Dorset Police
Encyclopedia
Dorset Police is the territorial police force
responsible for policing the English county
of Dorset
in the south-west of England
.
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.
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.
.
, 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.
. 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
.
.
.
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.
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
.
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.
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 officer
s. Female officers wear a bowler hat, or a white bowler hat for traffic officer
s.
s, 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. Constable
s and Sergeant
s wear custodian helmet
's and collar numbers on their epaulette
s, 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.
digital radios, PDAs, rigid handcuffs and the ASP
21" collapsible baton.
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 stopped using the 'jam sandwich' police car markings between 2000 and 2005 when battenburg markings
were invented.
.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
announced plans to reduce the number of police forces in the UK from 42 to 24 in an attempt to save money. 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.
on the Wimborne Road site.
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 county
County
A county is a jurisdiction of local government in certain modern nations. Historically in mainland Europe, the original French term, comté, and its equivalents in other languages denoted a jurisdiction under the sovereignty of a count A county is a jurisdiction of local government in certain...
of Dorset
Dorset
Dorset , is a county in South West England on the English Channel coast. The county town is Dorchester which is situated in the south. The Hampshire towns of Bournemouth and Christchurch joined the county with the reorganisation of local government in 1974...
in the south-west of England
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...
.
History
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 ChristchurchChristchurch, Dorset
Christchurch is a borough and town in the county of Dorset on the south coast of England. The town adjoins Bournemouth in the west and the New Forest lies to the east. Historically in Hampshire, it joined Dorset with the reorganisation of local government in 1974 and is the most easterly borough in...
and its hinterland) from Hampshire Constabulary
Hampshire Constabulary
Hampshire Constabulary is the territorial police force responsible for policing Hampshire and the Isle of Wight in southern England.The force area includes the cities of Winchester, Southampton and Portsmouth...
and acquired its present name.
In 1965, Dorset County Constabulary had an establishment of 544 and an actual strength of 466.
Organisation
51% of Dorset's 687,000 Population reside in 5% of the area, which is the conurbations of PoolePoole
Poole is a large coastal town and seaport in the county of Dorset, on the south coast of England. The town is east of Dorchester, and Bournemouth adjoins Poole to the east. The Borough of Poole was made a unitary authority in 1997, gaining administrative independence from Dorset County Council...
and Bournemouth
Bournemouth
Bournemouth is a large coastal resort town in the ceremonial county of Dorset, England. According to the 2001 Census the town has a population of 163,444, making it the largest settlement in Dorset. It is also the largest settlement between Southampton and Plymouth...
. 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
Lyme Regis
Lyme Regis is a coastal town in West Dorset, England, situated 25 miles west of Dorchester and east of Exeter. The town lies in Lyme Bay, on the English Channel coast at the Dorset-Devon border...
in the west, to Gillingham
Gillingham, Dorset
Gillingham is a town in the Blackmore Vale area of Dorset, England. The town is the most northerly in the county. It is 3 miles south of the A303 lying on the B3092 and B3081. It is near to the town of Shaftesbury which lies 7 miles to the south east. Neighbouring hamlets included Peacemarsh, Bay...
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
County council
A county council is the elected administrative body governing an area known as a county. This term has slightly different meanings in different countries.-United Kingdom:...
's wards, to monitor local statistics.
The 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...
is Martin Baker.
Overview
In a typical day Dorset Police face (based on December 2006 figures):- 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 travelled in Police vehicles
Criminal Investigation Department
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 HOLMESHolmes
Holmes is a geographical surname of English origin. The name is first recorded in Lancashire in North West England. The name is derived from "holm", a Scandinavian word meaning "a small island". The word was introduced to Great Britain and Ireland by Old Norse-speaking Vikings...
.
Roads Policing Unit
Dorset Police is responsible for policing sections of 14 'A' roads including A338A338 road
The A338 is a major trunk road in southern England, that runs from the junction with the A35 at Bournemouth in Dorset to the junction with the A420 at Besselsleigh in Oxfordshire, roughly long.-Route:...
, A35
A35 road
The A35 is a trunk road in southern England, running from Honiton in Devon, that then passes through Dorset and terminates in Southampton, Hampshire...
, A350, A354
A354 road
The A354 is a primary route in England which runs from Salisbury in Wiltshire to Easton on the Isle of Portland in Dorset, a total distance of . From Salisbury the road crosses Cranborne Chase and briefly merges with the A350 at the Blandford Forum bypass before crossing the Dorset Downs and...
and A37
A37 road
The A37 is a major road in southern England. It runs north from the A35 at Dorchester in Dorset into Somerset through Yeovil and Shepton Mallet before terminating at the Three Lamps junction with the A4 in central Bristol...
. 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.
Ports Policing Unit
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 2000Terrorism Act 2000
The Terrorism Act 2000 is the first of a number of general Terrorism Acts passed by the Parliament of the United Kingdom. It superseded and repealed the Prevention of Terrorism Act 1989 and the Northern Ireland Act 1996...
. It also obtains any intelligence on smuggling and contraband.
Ports in Dorset include Poole Harbour
Poole Harbour
Poole Harbour is a large natural harbour in Dorset, southern England, with the town of Poole on its shores. The harbour is a drowned valley formed at the end of the last ice age and is the estuary of several rivers, the largest being the Frome. The harbour has a long history of human settlement...
, Swanage Harbour, Portland Harbour
Portland Harbour
Portland Harbour is located beside the Isle of Portland, off Dorset, on the south coast of England. It is one of the largest man-made harbours in the world. Grid reference: .-History:...
, Weymouth Harbour, Christchurch Harbour and Bournemouth Airport
Bournemouth Airport
Bournemouth Airport is an airport located north-northeast of Bournemouth, in southern England...
.
Marine Policing Unit
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 MarinesRoyal Marines
The Corps of Her Majesty's Royal Marines, commonly just referred to as the Royal Marines , are the marine corps and amphibious infantry of the United Kingdom and, along with the Royal Navy and Royal Fleet Auxiliary, form the Naval Service...
.
Armed Response Unit
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.Dog Section
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 spanielSpringer Spaniel
Springer Spaniel refers to two different breeds of dogs, both of which are commonly called simply Springer Spaniel:*English Springer Spaniel*Welsh Springer Spaniel...
.
Air Operations Unit
Dorset Police has a MD 902MD Helicopters MD Explorer
|-See also:-References:* Jackson, Paul. Jane's All The World's Aircraft 2003–2004. Coulsdon, UK: Jane's Information Group, 2003. ISBN 0 7106 2537 5.-External links:* *...
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.
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
Winfrith
Winfrith was a United Kingdom Atomic Energy Authority site near Winfrith Newburgh in Dorset. It covered an area on Bovington Heath to the west of the village of Wool between the A352 road and the London Waterloo to Weymouth railway line....
.
Locations
The headquarters of Dorset Police is at WinfrithWinfrith
Winfrith was a United Kingdom Atomic Energy Authority site near Winfrith Newburgh in Dorset. It covered an area on Bovington Heath to the west of the village of Wool between the A352 road and the London Waterloo to Weymouth railway line....
and has 21 stations at Blandford, Boscombe
Boscombe
Boscombe is a suburb of Bournemouth. Located to the east of Bournemouth town centre and west of Southbourne, It developed rapidly from a small village as a seaside resort alongside Bournemouth after the first Boscombe pier was built in 1888...
, Bournemouth Central
Bournemouth
Bournemouth is a large coastal resort town in the ceremonial county of Dorset, England. According to the 2001 Census the town has a population of 163,444, making it the largest settlement in Dorset. It is also the largest settlement between Southampton and Plymouth...
, Bridport
Bridport
Bridport is a market town in Dorset, England. Located near the coast at the western end of Chesil Beach at the confluence of the River Brit and its Asker and Simene tributaries, it originally thrived as a fishing port and rope-making centre...
, Christchurch
Christchurch, Dorset
Christchurch is a borough and town in the county of Dorset on the south coast of England. The town adjoins Bournemouth in the west and the New Forest lies to the east. Historically in Hampshire, it joined Dorset with the reorganisation of local government in 1974 and is the most easterly borough in...
, Dorchester, Ferndown
Ferndown
Ferndown is a town and civil parish in the East Dorset district of Dorset in southern England, situated immediately to the north of unitary authorities of Poole and Bournemouth. The parish, which until 1972 was called Hampreston, includes the communities of Hampreston, Longham, Stapehill and...
, Gillingham
Gillingham, Dorset
Gillingham is a town in the Blackmore Vale area of Dorset, England. The town is the most northerly in the county. It is 3 miles south of the A303 lying on the B3092 and B3081. It is near to the town of Shaftesbury which lies 7 miles to the south east. Neighbouring hamlets included Peacemarsh, Bay...
, Gravel Hill
Poole
Poole is a large coastal town and seaport in the county of Dorset, on the south coast of England. The town is east of Dorchester, and Bournemouth adjoins Poole to the east. The Borough of Poole was made a unitary authority in 1997, gaining administrative independence from Dorset County Council...
, Highcliffe
Highcliffe
Highcliffe-on-Sea is a small town in the borough of Christchurch, Dorset in southern England. It forms part of the South East Dorset conurbation along the English Channel coast...
, Lyme Regis
Lyme Regis
Lyme Regis is a coastal town in West Dorset, England, situated 25 miles west of Dorchester and east of Exeter. The town lies in Lyme Bay, on the English Channel coast at the Dorset-Devon border...
, Poole
Poole
Poole is a large coastal town and seaport in the county of Dorset, on the south coast of England. The town is east of Dorchester, and Bournemouth adjoins Poole to the east. The Borough of Poole was made a unitary authority in 1997, gaining administrative independence from Dorset County Council...
, Portland
Isle of Portland
The Isle of Portland is a limestone tied island, long by wide, in the English Channel. Portland is south of the resort of Weymouth, forming the southernmost point of the county of Dorset, England. A tombolo over which runs the A354 road connects it to Chesil Beach and the mainland. Portland and...
, Shaftesbury
Shaftesbury
Shaftesbury is a town in Dorset, England, situated on the A30 road near the Wiltshire border 20 miles west of Salisbury. The town is built 718 feet above sea level on the side of a chalk and greensand hill, which is part of Cranborne Chase, the only significant hilltop settlement in Dorset...
, Sherborne
Sherborne
Sherborne is a market town in northwest Dorset, England. It is sited on the River Yeo, on the edge of the Blackmore Vale, east of Yeovil. The A30 road, which connects London to Penzance, runs through the town. The population of the town is 9,350 . 27.1% of the population is aged 65 or...
, Swanage
Swanage
Swanage is a coastal town and civil parish in the south east of Dorset, England. It is situated at the eastern end of the Isle of Purbeck, approximately 10 km south of Poole and 40 km east of Dorchester. The parish has a population of 10,124 . Nearby are Ballard Down and Old Harry Rocks,...
, Verwood
Verwood
Verwood is a town and civil parish in Dorset, England. The town lies north of Bournemouth and north of Poole. The town has a population of 14,820 according to latest figures from Dorset County Council, making it the largest town in Dorset without an upper school in terms of population.-Early...
, Wareham
Wareham, Dorset
Wareham is an historic market town and, under the name Wareham Town, a civil parish, in the English county of Dorset. The town is situated on the River Frome eight miles southwest of Poole.-Situation and geography:...
, Weymouth Wimborne and Winton
Winton, Dorset
Winton is a suburb of Bournemouth in Dorset, England. It lies approximately north of Bournemouth town centre, along Wimborne Road .-History:...
.
Winfrith
Winfrith
Winfrith was a United Kingdom Atomic Energy Authority site near Winfrith Newburgh in Dorset. It covered an area on Bovington Heath to the west of the village of Wool between the A352 road and the London Waterloo to Weymouth railway line....
is also home to the Dog Section and Air Operations Unit.
Headgear
Dorset Police officers wear the traditional custodian helmetCustodian helmet
Custodian helmet or centurion helmet, technically known as a 'Home Office pattern helmet', is a helmet worn by many policemen in England and Wales.-History:...
in the comb style with a Brunswick star
Brunswick star
The Brunswick star is an emblem which in outline is an eight-pointed or sixteen-pointed star, but which is composed of many narrow rays. It is used in Britain to surround the Royal Cypher on various badges, such as that worn on the caps and helmets of almost all police forces...
that reads 'Dorset Police' for foot patrol, a peaked cap for when on mobile patrol in vehicles, and a white peaked cap for traffic officer
Traffic officer
A traffic officer is a person with powers relating to the regulation of traffic on certain roads in England and Wales. In England, they are employed by the Highways Agency and in Wales by the Welsh Assembly Government and are not police officers or members of police forces.*Highways Agency Traffic...
s. Female officers wear a bowler hat, or a white bowler hat for traffic officer
Traffic officer
A traffic officer is a person with powers relating to the regulation of traffic on certain roads in England and Wales. In England, they are employed by the Highways Agency and in Wales by the Welsh Assembly Government and are not police officers or members of police forces.*Highways Agency Traffic...
s.
Uniform
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 epauletteEpaulette
Epaulette is a type of ornamental shoulder piece or decoration used as insignia of rank by armed forces and other organizations.Epaulettes are fastened to the shoulder by a shoulder strap or "passant", a small strap parallel to the shoulder seam, and the button near the collar, or by laces on the...
s, just the rank
Police rank
- Australia :Generally, all police forces of Australia follow this rank structure with some individual state police forces have ranks differing slightly.Insignia of rank displayed on epaulette in italics and brackets...
and collar number
Collar number
A collar number, also known as a shoulder number, Force Identification Number or occasionally as Force Number , identifies uniformed officers, Police Community Support Officers , and some police staff in UK police forces. Although now displayed on epaulettes A collar number, also known as a...
. 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. Constable
Constable
A constable is a person holding a particular office, most commonly in law enforcement. The office of constable can vary significantly in different jurisdictions.-Etymology:...
s and Sergeant
Sergeant
Sergeant is a rank used in some form by most militaries, police forces, and other uniformed organizations around the world. Its origins are the Latin serviens, "one who serves", through the French term Sergent....
s wear custodian helmet
Custodian helmet
Custodian helmet or centurion helmet, technically known as a 'Home Office pattern helmet', is a helmet worn by many policemen in England and Wales.-History:...
's and collar numbers on their epaulette
Epaulette
Epaulette is a type of ornamental shoulder piece or decoration used as insignia of rank by armed forces and other organizations.Epaulettes are fastened to the shoulder by a shoulder strap or "passant", a small strap parallel to the shoulder seam, and the button near the collar, or by laces on the...
s, 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.
Equipment
Dorset Police use TETRATerrestrial Trunked Radio
Terrestrial Trunked Radio is a professional mobile radio and two-way transceiver specification...
digital radios, PDAs, rigid handcuffs and the ASP
ASP, Inc.
Armament Systems and Procedures, Inc. , is an offensive compliance weapons manufacturer providing equipment to law enforcement and private security companies. ASP is perhaps best known for its telescoping batons.-History:...
21" collapsible baton.
Vehicles
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
Police officer
A police officer is a warranted employee of a police force...
.
Livery
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
Battenburg markings
Battenburg refers to a pattern of high-visibility markings used to maximise conspicuity, primarily used on vehicles of the emergency services, but also in other applications such as uniforms...
were invented.
Name
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.Strength and Recruitment
Dorset Police employs over 2,600 people: 1518 Constables and 151 PCSO'sPCSO
PCSO is an acronym that may refer to:In law enforcement:*Police Community Support Officer, a Police staff role in England and Wales*Police Custody and Security Officer, a Police staff role in ScotlandIn government:...
.
Dorset Police also has 295 Special Constables
Special Constabulary
The Special Constabulary is the part-time volunteer section of a statutory police force in the United Kingdom or some Crown dependencies. Its officers are known as Special Constables or informally as Specials.Every United Kingdom territorial police force has a special constabulary except the...
and an unknown number of Police Support Volunteer
Police Support Volunteer
Police Support Volunteer is a voluntary role within the ranks of British Police Forces that involves civilian and mainly office based duties. PSV schemes became popular after the millennium when forces were expanding and needed to be more connected to the community...
.
Due to budget cuts
June 2010 United Kingdom Budget
The June 2010 United Kingdom Budget, officially known as 2010 Budget - Responsibility, freedom, fairness: a five year plan to re-build the economy, was delivered by George Osborne, Chancellor of the Exchequer, to the House of Commons in his budget speech that commenced at about 12.30 p.m on Tuesday...
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.
British Crime Survey
The British Crime SurveyBritish Crime Survey
The British Crime Survey or BCS is a systematic victim study, currently carried out by BMRB Limited on behalf of the Home Office. The BCS seeks to measure the amount of crime in England and Wales by asking around 50,000 people aged 16 and over , living in private households, about the crimes they...
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.
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.
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.
Her Majesty's Inspectorate of Constabulary
Her Majesty's Inspectorate of ConstabularyHer Majesty's Inspectorate of Constabulary
Her Majesty's Inspectorate of Constabulary and Her Majesty's Inspectorate of Constabulary for Scotland in the United Kingdom have statutory responsibility for the inspection of police forces.-England and Wales:...
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.
Dorset Police Authority
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
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,...
. If the Government
Premiership of David Cameron
The premiership of David Cameron began on 11 May 2010 when Cameron accepted the Queen's invitation to form a government. This occurred upon the resignation of Cameron's predecessor as Prime Minister of the United Kingdom, Gordon Brown...
continues its plans to introduce an elected Police Commissioner into every police force, then the Dorset Police Authority will be scrapped.
Proposed merger
In 2006 the Home OfficeHome 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,...
announced plans to reduce the number of police forces in the UK from 42 to 24 in an attempt to save money. 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
Gloucestershire Constabulary
Gloucestershire Constabulary is the territorial police force responsible for policing the non-metropolitan county of Gloucestershire in England...
, Devon and Cornwall Police, Avon and Somerset Constabulary
Avon and Somerset Constabulary
Avon & Somerset Constabulary is the territorial police force in England responsible for policing the non-metropolitan county of Somerset, the city & county of Bristol and the unitary authorities of South Gloucestershire, North Somerset and Bath and North East Somerset; before 1996 these districts...
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.
Dorset Emergency Services Partnership Initiative
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 ServiceDorset Fire and Rescue Service
Dorset Fire and Rescue Service is the statutory Fire and Rescue Service for the area of Dorset, South West England. The Service Headquarters were located in Colliton Park, Dorchester, but as of October 2008 moved to a new purpose built location in Poundbury....
on the Wimborne Road site.
Dorset Police Male Voice Choir
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.See also
- Law enforcement in the United Kingdom
- List of law enforcement agencies in the United Kingdom
- Table of police forces in the United KingdomTable of police forces in the United KingdomThis table of police forces in the United Kingdom includes territorial police forces and special police forces. It does not include non-police law enforcement agencies or bodies of constables not constituted as police forces.-Table:-England and Wales:...