Belfast Harbour Police

The Belfast Harbour Police is a small, specialised ports police force, with responsibility for the Port of Belfast, Northern Ireland. It was founded in 1847,[1] making it the oldest continuously-operating law enforcement agency on the island of Ireland.

Belfast Harbour Police
AbbreviationBHP
Agency overview
Formed1847
Jurisdictional structure
Legal jurisdictionBelfast Harbour Estate
Governing bodyPort of Belfast
Constituting instrument
  • Harbours, Docks, and Piers Clauses Act 1847
General nature
Operational structure
Overviewed byBelfast Harbour Corporation
HeadquartersMilewater Basin, Dufferin Road, Belfast
Officers35 (2009)
Facilities
Stations1
Website
www.belfast-harbour.co.uk/harbour-estate-access/belfast-harbour-police
Belfast Harbour Police car, June 2010.

Powers

Officers of this force are sworn in as 'special constables' under section 79 of the Harbours, Docks, and Piers Clauses Act 1847. As a result, officers have the full powers of a constable on any land owned by the Belfast Harbour Authority and at any place within one mile (1.6 km) of any owned land. The extent of Belfast Harbour includes the George Best Belfast City Airport, though policing of the airport by the Harbour Police was discontinued in February 2009.[2] The force comprised 28 constables, six sergeants and one chief officer in 2009.[2] Whilst on duty, BHP officers are armed, which is believed to be a unique situation amongst the small number of privately owned ports police services across the United Kingdom.[3] The service may also enforce the Belfast Harbour Commissioners' by-laws, giving them more powers specific to the harbour.

Officers

Belfast Harbour Police consists of uniformed police officers and a CID section who provide 24-hour cover throughout the 2,000-acre Harbour Estate, including almost 17 miles of roads.[1] Their vehicles are equipped with Tracker stolen vehicle detection devices.[1] Officers are armed with the Glock 17 9mm pistol.

Uniforms

Unlike the green uniforms worn by the Police Service of Northern Ireland, BHP officers wear a black and white uniform, similar to those worn by police officers in Great Britain. Also unlike the PSNI, BHP also uses the standard black and white police sillitoe tartan insignia on their forage caps and the rank insignia for the rank of sergeant incorporates the downturned chevrons, again similar to police agencies in Britain. [4]

Any major or serious crime and incidents such as murder, acts of terrorism or armed robbery are the responsibility of the local territorial police force, the Police Service of Northern Ireland.[3]

Equipment

Like most Northern Ireland police or public security services, BHP officers are regularly armed and are equipped with the Glock 17, previously being equipped with six-shot revolvers.[5] Officers also carry typical UK police equipment, including a radio, baton, and incapacitant spray.

Vehicles

BHP use cars including Volkswagens, Landrover Discovery,[6] Freelanders[7] and Kia Sportage[8] and motorbikes[9] to patrol the harbour. Vehicles are equipped in typical UK police blue and yellow style "Battenberg" colour scheme, with blue lights and 'Harbour Police' wording.

There is also a police launch.[10] This was manufactured by Redbay Boats in Cushendall, and also supports Belfast Harbour Police’s joint operations with Lagan Search and Rescue, PSNI and Border Force.

The ‘Bowstead’, is named after John Bowstead, the first Constable appointed to police the quays in Belfast in 1824.

See also

References
  1. "Accountability and Standards of the Port Police Forces". Archived from the original on 19 June 2018. Retrieved 25 September 2021.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: bot: original URL status unknown (link)
  2. Archived 4 December 2014 at the Wayback Machine
  3. "Belfast Harbour Police : An Inspection of the Belfast Harbour Police" (PDF). Cjini.org. May 2008. Archived (PDF) from the original on 20 February 2015. Retrieved 21 November 2014.
  4. "Belfast Harbour - Policing". Archived from the original on 19 July 2011. Retrieved 25 May 2011.
  5. "Archived copy". Archived from the original on 8 July 2019. Retrieved 25 September 2021.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
  6. "Belfast Harbour Police". 14 May 2018. Archived from the original on 25 September 2021. Retrieved 25 September 2021.
  7. "Belfast Harbour Police / VFZ 1255 / Land Rover Freenlander / Incident Response Vehicle". 29 May 2016. Archived from the original on 25 September 2021. Retrieved 25 September 2021.
  8. "Belfast Harbour Police". 19 May 2018. Archived from the original on 25 September 2021. Retrieved 25 September 2021.
  9. @BelfastHarbour (12 November 2019). "Congratulations to Constable McGuigan who is the first ever Police Motorcyclist in @BelHarPolice after successfully…" (Tweet) – via Twitter.
  10. https://www.belfast-harbour.co.uk/news/belfast-harbour-police-invests-inwater-safety-with-new-state-of-293/

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