City of Glasgow Police Scotland large plaque (7846938732)

The City of Glasgow Police or Glasgow City Police was the

police The police are a constituted body of persons empowered by a state, with the aim to enforce the law, to ensure the safety, health and possessions of citizens, and to prevent crime and civil disorder. Their lawful powers include arrest and th ...

of the

City of Glasgow Glasgow City Council is the local government authority for the City of Glasgow, Scotland. It was created in 1996 under the Local Government etc. (Scotland) Act 1994, largely with the boundaries of the post-1975 City of Glasgow district of th ...

Scotland Scotland (, ) is a Countries of the United Kingdom, country that is part of the United Kingdom. Covering the northern third of the island of Great Britain, mainland Scotland has a Anglo-Scottish border, border with England to the southeast ...

. In the 17th century, Scottish cities used to hire watchmen to guard the streets at night, augmenting a force of unpaid citizen constables. On 30 June 1800 the authorities of

Glasgow Glasgow ( ; sco, Glesca or ; gd, Glaschu ) is the most populous city in Scotland and the fourth-most populous city in the United Kingdom, as well as being the 27th largest city by population in Europe. In 2020, it had an estimated popul ...

successfully petitioned the British Government to pass the Glasgow Police Act establishing the City of Glasgow Police. It served Glasgow from 1800 to 1975, when it was amalgamated into

Strathclyde Police Strathclyde Police was the territorial police force responsible for the Scottish council areas of Argyll and Bute, City of Glasgow, East Ayrshire, East Dunbartonshire, East Renfrewshire, Inverclyde, North Ayrshire, North Lanarkshire, Renfre ...

. It is sometimes described as the first modern-style municipal police force, although due to the original Glasgow Police's small size and varied duties, they also fought fires, called the hours, and swept the streets, similar to the older city watchmen. This title was previously claimed by the

London London is the capital and List of urban areas in the United Kingdom, largest city of England and the United Kingdom, with a population of just under 9 million. It stands on the River Thames in south-east England at the head of a estuary dow ...

Metropolitan Police. However, following formal enforcement action by the Advertising Standards Authority, the Metropolitan Police gave a written undertaking never to repeat this claim again.

Beginnings

In 1779, Bailies ''( magistrates)'' of the

appointed James Buchanan as Inspector and established a Police force of eight police officers. This force failed through lack of finance in 1781. In 1788 six Bailies proposed to establish a Police force and obtain an Act of Parliament to empower them to levy a rate from householders to finance the force. The Bailies displayed vision and innovation in setting out their proposals insisting that the force would be run by a

Watch Committee In England and Wales, watch committees were the local government bodies which oversaw policing from 1835 until, in some areas, 1968. Establishment The Municipal Corporations Act 1835 required each borough to establish a "watch committee" and to ...

of elected citizens, known as Commissioners. The force would wear uniforms with numbered badges with 'Police' inscribed on them and each member would lodge £50 to guarantee their good conduct. The force of eight would provide twenty-four-hour patrols (supplementing the Police Watchmen who were on static points throughout the night) to prevent crime and detect offenders. The policemen they envisaged would not be mere watchmen and what they had written down was the concept of "Preventive Policing", 40 years before

Sir Robert Peel Sir Robert Peel, 2nd Baronet, (5 February 1788 – 2 July 1850) was a British Conservative statesman who served twice as Prime Minister of the United Kingdom (1834–1835 and 1841–1846) simultaneously serving as Chancellor of the Exchequer ...

established preventive policing in the Metropolitan area of

in 1829. In February 1789 this force of truly professional police took to the streets. During the following eleven years, Glasgow City fathers tried to get their ''Police Bill'' before

Parliament In modern politics, and history, a parliament is a legislative body of government. Generally, a modern parliament has three functions: representing the electorate, making laws, and overseeing the government via hearings and inquiries. Th ...

, but without success. In the meantime, the small, pioneering, Glasgow police force, led by the Master of Police, Richard Marshall, was struggling to maintain its existence due to lack of the finance that the Bill would have provided. In 1790 the force failed and the City had again to rely on a City Guard of citizens. During the summer of 1800, the Glasgow Police Bill was debated in Parliament and on 30 June 1800, the Glasgow Police Act received

Royal Assent Royal assent is the method by which a monarch formally approves an act of the legislature, either directly or through an official acting on the monarch's behalf. In some jurisdictions, royal assent is equivalent to promulgation, while in oth ...

City of Glasgow Police established

On 29 September 1800, John Stenhouse, a city merchant, was appointed Master of Police and he set about organising and recruiting the force. He appointed three sergeants and six police constables, dividing them into sections of one sergeant and two police constables to each section. On 15 November, the Glasgow Police mustered in the Session House of the Laigh Kirk, Trongate, for the first time. There were three reliefs. One sergeant and two police officers were on duty in the Police Office for twenty-four hours. The other section on patrol duty and the third section was entitled to rest for twenty-four hours. The sixty-eight watchmen were also there in their long brown coats with their personal numbers painted on their backs. Each carried a lantern and long stave. They would man fixed points within the City while the police officers patrolled to prevent crime. It was from these modest beginnings that the Glasgow Police embarked on more than 200 years of service to the City.

19th century

In 1819

Lieutenant A lieutenant ( , ; abbreviated Lt., Lt, LT, Lieut and similar) is a commissioned officer rank in the armed forces of many nations. The meaning of lieutenant differs in different militaries (see comparative military ranks), but it is often ...

Peter McKinlay was appointed as Criminal Officer, Glasgow's first Detective. In 1846 the Glasgow Police merged with the

Gorbals The Gorbals is an area in the city of Glasgow, Scotland, on the south bank of the River Clyde. By the late 19th century, it had become densely populated; rural migrants and immigrants were attracted by the new industries and employment opportun ...

, Calton and

Anderston Anderston ( sco, Anderstoun, gd, Baile Aindrea) is an area of Glasgow, Scotland. It is on the north bank of the River Clyde and forms the south western edge of the city centre. Established as a village of handloom weavers in the early 18th cent ...

Burgh Police. As a result of this, Glasgow Police divided into four Divisions and now numbered 360 officers. New uniforms were issued in 1849, which consisted of a better quality top hat, three-quarter length dress coats with standing collar and nine buttons. Electric telegraph adopted for communication between offices and other police forces in 1861 and in 1878, a horse drawn van was introduced for conveying prisoners. Due to the City of Glasgow Act 1891, the City boundaries were extended to the south, north and west sides of the City. Due to the extension, a system of 14 cast iron Police Signal boxes was installed in the outlying areas. By 1900, the City of Glasgow Police numbered 1355 officers and men.

20th century

1919 Battle of George Square - David Kirkwood

In 1904 the force appointed its first

Chief Inspector Chief inspector (Ch Insp) is a rank used in police forces which follow the British model. In countries outside Britain, it is sometimes referred to as chief inspector of police (CIP). Usage by country Australia The rank of chief inspector is us ...

of Detectives, and the first Detective Constables were appointed. The Old Central Police Office in South Albion Street closed and a new Central Police Office in Turnbull Street opened as Headquarters of the Glasgow Police on 23 March 1906. On 5 November 1912, by

Act of Parliament Acts of Parliament, sometimes referred to as primary legislation, are texts of law passed by the Legislature, legislative body of a jurisdiction (often a parliament or council). In most countries with a parliamentary system of government, acts of ...

, the boundaries of the City were again extended and the force merged with the

Govan Govan ( ; Cumbric?: ''Gwovan'?''; Scots: ''Gouan''; Scottish Gaelic: ''Baile a' Ghobhainn'') is a district, parish, and former burgh now part of south-west City of Glasgow, Scotland. It is situated west of Glasgow city centre, on the south ba ...

and Partick Burgh Police. In the

First World War World War I (28 July 1914 11 November 1918), often abbreviated as WWI, was one of the deadliest global conflicts in history. Belligerents included much of Europe, the Russian Empire, the United States, and the Ottoman Empire, with fightin ...

300 Glasgow police officers enlisted in the Armed Forces. As a result, the force employed 400 temporary Constables and increased the

Special Constabulary The Special Constabulary is the part-time volunteer section of statutory police forces in the United Kingdom and some Crown dependencies. Its officers are known as special constables. Every United Kingdom territorial police force has a specia ...

to 3000 to guard strategic buildings and factories within the City. In 1915, the Chief Constable ordered policemen to desist from enlisting in the Armed Forces due to the depletion of the force. The force discussed the appointment of Policewomen and on 6 September, Emily Miller was appointed Glasgow's first policewoman. At the end of the war, of the 748 Glasgow policemen who had enlisted, 112 had been killed and a further 33 were reported missing presumed killed. In January 1919, thousands of striking shipyard and engineering workers marched on the Corporation Power Station in Eddington Street, Port Dundas. In furtherance of their strike, they gathered in George Square on 31 January and a riot ensued, known as the 1919 Battle of George Square. The Riot Act was read but it had little effect. A night of further rioting followed which resulted in the Army being called to assist the Police. By Friday night troops guarded vulnerable points in the city and on Monday 3 February, six tanks arrived (they remained, unused, in the Cattle Market). In 1931, cuts in Government benefits lead to marches by the unemployed and riots in

Glasgow Green Glasgow Green is a park in the east end of Glasgow, Scotland, on the north bank of the River Clyde. Established in the 15th century, it is the oldest park in the city. It connects to the south via the St Andrew's Suspension Bridge. History I ...

, Saltmarket, and Jail Square. Fifty-one men were arrested.

On 1 December 1931, the new Chief Constable, Percy J. Sillitoe, was appointed and immediately set about re-organising the force. Sillitoe introduced the first checkered cap bands to any officers who were then issued caps, although most constables and sergeants were still issued with traditional

custodian helmet The custodian helmet is a type of helmet worn predominantly by male police officers in the United Kingdom, within England and Wales, and certain other places around the world. History The custodian helmet is the headgear traditionally worn by m ...

s until 1952. Popularly known as the '

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 ...

', these black and white chequered cap bands were based on those featured on the military's Glengarry headress, and are now used by almost every police force in the United Kingdom, and a number of other police forces around the world.

Glasgow's first radio patrol car system was put into operation in May 1936. In 1939, on the outbreak of the

Second World War World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposi ...

, the Glasgow Police prepared and established the Air Raid Precautions Service. Many serving police officers joined the Armed Forces. In 1942 Chief Constable Sillitoe was knighted and resigned in 1943 to take command of the Kent Constabulary. In 1945, Jean Malloy became the first woman inspector of Police in Scotland. In 1975, the City of Glasgow Police, Lanarkshire Constabulary, Renfrew and Bute Constabulary, Dunbartonshire Constabulary, Argyll County Police, Ayrshire Constabulary and a small portion of

Stirling and Clackmannan Police Stirling (; sco, Stirlin; gd, Sruighlea ) is a City status in the United Kingdom, city in Central Belt, central Scotland, northeast of Glasgow and north-west of Edinburgh. The market town#Scotland, market town, surrounded by rich farmland, ...

, were amalgamated to create

. In 2013,

Police Scotland Police Scotland ( gd, Poileas Alba), officially the Police Service of Scotland (), is the national police force of Scotland. It was formed in 2013, through the merging of eight regional police forces in Scotland, as well as the specialist service ...

(Scottish Gaelic: ''Poileas Alba''; Scots: ''Polis Scotland'') – legally named the Police Service of Scotland – the national police force of Scotland - was formed with the merger of the eight regional police forces in Scotland

Marine Police

The River Clyde Police were established in 1858 and were responsible for policing the Clyde up to the Tail of the Bank. They were merged into the Marine Police division of the City of Glasgow Police in 1866, and wore a small anchor on their collar. The cost of the division was borne by the Clyde Navigation Trust.

Chief Constables

* 1800-1803 : John Stenhouse (Master of Police) * 1803-1805 : Walter Graham * 1805-1821 : James Mitchell * 1821-1825 : James Hardie (Superintendent) * 1825-1832 : John Graham * 1832-1833 : F.G. Denovan * 1833-1836 : John Watson * 1836-1844 : Henry Miller * 1844-1847 : Archibald Wilson * 1847-1848 : William Henry Pearce (Chief Superintendent) * 1848 : Henry Miller * 1848-1870 : James Smart (Chief Constable) * 1870-1888 : Alexander McCall * 1888-1902 : John Boyd * 1902-1922 : James V. Stevenson * 1922-1931 : Andrew D. Smith * 1931-1943 : Percy Sillitoe * 1943 : David Warnock * 1943-1960 : Malcolm McCulloch * 1960-1971 : James A. Robertson * 1971-1975 : David McNee

Footnotes

External links

Glasgow Police Museum onlinePolice Scotland
{{UK private and military police forces Glasgow 1800 establishments in Scotland Defunct police forces of Scotland 1975 disestablishments in Scotland