Hendon Police College
Encyclopedia
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
's Metropolitan Police Service
Metropolitan Police Service
The Metropolitan Police Service is the territorial police force responsible for Greater London, excluding the "square mile" of the City of London which is the responsibility of the City of London Police...
. Founded with the official name of the Metropolitan Police College, the college is today officially called the Peel Centre, although its original name is still used frequently. Within the police it is known as just "Hendon".
It is within walking distance of Colindale tube station
Colindale tube station
Colindale tube station is a London Underground station in Colindale, a suburb of north London. The station is on the north-south Edgware branch of the Northern Line, between Burnt Oak and Hendon Central stations, and in Travelcard Zone 4.-History:...
on the Northern line
Northern Line
The Northern line is a London Underground line. It is coloured black on the Tube map.For most of its length it is a deep-level tube line. The line carries 206,734,000 passengers per year. This is the highest number of any line on the London Underground system, but the Northern line is unique in...
.
As a cadet college
The college was opened on 31 May 1934 by the Prince of WalesEdward VIII of the United Kingdom
Edward VIII was King of the United Kingdom and the Dominions of the British Commonwealth, and Emperor of India, from 20 January to 11 December 1936.Before his accession to the throne, Edward was Prince of Wales and Duke of Cornwall and Rothesay...
, in the erstwhile buildings of Hendon Country Club, Hendon Aerodrome
Hendon Aerodrome
Hendon Aerodrome was an aerodrome in Hendon, north London, England that, between 1908 and 1968, was an important centre for aviation.It was situated in Colindale, seven miles north west of Charing Cross. It nearly became "the Charing Cross of the UK's international air routes", but for the...
's club house (which had been used briefly as laboratories of the Standard Telephones and Cables
Standard Telephones and Cables
Standard Telephones and Cables Ltd was a British telephone, telegraph, radio, telecommunications and related equipment R&D manufacturer. During its history STC invented and developed several groundbreaking new technologies including PCM and optical fibres.The company began life in London as...
company). The school was the brainchild of Lord Trenchard
Hugh Trenchard, 1st Viscount Trenchard
Marshal of the Royal Air Force Hugh Montague Trenchard, 1st Viscount Trenchard GCB OM GCVO DSO was a British officer who was instrumental in establishing the Royal Air Force...
, who was Commissioner of Police of the Metropolis
Commissioner of Police of the Metropolis
The Commissioner of Police of the Metropolis is the head of London's Metropolitan Police Service, classing the holder as a chief police officer...
from 1931 to 1935. His experiences as second-in-command
Second-in-command
The Second-in-Command is the deputy commander of any British Army or Royal Marines unit, from battalion or regiment downwards. He or she is thus the equivalent of an Executive Officer in the United States Army...
of the Royal Flying Corps
Royal Flying Corps
The Royal Flying Corps was the over-land air arm of the British military during most of the First World War. During the early part of the war, the RFC's responsibilities were centred on support of the British Army, via artillery co-operation and photographic reconnaissance...
' Central Flying School
Central Flying School
The Central Flying School is the Royal Air Force's primary institution for the training of military flying instructors. Established in 1912 it is the longest existing flying training school.-History:...
in 1913 and 1914 gave him a suitable background for the venture, whilst the location would have been known to him from his time as Chief of the Air Staff (1921–1929). The original concept for the college was a military-style cadet establishment to train officers to enter directly at senior rank, instead of the traditional entry at the lowest rank of 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:...
for all personnel. Trenchard's idea was that in future almost all officers above the rank of Inspector should be selected from college graduates, thus introducing a military-style officer corps. Candidates, of which there were to be about thirty every year, were selected by a competitive examination based on that for the Indian Police Service
Indian Police Service
The Indian Police Service , simply known as Indian Police or IPS, is one of the three All India Services of the Government of India...
. Most of the candidates were already serving officers, although some were direct entrants from civilian life. Graduates were given the newly-created rank of Junior Station Inspector. Cadets who were already serving police officers received an annual salary of £200 and direct entrants received £170. New Junior Station Inspectors were paid £300, rising to £320. The first commandant
Commandant
Commandant is a senior title often given to the officer in charge of a large training establishment or academy. This usage is common in anglophone nations...
was Lieutenant-Colonel Gordon Halland, previously 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...
of Lincolnshire, who was given the rank of Deputy Assistant Commissioner
Deputy Assistant Commissioner
Deputy assistant commissioner is a rank in London's Metropolitan Police Service between assistant commissioner and commander. It is equivalent to deputy chief constable in other British police forces and wears the same insignia: a pip above crossed tipstaves within a wreath.The rank was introduced...
. The assistant commandant was Lieutenant-Colonel Reggie Senior, seconded from the Indian Police Service with the rank of Superintendent
Superintendent (police)
Superintendent , often shortened to "super", is a rank in British police services and in most English-speaking Commonwealth nations. In many Commonwealth countries the full version is superintendent of police...
, and the chief instructor was Chief Inspector Carrick, an experienced instructor at the Metropolitan Police Training School, who was replaced by Chief Inspector Hugh Young after his promotion to superintendent and posting back to division in January 1935.
It was intended that the Metropolitan Police Training School for constables at Peel House in Westminster
Westminster
Westminster is an area of central London, within the City of Westminster, England. It lies on the north bank of the River Thames, southwest of the City of London and southwest of Charing Cross...
should also move to a site adjacent to the college, but in the end this did not happen until much later.
The first thirty-two cadets began their course on 10 May 1934. Twenty were serving officers (two sergeants and eighteen constables) and twelve were new recruits. The college was founded upon a modern and scientific approach to training. There were forensic laboratories, detective
Detective
A detective is an investigator, either a member of a police agency or a private person. The latter may be known as private investigators or "private eyes"...
training facilities, a police driving school and a police wireless school, as well as representations of a police court and a police station.
The first course completed their training at the college in August 1935. The graduates then spent four months working as ordinary police constables at police stations in West Central London, four months at the various specialist departments at Scotland Yard
Scotland Yard
Scotland Yard is a metonym for the headquarters of the Metropolitan Police Service of London, UK. It derives from the location of the original Metropolitan Police headquarters at 4 Whitehall Place, which had a rear entrance on a street called Great Scotland Yard. The Scotland Yard entrance became...
, two months as Section Sergeants and two months as Station Sergeant
Station sergeant
Station sergeant was a rank in the London Metropolitan Police and continues as a rank in the Hong Kong Police Force, and Royal Barbados Police Force...
s. Although they were officially Junior Station Inspectors throughout this period, they wore the uniforms of the rank in which they were serving at the time and not until this twelve-month period was up were they entitled to wear inspector's uniform. A Junior Station Inspector was to wear one star over one bar on his epaulettes. The second intake of 29 cadets passed out in December 1935 and the third intake of 32 cadets in December 1936. In 1937, the course was extended from fifteen months to two years, although only one intake ever completed this longer course. In August 1938, Major John Ferguson
John Ferguson (police officer)
Major Sir John Frederick Ferguson CBE QPM CStJ DL was a senior British police officer.Ferguson was the son of a Major in the Indian Army. He was educated at the University of Aberdeen...
succeeded Halland as commandant. In November 1938 it was announced that the rank of Junior Station Inspector was to be abolished and in future all graduates were to be appointed to the rank of Inspector. Promotion above this rank was also reopened to all officers, whether college graduates or not.
The college was closed in September 1939. 197 men had trained there, of whom 188 had graduated. Its graduates included two future Commissioners
Commissioner of Police of the Metropolis
The Commissioner of Police of the Metropolis is the head of London's Metropolitan Police Service, classing the holder as a chief police officer...
, Sir Joseph Simpson
Joseph Simpson
Sir Joseph Simpson KBE KPFSM , commonly known as Joe Simpson to his men, was Commissioner of Police of the Metropolis, the head of the London Metropolitan Police, from 1958 to 1968...
and Sir John Waldron
John Waldron (police officer)
Sir John Lovegrove Waldron, KCVO was a British police officer who served as Chief Constable of Berkshire Constabulary from 1954 to 1958 and Commissioner of the London Metropolitan Police from 1968 to 1972....
(both 1934–1935), three Deputy Commissioners
Deputy Commissioner of Police of the Metropolis
The Deputy Commissioner of Police of the Metropolis, commonly referred to simply as the Deputy Commissioner, is the second-in-command of London's Metropolitan Police Service. The rank is senior to Assistant Commissioner, but junior by one rank to Commissioner...
, Sir Ranulph Bacon
Ranulph Bacon
Lieutenant-Colonel Sir Ranulph Robert Maunsell Bacon QPM was a British police officer.Bacon was born in Westgate-on-Sea, Kent, and educated at Tonbridge School and Queens' College, Cambridge. He joined the Metropolitan Police as a Constable in 1928 and was selected for Hendon Police College in...
(1934–1935), Douglas Webb
Douglas Webb (police officer)
Douglas Edward Webb CVO OBE was a British police officer in the London Metropolitan Police, who served as Deputy Commissioner of Police of the Metropolis from 1961 to 1966....
(1935–1936) and Sir John Hill
John Hill (police officer)
Sir John Maxwell Hill CBE DFC QPM was a British police officer.Hill was born in Plymouth, the son of a civil servant. He was educated at Plymouth College and joined the Metropolitan Police as a Constable in 1933...
(who later also became HM Chief Inspector of Constabulary; 1938–1939), and two Assistant Commissioners
Assistant Commissioner of Police of the Metropolis
Assistant Commissioner of Police of the Metropolis, usually just Assistant Commissioner , is the third highest rank in London's Metropolitan Police, ranking below Deputy Commissioner and above Deputy Assistant Commissioner. There are usually four officers in the rank...
, Tom Mahir
Tom Mahir
Thomas Edward Mahir CBE GM was a British police officer in the London Metropolitan Police.Mahir was the son of the Reverend Edward Mahir and his wife Dorothy. He was educated at Crewkerne School in Somerset and taught at St Aubyn's Preparatory School in Tiverton, Devon, from 1932 to 1935, when he...
and Andrew Way
Andrew Way
Andrew Greville Parry Way CMG was a British police officer in the London Metropolitan Police.Way was the son of a clergyman. He was educated at St Edward's School and Christ Church, Oxford and joined the Metropolitan Police as a Constable in 1934...
(both 1935–1936), as well as a number of 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...
s of provincial forces, including Sir Edward Dodd (1934–1935) of Birmingham, Sir Eric St Johnston (1935–1936) of Oxfordshire, Durham, and Lancashire, and Sir John McKay (1937–1939) of Manchester, all three later HM Chief Inspectors of Constabulary, Bernard Bebbington (1935–1936) of Cambridge and John Gaskain (1936–1937) of Cumberland and Westmorland, both later HM Inspectors of Constabulary, Alec Muir (1934–1935) of Durham, Albert Wilcox (1934–1935) of Hertfordshire, Sir Douglas Osmond
Douglas Osmond
Sir Douglas Osmond was the chief constable of Shropshire Constabulary and later Hampshire Constabulary. He is regarded as one of the first career chief constables in the UK.-Biography:...
(1935–1936) of Shropshire and Hampshire, Sir Derrick Capper (1937–1939) of Birmingham and the West Midlands, John Gott (1937–1939) of Northamptonshire, Thomas Williams (1938–1939) of Huntingdonshire and the Isle of Ely, West Sussex, and Sussex, and David Holdsworth (1939) of Oxfordshire and Thames Valley. Other graduates included Deputy Assistant Commissioner
Deputy Assistant Commissioner
Deputy assistant commissioner is a rank in London's Metropolitan Police Service between assistant commissioner and commander. It is equivalent to deputy chief constable in other British police forces and wears the same insignia: a pip above crossed tipstaves within a wreath.The rank was introduced...
John Bliss (1936–1937), first National Co-ordinator of Regional Crime Squads of England and Wales, Michael Macoun (1938–1939), Inspector-General of Police of Uganda and later of British Dependent Territories, and the politician Sir Henry Calley
Henry Calley
Sir Henry Algernon Calley DSO DFC DL , known as Henry Algernon Langton until 1974, was an English pilot, owner and manager of a stud farm, and Conservative politician.-Life:The son of the Rev. A. C. M...
(1938–1939).
As a police training centre
After the war there was considerable debate about whether to reopen the college. Many considered the police did not need an "officer class" and were best-served by continuing to promote from the ranks. Eventually it was decided not to reopen it as an exclusive cadet college, but as the Metropolitan Police Training School for all entrants. The new National Police College, however, shared many of the principles behind Hendon.When the Royal Air Force
Royal Air Force
The Royal Air Force is the aerial warfare service branch of the British Armed Forces. Formed on 1 April 1918, it is the oldest independent air force in the world...
left Hendon
Hendon
Hendon is a London suburb situated northwest of Charing Cross.-History:Hendon was historically a civil parish in the county of Middlesex. The manor is described in Domesday , but the name, 'Hendun' meaning 'at the highest hill', is earlier...
in the 1960s, the Metropolitan Police decided to rebuild the college, and the new Peel Centre, named after Sir Robert Peel
Robert Peel
Sir Robert Peel, 2nd Baronet was a British Conservative statesman who served as Prime Minister of the United Kingdom from 10 December 1834 to 8 April 1835, and again from 30 August 1841 to 29 June 1846...
, was opened by Queen Elizabeth II
Elizabeth II of the United Kingdom
Elizabeth II is the constitutional monarch of 16 sovereign states known as the Commonwealth realms: the United Kingdom, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, Jamaica, Barbados, the Bahamas, Grenada, Papua New Guinea, the Solomon Islands, Tuvalu, Saint Lucia, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, Belize,...
on 31 May 1974, forty years to the day after her uncle opened the original Metropolitan Police College. The Queen has returned twice since then, on the 21 October 2001 when she dedicated the memorial to Metropolitan Police officers and staff who have lost their lives on duty, and on 3 January 2005 when she went to visit the Casualty Bureau dealing with British nationals missing after the Asian Tsunami.
The last course at Hendon on the 17 week course finished on 6 July 2007 with a fly past from India 99, a 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...
helicopter. Recruits will now take part in the Initial Police Learning and Development Programme (IPLDP) scheme.
Current use
The centre is run by the Director and Co-ordinator of Training, who is responsible for overseeing the training received by new recruits. Hendon is currently one of the regional learning centres where new recruits can attend the Police Law and Community 16 day course. In addition, Special Constables complete their 23-day course (either as a weekdays intensive course or on 23 consecutive Saturdays or Sundays) at Hendon. The centre runs courses on many aspects of police work, from forensic and crime scene analysis, to radio operations and driving skills. Police officers can expect to return to the centre at various times during their career. Part of the centre is dedicated to the investigations of serious crimes, including homicideHomicide
Homicide refers to the act of a human killing another human. Murder, for example, is a type of homicide. It can also describe a person who has committed such an act, though this use is rare in modern English...
. It also has extensive sports facilities.
Training facilities include a mock court room, a road system and Brixley (formerly Kingsgate) police station, which is now used for training purposes only. The mock court room is also used by Transport for London for the training of Revenue Protection Inspectors.
The Metropolitan Police Book of Remembrance is displayed in the entrance of Simpson Hall at the centre. There is also a memorial garden.
In popular culture
- The college is frequently referenced in films and television series featuring the Metropolitan Police.
- Some of the action in the film The Lavender Hill MobThe Lavender Hill MobThe Lavender Hill Mob is a 1951 comedy film from Ealing Studios, written by T.E.B. Clarke, directed by Charles Crichton, starring Alec Guinness and Stanley Holloway and featuring Sid James and Alfie Bass...
takes place at Hendon Police College. - In the 1980s comedy-drama series A Very Peculiar PracticeA Very Peculiar PracticeA Very Peculiar Practice is a BBC comedy-drama series, which ran for two series in 1986 and 1988. It was the first major success for screenwriter Andrew Davies, and was inspired by his experiences as a lecturer at the University of Warwick.- Storyline :...
, Hendon Police College briefly merges with the fictional Lowlands University.
