Staffordshire Police is responsible for the areas of Staffordshire and Stoke-on-Trent in the West Midlands of England. It has four territorial divisions, namely Chase, North Staffs, Stoke-on-Trent, and Trent Valley.
The foundations of the Staffordshire police were laid in 1842 in Stafford, but the modern Staffordshire Police is the product of the combined forces covering Staffordshire and Stoke-on-Trent, which was established on January 1968. It was formerly called the Staffordshire County and Stoke-on-Trent Constabulary, but opted for a shorter name after it lost some of its area to the new West Midlands Police. This reduction in their area was done in accordance with the Local Government Act 1972. There were proposals for the force to merge with neighbouring areas in 2006, but this plan did not move forward due to public opposition.
The early years of the force saw police officers patrolling on foot, as there was no available means of transportation allotted for the force at that time. After some time, a mounted branch was formed wherein horses were used mainly for special events and occasions. However, the mounted branch was disbanded after many years of distinguished service. A motor transport and patrol group was then formed to police the roads of Staffordshire. At first, there were only three cars to police the whole county, but this was found to be inadequate, thus, new cars were purchased for every divisional station.
The first women police officers were initially tasked to deal with cases involving women and children. In 1976, they have been able to perform the same duties and tasks of the male officers and are currently represented in all ranks.
The Staffordshire Police’s mission is: Keeping our communities safe and reassured. They have three strategic priorities which are delivering quality service, professional excellence, and value for money. These strategies are supported by the force’s core values which are as follows: respecting the dignity of each person, professional excellence and willingness to learn, caring, encouraging and respecting others, recognising and celebrating success, effective use of resources, fairness, equality and integrity. These strategies and plans have been formulated to effectively maintain peace and order in their community.
