The Avon and Somerset Constabulary was formed in 1974. The force was named after the then counties of the same name. However, in 1996, the county of Avon became defunct and was split into the now unitary authorities of the City and County of Bristol; South Gloucestershire; Bath and North East Somerset and North Somerset.
The force serves a total population of over 1.5 million people, making it the sixth largest in the UK. The force serves a diverse population, although the majority are urban. A large percentage of the people who are served by the force live in and around the major city of Bristol and its suburbs, including the nearby towns of Kingswood, Clevedon, Weston-Super-Mare, Portishead and Thornbury. The force also includes the city of Bath, and the large towns of Taunton and Bridgewater in Somerset.
The force currently employs around 3,400 officers and has some 350 special constables. It is led by Chief Constable Colin Port, who has held this position since January 2005. The force headquarters are based in Portishead, North Somerset.
The History of Avon and Somerset Constabulary
Prior to the force’s present formation, the cities of Bristol and Bath created their own police force in 1835, after the Municipal corporations Act of the same year. This was followed by Bridgewater and Chard in 1839. At that time the Bristol Constabulary comprised of just 232 male officers. The force later enlisted female officers in 1918, one of the first in the country to do so. In contrast to today’s more recognisable uniforms, officers then wore blue coats with white trousers and a top hat.
At the time, the force was one of the first forces in the UK to photograph prisoners and was heavily involved in implementing practise training drills for gas attacks prior to the outbreak of World War 2 in 1939.
In 1940, the Bridgewater and Chard Constabularies merged with the Somerset Constabulary. This force then consequently merged with the Bath Constabulary in 1967. This force proved to be short-lived, as it was to be merged with the Bristol City Police and the Staple Hill division of the Gloucestershire Constabulary on the 1st April 1974, to form the force as it is known today. One of the first public duties performed by this force was when they were granted the honour of providing a mounted escort for the Queen’s Royal Jubilee tour in 1977, the only police force in the country to do so.
By the late 70’s it was decided that the then Bridewell Headquarters, in Bristol, were too small to accommodate the newly formed force. A new site for the headquarters was actively sought, until eventually a site was agreed upon in Portishead, some eight miles to the west of Bristol. The force was ultimately relocated to a the new purpose built complex, which then cost £31 million, and these new headquarters were officially opened by the Queen on the 2nd June 1995.
Avon and Somerset Constabulary Today
In addition to the headquarters in Portishead, the force now also uses a total of 41 stations in and around the area. In the Bath and North East Somerset region there are stations in Bath, the district headquarters, as well as smaller stations in Keynsham and Radstock.
In Bristol the district headquarters are based in Trinity Road, with smaller stations in Avonmouth, Brislington, Bishopsworth, Broadbury Road, Newfoundland Road, Redland, Southmead and the old force headquarters at New Bridewell. The North Somerset headquarters are based in Weston-Super-Mare, with smaller stations in Clevedon, Nailsea and at Bristol International Airport.
In Somerset there are two district headquarters, based in Yeovil and Taunton, as well as stations in Bridgewater, Chard, Burnham-on-Sea, Bridgewater, Minehead and several other smaller stations dotted throughout the county. The South Gloucester district headquarters are based at Staple Hill, with stations also located in Filton, Chipping Sodbury and Thornbury.
The Avon and Somerset Constabulary, along with most other forces throughout the country, have introduced a number of operations and initiatives to combat crime within their region. ‘Operation Relentless’ was put into action in June 2005 and has become the force’s biggest ever campaign. The idea of the operation is to turn the spotlight of fear onto criminals rather than the victims of crime.
The six aims of ‘Operation Relentless’ are to catch more criminals; reduce the fear of crime; to deter future criminals; to increase public confidence in the force; to encourage active participation of partner agencies and the local community in combating and preventing crime and to motivate police staff in improving performance.
In support of this operation, the force has implemented various actions throughout the community. These include local community support networks, such as encouraging and supporting Neighbourhood Watch Schemes, and the introduction of PACT (Partners and Communities Together). PACT has been put into place to enable residents to have their say on how their neighbourhood is policed and to evaluate the police’s performance within that community.
The force has also pledged to do more to combat the ever present drug-related problems that are to be found throughout the region. These are issues that are particularly prevalent in many less affluent areas of Bristol, as well as becoming a problem in the traditional seaside resorts of Minehead and Weston-Super-Mare. This is especially the case in many of these resorts in the summer months, when the influx of tourists swells the population considerably, bringing with it more incidents for the force to deal with.
The force have also implemented a number of ‘no drinking zones’ throughout the region, where they discourage mainly young people from gathering and drinking, which can ultimately lead to anti-social behaviour.
The force’s future plans are to employ more PCSOs (Police Community Support Officers) and to encourage more people to volunteer as Special Constables.
As a result of these ongoing operations and initiatives, reports of anti-social behaviour have dropped by 40%, and footfall has increased in many city and town centre shops and shopping centres throughout the region, making these measures especially popular with local businesses.
To return to the list of police forces please click here: Police History
