 24 in an attempt to save money.[17] The plans were abandoned later that year due to lack of funding for the mergers, however the idea has resurfaced many times.
The proposed idea would have seen Dorset Police merge with Gloucestershire Constabulary, Devon and Cornwall Police, Avon and Somerset Constabulary and Wiltshire Police to form a 'super police force'.
The plans have been publicly criticised by all the involved forces, stating that it would lead to poor quality service and a reduction in local policing.[18]
Dorset Emergency Services Partnership Initiative is a project that ensures collaboration between emergency services in Dorset. This has seen the provision of a new fire station in Poole and Dorchester, new fire service headquarters in Poundbury and a joint area command for Dorset Police with Dorset Fire and Rescue Service on the Wimborne Road site.[19]
The Dorset Police Male Voice Choir was founded on 4 July 1995 as independent charity that today has 60 members, that perform regularly throughout Dorset. The choir has performed throughout England and also France, Guernsey, Ireland and the USA. The choir has so far raised over £250,000 for charity.[20]