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The Derbyshire police force is responsible for the law enforcement of almost one million people, covering an area of 1,000 square miles. The force is responsible for up keeping the law in Derbyshire, a county in the East Midlands. The force is divided into four divisions: Ripley, Buxton, Chesterfield and Derby. The police force have a varied and challenging county to police, varying from busy town areas to rural countryside. The region is also visited by 20 million tourists every year; heading mainly to the peak district.
History of the Derbyshire Constabulary
The Derbyshire constabulary was formed in 1857 with just 156 officers at the time. Upon its foundation, there were eight divisions that made up the police force; this was later grouped into just four.
The original headquarters were in Belper police station although this proved to be rather inconvenient given it was also a divisional headquarters. The headquarters were therefore moved to Derby on a temporary basis and are currently situated in Ripley.
The force used to take on a more army-like resemblance during its years in which officers were expected to perform drills in uniform. They weren't given transport either and all officers had to perform all duties on foot. This is with the exception of superintendents who were each given a pony.
In 1890, the Derbyshire constabulary became one of the first organisations to gain the use of a telephone system; at the time this was unheard of. This particular constabulary remained at the very cutting edge of scientific investigation, employing fingerprint techniques and forensic evidence, well before it became standard practice across the country.
The first use of transport came in 1931 when the force purchased motorcycles for use on patrol. They then went on to purchase Austin and MG sports cars which were used after the second world war.
1947 saw the expansion of the force to combine the Chesterfield and Glossop police areas. At this stage the force was granted a coat of arms and the motto Strength United is Better, is clearly a tribute to the amalgamation of police forces.
The force, as it is known today, was created in 1974 when it became known as the Derbyshire constabulary. It was divided into four areas which hasn't changed up until the present day.
Modern Derbyshire Constabulary
The Derbyshire constabulary, like many others around the UK, has signed up to the policing pledge. This is a set of promises made by each police force regarding the service that can be expected from them. The Derbyshire constabulary has placed its level of respect and fair treatment right at the top. It aims, above all else, to give everyone a fair access to their services at a time suited to them.
The force also aims to provide all members of the public within its area with any information concerning the policing in their neighbourhood. This included information on how to contact the police in their local area. On a similar note, the force has also committed itself to working with the local communities that constitute Derbyshire. Their promise is to spend at least 80% of police time on the streets and dealing with pertinent issues.
On a more serious note, the force aims to answer all 999 calls within a mere ten seconds and give an estimated time of arrival. It will also deal with all non emergency calls within 24 hours and offer a police visit if such a measure is necessary or requested.
The Derbyshire police force has been very busy making commitments: It pledges to ensure that its force is representative of the ethnic diversity in the community. The force has also dedicated itself to promoting a wider range of diversity in its police force. This includes, race, sex, sexual orientation, language and many other factors. This goes well beyond the equal opportunities legislation.
The constabulary is involved with a large number of schemes, all aimed at keeping the community safer and improving awareness. There is a neighbourhood watch program in place which has the intention of keeping the community safer through working together with local residents and the police force.
Also on the agenda is personal security. This involves all kinds of issues regarding personal safety and avoiding hate crimes. This deals with all manner of crimes and gives practical advice on how to keep yourself safe. This can range from anti social behaviour to terrorism.
The force is running a safer homes campaign to reduce the level of burglaries and damage. There is information on how to avoid becoming a victim of such crimes and how to improve your home security.
A community messaging service is in operation in the Derbyshire area. This is a service which aims to keep members of the community up to date with what is going on in their local area. Registered people are able to spread the word by means of all manner of modern communication. This includes email and text messages. There is also a voice mail service for any registered member. The system currently has almost 16,000 members who use the system; including individuals and businesses.
The current Derbyshire constabulary is doing rather well on the crime prevention front; it recorded a 5% fall in the total number of crimes reported over the period from April 2008 to March 2009. This fall is in fact the sixth fall in succession.
The Derbyshire constabulary has not only an enriched and innovative history, but it would seem the future is set to continue this tradition. The force is aiming the majority of its resources at tackling the crime that matters in the community and its style of policing is adapting itself for this purpose. The constabulary has more innovative campaigns than most other police forces and provides a huge amount of information to the residents living in Derbyshire. Derbyshire remains an incredibly modern force, in touch with almost one million people, scattered over more than 1,000 square miles of the East Midlands.
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