Cheshire Constabulary
Encyclopedia
Cheshire Constabulary is the territorial police force
responsible for policing the English
unitary authorities
of Cheshire East
, Cheshire West and Chester
, Halton
(including Runcorn
, and Widnes
) and Warrington
. The force is responsible for policing an area of 946 square miles (2,450.1 km²) with a population of roughly 1 million.
The Chief Constable of the Cheshire Constabulary as of 2009 is David Whatton
. He was appointed on 23 October 2008, and was previously the Deputy Chief Constable of Greater Manchester Police
. The Deputy Chief Constable is Graeme Gerrard. The two Assistant Chief Constables are Philip Thompson – Investigations and Ian Wiggett (temporary) – Neighbourhoods.
The first Headquarters was established at 4 Seller Street, Chester
. In 1862 this office was removed to 1 Egerton Street, Chester and remained there until 1870, when it was removed to 113 Foregate Street. In 1893 the Court of Quarter Sessions approved the building of a new Headquarters which was erected at 142 Foregate Street
and designed by John Douglas
, at a cost not exceeding £2,000. This continued to be used, together with the adjoining buildings, until 1967, whena new purpose-built Headquarters was opened at Nuns Road, Chester. This building served the Constabulary until 2004 when the Headquarters building moved to a purpose-built complex at Clemonds Hey, Winsford. In 1965, the force had an establishment of 1,359 and an actual strength of 1,329.
It was proposed by the Home Secretary
on 6 February 2006 that Cheshire should merge with the Merseyside Police
, to form a strategic police force, but these proposals were later abandoned.
The Museum of Policing in Cheshire preserves and researches the heritage of policing in the county.
In late 2004 the structure was changed with three Areas, known as Basic Command Unit
s (BCUs). Each BCU is headed by a Chief Superintendent.
, M62
, M53
and M56
motorways, which has 23 interchanges and 4 service areas. The M6 motorway across the Thelwall Viaduct carries 140,000 vehicles every 24 hours. Delays and incidents on the motorway can have a severe impact on the economic life of the entire North West Region.
dance and music festival that takes place over the August bank holiday weekend every year at Daresbury
in Halton
, close to Runcorn
and Warrington
.
fixed-wing aircraft, registration G-CHEZ. This model of aircraft is used worldwide in a variety of roles. It is particularly suited to police aviation as it is able to carry a wide range of equipment and stay airborne for long periods of time. This equipment allows it to operate during the day or night, in most weather conditions. It is cleared for flight in cloud and bad weather, but the majority of police operations require visual contact with the ground. If required, it can carry up to six persons.
The aircraft is operated by a team of civilian pilots, four police observers and one sergeant ensure the aircraft is available all year. The aircraft is used to conduct a wide range of policing work providing emergency responses to incidents involving threat to life, commission of crime and searching for missing persons. It also conducts deployments for non-crime searches, scene management at incidents and video evidence gathering.
On 27 February 2009, the Constabulary confirmed that the Home Office
had agreed to jointly fund the purchase of a new £1 million Eurocopter EC135
aircraft, to be operational 24 hours a day.
TV series Traffic Cops
.
Former Chief Constable Peter Fahy
called for the legal age of buying alcohol to increase to the age of 21 as a result of the Garry Newlove
murder in 2007.
Territorial police force
The phrase Territorial Police Force varies in precise meaning according to the country to which it is related, generally distinguishing a force whose area of responsibility is defined by sub-national boundaries from others which deal with the entire country or a restricted range of...
responsible for policing the English
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
unitary authorities
Unitary authority
A unitary authority is a type of local authority that has a single tier and is responsible for all local government functions within its area or performs additional functions which elsewhere in the relevant country are usually performed by national government or a higher level of sub-national...
of Cheshire East
Cheshire East
Cheshire East is a unitary authority area with borough status in the ceremonial county of Cheshire, England.The borough was established in April 2009 as part of the 2009 structural changes to local government in England, by virtue of an order under the Local Government and Public Involvement in...
, Cheshire West and Chester
Cheshire West and Chester
Cheshire West and Chester is a unitary authority area with borough status, in the ceremonial county of Cheshire. It was established in April 2009 as part of the 2009 structural changes to local government in England, by virtue of an order under the Local Government and Public Involvement in Health...
, Halton
Halton (borough)
Halton is a local government district in North West England, with borough status and administered by a unitary authority. It was created in 1974 as a district of Cheshire, and became a unitary authority area on 1 April 1998. It consists of the towns of Widnes and Runcorn and the civil parishes of...
(including Runcorn
Runcorn
Runcorn is an industrial town and cargo port within the borough of Halton in the ceremonial county of Cheshire, England. In 2009, its population was estimated to be 61,500. The town is on the southern bank of the River Mersey where the estuary narrows to form Runcorn Gap. Directly to the north...
, and Widnes
Widnes
Widnes is an industrial town within the borough of Halton, in Cheshire, England, with an urban area population of 57,663 in 2004. It is located on the northern bank of the River Mersey where the estuary narrows to form the Runcorn Gap. Directly to the south across the Mersey is the town of Runcorn...
) and Warrington
Warrington
Warrington is a town, borough and unitary authority area of Cheshire, England. It stands on the banks of the River Mersey, which is tidal to the west of the weir at Howley. It lies 16 miles east of Liverpool, 19 miles west of Manchester and 8 miles south of St Helens...
. The force is responsible for policing an area of 946 square miles (2,450.1 km²) with a population of roughly 1 million.
The Chief Constable of the Cheshire Constabulary as of 2009 is David Whatton
David Whatton
David Whatton QPM is currently the Chief Constable of Cheshire Constabulary. He previously held roles at West Midlands and Greater Manchester police forces.-Career:David Whatton joined the West Midlands Police in April 1983...
. He was appointed on 23 October 2008, and was previously the Deputy Chief Constable of Greater Manchester Police
Greater Manchester Police
Greater Manchester Police is the police force responsible for law enforcement within the metropolitan county of Greater Manchester in North West England...
. The Deputy Chief Constable is Graeme Gerrard. The two Assistant Chief Constables are Philip Thompson – Investigations and Ian Wiggett (temporary) – Neighbourhoods.
History
The first Chief Constable was Captain Thomas Johnnes Smith, late of the Bedfordshire Militia. The first full Cheshire Police Committee met at the Crewe Arms Hotel, Crewe, on 3 February 1857 and the new Cheshire Constabulary was officially formed on 20 April 1857.The first Headquarters was established at 4 Seller Street, Chester
Chester
Chester is a city in Cheshire, England. Lying on the River Dee, close to the border with Wales, it is home to 77,040 inhabitants, and is the largest and most populous settlement of the wider unitary authority area of Cheshire West and Chester, which had a population of 328,100 according to the...
. In 1862 this office was removed to 1 Egerton Street, Chester and remained there until 1870, when it was removed to 113 Foregate Street. In 1893 the Court of Quarter Sessions approved the building of a new Headquarters which was erected at 142 Foregate Street
142 Foregate Street, Chester
142 Foregate Street is a building on the south side of Foregate Street, Chester, Cheshire, England. It has been designated by English Heritage as a Grade II listed building.-History:...
and designed by John Douglas
John Douglas (architect)
John Douglas was an English architect who designed about 500 buildings in Cheshire, North Wales, and northwest England, in particular in the estate of Eaton Hall. He was trained in Lancaster and practised throughout his career from an office in Chester, Cheshire...
, at a cost not exceeding £2,000. This continued to be used, together with the adjoining buildings, until 1967, whena new purpose-built Headquarters was opened at Nuns Road, Chester. This building served the Constabulary until 2004 when the Headquarters building moved to a purpose-built complex at Clemonds Hey, Winsford. In 1965, the force had an establishment of 1,359 and an actual strength of 1,329.
It was proposed by the Home Secretary
Home Secretary
The Secretary of State for the Home Department, commonly known as the Home Secretary, is the minister in charge of the Home Office of the United Kingdom, and one of the country's four Great Offices of State...
on 6 February 2006 that Cheshire should merge with the Merseyside Police
Merseyside Police
Merseyside Police is the territorial police force responsible for policing Merseyside in North West England. The force area is 647 square kilometres with a population of around 1.5 million...
, to form a strategic police force, but these proposals were later abandoned.
The Museum of Policing in Cheshire preserves and researches the heritage of policing in the county.
Force structure
Before 2004, six divisions existed based on the district/unitary council areas:- CongletonCongletonCongleton is a town and civil parish in the unitary authority of Cheshire East and the ceremonial county of Cheshire, England, on the banks of the River Dane, to the west of the Macclesfield Canal and 21 miles south of Manchester. It has a population of 25,750.-History:The first settlements in...
& Vale RoyalVale RoyalVale Royal was, from 1974 to 2009, a local government district with borough status in Cheshire, England. It contained the towns of Northwich, Winsford and Frodsham.-Creation:... - CreweCreweCrewe is a railway town within the unitary authority area of Cheshire East and the ceremonial county of Cheshire, England. According to the 2001 census the urban area had a population of 67,683...
- HaltonHalton (borough)Halton is a local government district in North West England, with borough status and administered by a unitary authority. It was created in 1974 as a district of Cheshire, and became a unitary authority area on 1 April 1998. It consists of the towns of Widnes and Runcorn and the civil parishes of...
- MacclesfieldMacclesfieldMacclesfield is a market town within the unitary authority of Cheshire East, the county palatine of Chester, also known as the ceremonial county of Cheshire, England. The population of the Macclesfield urban sub-area at the time of the 2001 census was 50,688...
- WarringtonWarringtonWarrington is a town, borough and unitary authority area of Cheshire, England. It stands on the banks of the River Mersey, which is tidal to the west of the weir at Howley. It lies 16 miles east of Liverpool, 19 miles west of Manchester and 8 miles south of St Helens...
- ChesterChesterChester is a city in Cheshire, England. Lying on the River Dee, close to the border with Wales, it is home to 77,040 inhabitants, and is the largest and most populous settlement of the wider unitary authority area of Cheshire West and Chester, which had a population of 328,100 according to the...
& Ellesmere PortEllesmere PortEllesmere Port is a large industrial town and port in the unitary authority of Cheshire West and Chester and the ceremonial county of Cheshire, England. It is situated on the south border of the Wirral Peninsula on the banks of the Manchester Ship Canal, which in turn gives access to the River...
In late 2004 the structure was changed with three Areas, known as Basic Command Unit
Basic Command Unit
A Basic Command Unit is the largest unit into which territorial British Police forces are divided. This may actually be called a BCU or may have another designation, such as Division or Area. There are 228 BCUs in England and Wales.Most forces are divided into at least three BCUs and some have...
s (BCUs). Each BCU is headed by a Chief Superintendent.
- Northern Area, covering WarringtonWarringtonWarrington is a town, borough and unitary authority area of Cheshire, England. It stands on the banks of the River Mersey, which is tidal to the west of the weir at Howley. It lies 16 miles east of Liverpool, 19 miles west of Manchester and 8 miles south of St Helens...
and HaltonHalton (borough)Halton is a local government district in North West England, with borough status and administered by a unitary authority. It was created in 1974 as a district of Cheshire, and became a unitary authority area on 1 April 1998. It consists of the towns of Widnes and Runcorn and the civil parishes of...
Unitary Areas- Runcorn
- Warrington Central
- Warrington Town Centre
- Warrington East (Risley Police Station)
- Warrington South (Stockton Heath Police Station)
- Warrington West (Great Sankey Police Station)
- Widnes
- Eastern Area, serving the unitary area of Cheshire EastCheshire EastCheshire East is a unitary authority area with borough status in the ceremonial county of Cheshire, England.The borough was established in April 2009 as part of the 2009 structural changes to local government in England, by virtue of an order under the Local Government and Public Involvement in...
- Congleton (Alsager, Congleton, Middlewich and Sandbach Police Stations)
- Crewe
- Knutsford
- Macclesfield
- Nantwich
- Wilmslow
- Western Area, serving the unitary area of Cheshire West & Chester
- Chester Inner (Police Office, Town Hall)
- Chester Outer (Blacon Police Station, Chester)
- Ellesmere Port and Neston
- Northwich
- Western Rural (Dragonhall, Mickle Trafford and Frodsham Police Stations)
- Winsford
Basic command unit structure
Each area has several specialist teams, namely:- Neighbourhood Policing Units (NPUs), each with local Neighbourhood Policing Teams and investigation teams. The NPUs concentrate on preventing and detecting local crime and targeting offenders, building contacts in the local community, resolving problems by working with local organisations and individuals, and being visible and accessible.
- Targeted Patrol Teams responding to emergency calls
- Criminal Investigation Departments (CIDCriminal Investigation DepartmentThe Crime Investigation Department is the branch of all Territorial police forces within the British Police and many other Commonwealth police forces, to which plain clothes detectives belong. It is thus distinct from the Uniformed Branch and the Special Branch.The Metropolitan Police Service CID,...
) detect serious crime - Customer Service Desks ensure incidents are dealt with promptly and the public get a better service
- Public Protection Units deal with Domestic Abuse, Stalking and Harassment, Honour-based Violence, Elder Abuse and Child Protection.
- Intelligence Units and Pro-active Policing Units target persistent criminals
- Partnership Development Units
- Custody Investigation Units(CIU), comprise of a combination of interviewing Police Officers and Civilian Staff members who interview persons detained in the Custody Suite suspected of commiting an offence.
Headquarters-based teams
To support the BCUs, several centralised teams operate from the headquarters:- Central Roads Policing Unit
- Centralised Crime Recording Bureau
- Contingency Planning/Events Coordinators
- Force Major Investigation Team
- Specialised Support Units
Road policing
The Cheshire road system is made up of 3417 miles (5,499.1 km) of highway. The constabulary is responsible for policing one of the longest stretches of motorway in Britain. The force patrols 214 miles (344.4 km) of the M6M6 motorway
The M6 motorway runs from junction 19 of the M1 at the Catthorpe Interchange, near Rugby via Birmingham then heads north, passing Stoke-on-Trent, Manchester, Preston, Carlisle and terminating at the Gretna junction . Here, just short of the Scottish border it becomes the A74 which continues to...
, M62
M62 motorway
The M62 motorway is a west–east trans-Pennine motorway in Northern England, connecting the cities of Liverpool and Hull via Manchester and Leeds. The road also forms part of the unsigned Euroroutes E20 and E22...
, M53
M53 motorway
The M53 is a motorway in the Metropolitan Borough of Wirral and Cheshire on the Wirral Peninsula in England. It can also be referred to as the Mid Wirral Motorway...
and M56
M56 motorway
The M56 Motorway, also known as the North Cheshire motorway, is in Cheshire and Greater Manchester, England. It runs from Junction 4 of the M60 to Dunkirk, Cheshire and is in length. It is often busy with long-distance commuter traffic towards North Wales...
motorways, which has 23 interchanges and 4 service areas. The M6 motorway across the Thelwall Viaduct carries 140,000 vehicles every 24 hours. Delays and incidents on the motorway can have a severe impact on the economic life of the entire North West Region.
Creamfields
Cheshire Constabulary is responsible for policing the annual CreamfieldsCreamfields
Creamfelds is a large dance music festival featuring DJs and live acts. It is held annually on the August Bank Holiday weekend in Daresbury, Cheshire, England, just outside of Liverpool where it had previously been held for a number of years. It is renowned for being headlined every year by the...
dance and music festival that takes place over the August bank holiday weekend every year at Daresbury
Daresbury
Daresbury is a small rural village, civil parish and ward in the unitary authority of Halton and part of the ceremonial county of Cheshire, England. It is covered by the Weaver Vale constituency...
in Halton
Halton (borough)
Halton is a local government district in North West England, with borough status and administered by a unitary authority. It was created in 1974 as a district of Cheshire, and became a unitary authority area on 1 April 1998. It consists of the towns of Widnes and Runcorn and the civil parishes of...
, close to Runcorn
Runcorn
Runcorn is an industrial town and cargo port within the borough of Halton in the ceremonial county of Cheshire, England. In 2009, its population was estimated to be 61,500. The town is on the southern bank of the River Mersey where the estuary narrows to form Runcorn Gap. Directly to the north...
and Warrington
Warrington
Warrington is a town, borough and unitary authority area of Cheshire, England. It stands on the banks of the River Mersey, which is tidal to the west of the weir at Howley. It lies 16 miles east of Liverpool, 19 miles west of Manchester and 8 miles south of St Helens...
.
Air operations unit
Since December 2001 Cheshire Police have operated a Britten-Norman IslanderBritten-Norman Islander
The Britten-Norman BN-2 Islander is a 1960s British light utility aircraft, regional airliner and cargo aircraft designed and originally manufactured by Britten-Norman of the United Kingdom. The Islander is one of the best-selling commercial aircraft types produced in Europe. Although designed in...
fixed-wing aircraft, registration G-CHEZ. This model of aircraft is used worldwide in a variety of roles. It is particularly suited to police aviation as it is able to carry a wide range of equipment and stay airborne for long periods of time. This equipment allows it to operate during the day or night, in most weather conditions. It is cleared for flight in cloud and bad weather, but the majority of police operations require visual contact with the ground. If required, it can carry up to six persons.
The aircraft is operated by a team of civilian pilots, four police observers and one sergeant ensure the aircraft is available all year. The aircraft is used to conduct a wide range of policing work providing emergency responses to incidents involving threat to life, commission of crime and searching for missing persons. It also conducts deployments for non-crime searches, scene management at incidents and video evidence gathering.
On 27 February 2009, the Constabulary confirmed that the Home Office
Home Office
The Home Office is the United Kingdom government department responsible for immigration control, security, and order. As such it is responsible for the police, UK Border Agency, and the Security Service . It is also in charge of government policy on security-related issues such as drugs,...
had agreed to jointly fund the purchase of a new £1 million Eurocopter EC135
Eurocopter EC135
The Eurocopter EC135 is a twin-engine civil helicopter produced by Eurocopter, widely used amongst police and ambulance services and for executive transport. It is capable of flight under instrument flight rules .-Development:...
aircraft, to be operational 24 hours a day.
Crime statistics
Cheshire Constabulary's crime statistics for recorded crimes are:| April 2005 – December 2006 | April 2006 – December 2007 | Percentage Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Burglary (dwelling) | 3657 | 3333 | −9% |
| Burglary (other) | 4960 | 4566 | −8% |
| Theft from vehicle | 6382 | 5472 | −14% |
| Theft of vehicle | 2645 | 2195 | −17% |
| Violent offences | 14942 | 14038 | −6% |
| Other offences | 40524 | 38575 | −5% |
| Total crime | 73110 | 68179 | -7% |
Cheshire Constabulary and the media
During 2005/06, the force was featured in the BBCBBC
The British Broadcasting Corporation is a British public service broadcaster. Its headquarters is at Broadcasting House in the City of Westminster, London. It is the largest broadcaster in the world, with about 23,000 staff...
TV series Traffic Cops
Traffic Cops
Traffic Cops is a documentary series on BBC One which follows traffic officers from various British police forces. The current series follows Bedfordshire Police. Previous series have followed Cheshire, Hampshire, Humberside, South Wales, South Yorkshire and Sussex police forces...
.
Former Chief Constable Peter Fahy
Peter Fahy
Peter Fahy QPM is the Chief Constable of Greater Manchester Police , the United Kingdom's third largest police force.-Personal life:Fahy holds a degree in French and Spanish from the University of Hull, and a Masters degree from the University of East Anglia.-Police career:He joined the police in...
called for the legal age of buying alcohol to increase to the age of 21 as a result of the Garry Newlove
Garry Newlove
Garry Newlove was an English man beaten to death in August 2007 in the UK. His murder launched an upset in the UK over the two offenders who had been drinking underage. Former Chief Constable Peter Fahy called for the legal age of buying alcohol to increase to the age of 21 as a result of the...
murder in 2007.
See also
- List of law enforcement agencies in the United Kingdom
- Law enforcement in the United Kingdom