Liverpool Cathedral Constables are a cathedral constabulary responsible for providing security for

Liverpool Cathedral Liverpool Cathedral is the Cathedral of the Anglican Diocese of Liverpool, built on St James's Mount in Liverpool, and the seat of the Bishop of Liverpool. It may be referred to as the Cathedral Church of Christ in Liverpool (as recorded in th ...

History

Its officers follow a long-held tradition of cathedral constables dating back to the thirteenth century. At one time many Anglican cathedrals appointed ecclesiastical constables to uphold law and order in and around their precincts. Today

is one of only three cathedrals nationally still to employ constables, along with

York Minster The Cathedral and Metropolitical Church of Saint Peter in York, commonly known as York Minster, is the cathedral of York, North Yorkshire, England, and is one of the largest of its kind in Northern Europe. The minster is the seat of the Arch ...

( York Minster Police) and Canterbury Cathedral ( Canterbury Cathedral Close Constables). Cathedral constables were employed at Salisbury Cathedral until 2010, when they were replaced with security guards and traffic managers, at Hereford Cathedral until 2014, and

Chester Cathedral Chester Cathedral is a Church of England cathedral and the mother church of the Diocese of Chester. It is located in the city of Chester, Cheshire, England. The cathedral, formerly the abbey church of a Benedictine monastery dedicated to Saint ...

until 2021 when they were transferred to Liverpool Cathedral. The constables endeavour to maintain the history and tradition of ecclesiastical constables through the Cathedral Constables' Association.Cathedral Constables' Association
/ref> The constables, through the Cathedral Constables' Association, have published a short book entitled, ''Cathedral Bobbies''. The book is a series of reflections related to individual constable's experiences.

Operations

Today, Liverpool Cathedral and its precinct are protected by a team of 10 constables managed by a Head Constable who in turn reports to the Cathedral Inspector. Working in teams of two, they provide 24-hour cover, 365 days a year. The security of the cathedral is not their only responsibility; constables also patrol the adjacent residential college campus, providing security to the young people who live there. Constables work out of the Constables’ Lodge, a single storey building at the entrance to the cathedral's precinct, and from where they watch all comings and goings with the aid of an extensive range of CCTV cameras and monitors. In January 2011, the cathedral appointed its first female constable.

Equipment and uniform

The cathedral's constables wear uniforms similar to typical British police officers. They wear a white shirt with epaulettes, black tie, black combat style trousers, and a high visibility jacket with the words "Cathedral Constable" on the back. Not all officers are attested, but attested officers are distinguishable by their wearing of a cap with a

Sillitoe tartan Sillitoe tartan is the nickname given to the distinctive black and white chequered pattern, correctly known as ''dicing'', which was originally associated with the police in Scotland. It later gained widespread use in the rest of the United Ki ...

(black and white chequered) band, the addition of ‘Police’ below Cathedral Constable on their uniform and the carrying of personal safety equipment. All constables are trained to deal with difficult and occasionally dangerous situations whilst ensuring minimal disruption to the spiritual tranquility of the cathedral.

Ranks

The rank structure of the Liverpool Cathedral Constables is smaller than most police forces, due to its size, but the ranks themselves are similar. The senior officer is an Inspector.

Territorial policing

More serious crimes and policing incidents on the cathedral precincts are handled by the local

territorial police force A territorial police force is a police service that is responsible for an area defined by sub-national boundaries, distinguished from other police services which deal with the entire country or a type of crime. In countries organized as federations, ...

Merseyside Police Merseyside Police is the territorial police force responsible for policing Merseyside in North West England. The service area is 647 square kilometres with a population of around 1.5 million. As of September 2017 the service has 3,484 police of ...

References

{{Use dmy dates, date=September 2016 Police forces of England Church law enforcement agencies