Air Force Department Constabulary
Encyclopedia
The Air Force Department Constabulary (formerly the Air Ministry Constabulary) was a police force in the United Kingdom
, responsible for policing the airfields and aerodromes under the control of the Air Ministry
, later the Air Force Department.
Policing at Air Ministry establishments was originally provided by the Metropolitan Police
and local county constabularies. For a while, as an economy measure, some establishments were manned by warders who had no police powers but the Home Office Forces remained at Stores Depots, where warders were considered to be inadequate, until about 1925. The passing of the Special Constables Act 1923 enabled these warders to be sworn as special constable
s under section 3 of the Act, and the regular police were then gradually withdrawn and replaced by warders or, as they were later styled, Air Ministry Constables.
Originally the warders and later constabulary departments were under direct control of the Commanding Officer of the unit at which they served. In 1942 a Superintendent was appointed to RAF Maintenance Command
, which was the main user of the Constabulary, to advise on police matters. Later in the same year, the superintendent was moved to the Air Ministry and the beginnings were made to centralise control.
During World War II
, the Constabulary increased to a peak strength of 3,530 men. In 1946, F. J. May OBE was appointed as the first Chief Constable
, and Squadron Leader
D. F. Grierson MBE
was appointed as Deputy Chief Constable
.
In 1948, responsibility for civilian airports was transferred to the Ministry of Civil Aviation, and a new police force, the Ministry of Civil Aviation Constabulary was formed, leaving the Air Ministry Constabulary with responsibility for military airfields only. Reductions in the RAF, the relinquishing of control over civil airports and the introduction of more economical methods of policing saw the size of the force decrease to some 1155 men.
In 1964 the Force was renamed the Air Force Department Constabulary. The Ministry of Defence Police
absorbed the AFDC in 1971, along with the Army Department Constabulary
and the Admiralty Constabulary
.
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
, responsible for policing the airfields and aerodromes under the control of the Air Ministry
Air Ministry
The Air Ministry was a department of the British Government with the responsibility of managing the affairs of the Royal Air Force, that existed from 1918 to 1964...
, later the Air Force Department.
Policing at Air Ministry establishments was originally provided by the Metropolitan Police
Metropolitan police
Metropolitan Police is a generic title for the municipal police force for a major metropolitan area, and it may be part of the official title of the force...
and local county constabularies. For a while, as an economy measure, some establishments were manned by warders who had no police powers but the Home Office Forces remained at Stores Depots, where warders were considered to be inadequate, until about 1925. The passing of the Special Constables Act 1923 enabled these warders to be sworn as special constable
Special constable
A Special Constable is a law enforcement officer who is not a regular member of a police force. Some like the Royal Canadian Mounted Police carry the same law enforcement powers as regular members, but are employed in specific roles, such as explosive disposal technicians, court security, campus...
s under section 3 of the Act, and the regular police were then gradually withdrawn and replaced by warders or, as they were later styled, Air Ministry Constables.
Originally the warders and later constabulary departments were under direct control of the Commanding Officer of the unit at which they served. In 1942 a Superintendent was appointed to RAF Maintenance Command
RAF Maintenance Command
RAF Maintenance Command was the Royal Air Force command which was responsible for controlling maintenance for all the United Kingdom-based units from formation on 1 April 1938 until being renamed RAF Support Command on 31 August 1973.- History :...
, which was the main user of the Constabulary, to advise on police matters. Later in the same year, the superintendent was moved to the Air Ministry and the beginnings were made to centralise control.
During World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
, the Constabulary increased to a peak strength of 3,530 men. In 1946, F. J. May OBE was appointed as the first Chief Constable
Chief Constable
Chief constable is the rank used by the chief police officer of every territorial police force in the United Kingdom except for the City of London Police and the Metropolitan Police, as well as the chief officers of the three 'special' national police forces, the British Transport Police, Ministry...
, and Squadron Leader
Squadron Leader
Squadron Leader is a commissioned rank in the Royal Air Force and the air forces of many countries which have historical British influence. It is also sometimes used as the English translation of an equivalent rank in countries which have a non-English air force-specific rank structure. In these...
D. F. Grierson MBE
MBE
MBE can stand for:* Mail Boxes Etc.* Management by exception* Master of Bioethics* Master of Bioscience Enterprise* Master of Business Engineering* Master of Business Economics* Mean Biased Error...
was appointed as Deputy Chief Constable
Deputy Chief Constable
Deputy chief constable is the second highest rank in all territorial police forces in the United Kingdom , as well as the British Transport Police, Ministry of Defence Police and Civil Nuclear...
.
In 1948, responsibility for civilian airports was transferred to the Ministry of Civil Aviation, and a new police force, the Ministry of Civil Aviation Constabulary was formed, leaving the Air Ministry Constabulary with responsibility for military airfields only. Reductions in the RAF, the relinquishing of control over civil airports and the introduction of more economical methods of policing saw the size of the force decrease to some 1155 men.
In 1964 the Force was renamed the Air Force Department Constabulary. The Ministry of Defence Police
Ministry of Defence Police
The Ministry of Defence Police is a civilian police force which is part of the United Kingdom's Ministry of Defence. The force is part of the larger government agency, the Ministry of Defence Police and Guarding Agency , together with the Ministry of Defence Guard Service...
absorbed the AFDC in 1971, along with the Army Department Constabulary
Army Department Constabulary
The Army Department Constabulary was a police force in the United Kingdom formed as a result of the Special Constables Act 1923. Originally, the Army used serving soldiers to guard its establishments and the only call for police was at places like the Royal Arsenal at Woolwich...
and the Admiralty Constabulary
Admiralty Constabulary
The Admiralty Constabulary was a police force in the United Kingdom formed as a result of the Special Constables Act 1923. The Constabulary can trace its history back to 1686 when the Royal Navy needed an organisation to prevent dockyard crime...
.
See also
- Airport policing in the United KingdomAirport policing in the United KingdomAirport policing in the United Kingdom has taken many forms since the rise of scheduled airline services in the post-war period. Policing at major civilian airports was responsibility of the specialist constabularies operated by three central government departments until 1974, when the rise in...
- Law enforcement in the United Kingdom
- List of law enforcement agencies in the United Kingdom