Durham police, officially known as Durham Constabulary, is one of the earliest county police forces in England. Its origins can be traced back to the first half of the 19th century. From then on, it has seen a steady rise to prominence, becoming an important territorial police force in the North East England area.
Established in 1839, Durham Constabulary stands as one of the country’s first county law enforcement bodies. Through a series of combining with other immediate police forces, with the last of which in 1968 of Gateshead Borough and South Shields Borough Police, Durham Constabulary was able to expand its police area. However, in that same year, several adjacent jurisdictions absorbed a portion of the area under Durham police responsibility. These changes roughly outlined the geographic limits of Durham Constabulary influence.
More recently, a number of measures have affected Durham police force in one way or another. Chief among these is the announced downsizing of the force as a response to budget deficits. Durham Constabulary expected this to take full effect in 2009, scaling back by about 300 constables. In addition, a merger between Durham Constabulary and neighbouring Cleveland and Northumbria Police was planned. However, this proposal was abandoned which led to the retention of the Durham police area.
At present, Durham Constabulary is a small but capable force. With a 1,470-strong constable roster, it is among the smallest territorial police forces in the country. Nonetheless, it is able to cover a police area of about 862 square miles as well as serve a community of more than 595,000 individuals. In addition to its constables, the force is able to draw support from staff members, PCSOs, and special constables as well as rely on a yearly budget in excess of £110 million. Moreover, Durham police is closely working with two top-performing police forces, namely Cleveland and Northumbria. This partnership ensures that Durham Constable holds quite an important role in maintaining the peace and order in this region.
The present Durham police force is indeed a worthy image of its long history. Throughout its presence, the force has continued to play a vital part in North East England’s police affairs.
