Nottinghamshire Police

Nottinghamshire Police is the territorial police force responsible for policing the shire county of Nottinghamshire and the unitary authority of Nottingham in the East Midlands area of England. The area has a population of just over 1 million.

Nottinghamshire Police
Agency overview
Formed1968
Preceding agencies
  • Nottingham City Police 1836 / 1841
  • Nottinghamshire Constabulary 1840
  • Retford Borough Police 1836
  • Newark-on-Trent Borough Police 1836
Jurisdictional structure
Operations jurisdictionNottinghamshire, UK
Map of Nottinghamshire Police's jurisdiction
Size830 square miles (2,100 km2)
Population1,170,475
Constituting instrument
General nature
Operational structure
Overviewed by
HeadquartersArnold
Sworn members2,361 (FTE 2022)
Police and Crime Commissioner responsible
Agency executive
  • Kate Meynell, Chief Constable
Divisions2
Facilities
Stations31
Website
www.nottinghamshire.police.uk

The force headquarters are at Arnold. As of April 2022, the force had 2,238 police officers, 1,465 police staff including PCSOs, around 163 special constables, 113 police support volunteers, 19 student placement volunteers and 131 police cadets.[1]

The chief constable is Kate Meynell,[2] appointed from nearby Derbyshire Constabulary in December 2022, who followed Craig Guildford, in-post since February 2017.[3]

Nottinghamshire Police Authority, which governed the force, was disbanded in November 2012, when the first Nottinghamshire Police and Crime Commissioner was elected.[4]

Police area

The police area covers the ceremonial county of Nottinghamshire, which contains the following local authorities:

Local AuthorityLarge towns/cities
BassetlawWorksop, Retford, Harworth
MansfieldMansfield, Warsop
Newark and SherwoodNewark-on-Trent, Ollerton, Southwell
AshfieldSutton-in-Ashfield, Kirkby-in-Ashfield, Hucknall
GedlingArnold, Carlton
BroxtoweBeeston, Stapleford, Eastwood, Kimberley
NottinghamCity of Nottingham
RushcliffeWest Bridgford, Cotgrave, Bingham

Map showing Local Authorities within the Police Area.

Workforce
Year Police officers (FTE)[5] Population[6] Police officers per 100,000 people
2009 2,411 1,074,913 224
2010 2,379 1,083,398 220
2011 2,214 1,090,695 203
2012 2,127 1,098,630 194
2013 2,130 1,107,080 192
2014 2,105 1,116,001 189
2015 2,035 1,125,153 181
2016 1,893 1,136,262 167
2017 1,842 1,147,060 161
2018 1,968 1,154,195 170
2019 1,925 1,161,124 166
2020 2,077 1,170,475 177
2021 2,222
2022 2,361

History

Nottinghamshire Constabulary was established in 1840. The following year it absorbed Retford Borough Police. In 1947, it absorbed Newark-on-Trent Borough Police. In 1968 it amalgamated with Nottingham City Police to form Nottinghamshire Combined Constabulary.[7] On 1 April 1974, it was reconstituted as Nottinghamshire Police under the Local Government Act 1972, but retained the name Nottinghamshire Constabulary on all signage, uniform and vehicles until the early 21st century.

In 1965, Nottinghamshire Constabulary had an establishment of 1,026 officers and an actual strength of 798.[8]

Proposals made by the Home Secretary in March 2006, would have seen the force merge with the other four East Midlands forces to form a strategic police force for the entire region.[9] However, in July 2006 the proposed merger was cancelled.[10][11]

In June 2006, the force was declared effective and efficient by Her Majesty's Inspectorate of Constabulary (HMIC) after five years of intense scrutiny.[12]

In 2009, a performance assessment carried out by the government ranked the force's operational area as the third worst in the country.[13]

In March 2010, HMIC rated the force as 'poor' in three reviewed areas of, 'Local Policing', 'Confidence' and 'Protecting from Harm'. Nottinghamshire Police were the only force in England & Wales to receive such a rating. Although HMIC did not attempt to place the 43 police forces in England & Wales in a directly comparable league table (due to difficulties in comparing a large city force with a small rural force), Nottinghamshire Police did give HMIC cause for concern. The media portrayed the analysis as showing the force as the 'worst in England & Wales'.[14]

Chief constables

Chief constables were:[15]

Nottingham City / Borough of Nottingham Police
  • 1814–1833 Richard Birth
  • 1833–? William Barnes
  • 1860–1865 Joseph Hedington
  • 1865–1869 John Freeman (former chief constable of Plymouth)
  • 1869–1872 Captain F. Parry
  • 1872–1881 Major William Henry Poyntz (appointed chief constable of Essex)
  • 1881–1892 Samuel Stevens (former chief constable of Rochdale)
  • 1892–1912 Phillip Stephen Clay (former chief constable of Southampton)
  • 1912–1930 Lt. Col. F. Lemon
  • 1930–1959 Captain Athelstan Popkess
  • 1960–1968 Thomas Moore

In 1968, Nottingham City Police merged with Nottinghamshire Constabulary

Nottinghamshire County Constabulary
  • –1852 Peter Valetine Hatton (dismissed for inefficiency)[16]
  • 1852–1856 Captain John Henry Forrest [16] (later appointed chief constable of Hampshire)[17]
  • 1856–1892 Captain Henry Holden
  • 1892–1922 Captain Sir William Hugh Tomasson[18]
  • 1949–1970 John Edward Stevenson Browne
  • 1970–1976 Rex Fletcher
  • 1976–1987 Charles McLachlan
  • 1987–1990 Sir Ronald Hadfield (knighted in 1995 Birthday Honours)
  • 1990–1995 Sir Dan Crompton
  • 1995–2000 Colin Bailey
  • 2000–2008 Steven Green
  • 2008–2012 Julia Hodson
  • 2012–2016 Chris Eyre
  • 2016–2017 Susannah Fish (acting chief constable )
  • 2017–2022 Craig Guildford
  • 2022–present Kate Meynell

Officers killed in the line of duty
See also: List of British police officers killed in the line of duty

The Police Memorial Trust lists and commemorates all British police officers killed in the line of duty, and since its establishment in 1984 has erected over 38 memorials nationally to some of those officers.

The following officers of Nottinghamshire Police are listed by the Trust as having died attempting to prevent, stop or solve a crime, since the turn of the 20th century:[19]

  • Sergeant Ernest Crowston, 1921 (fatally injured attempting to stop a speeding vehicle)
  • PC Raymond Free, 1950 (collapsed after attending a domestic disturbance)
  • PC Stephen Atkinson, 1977 (fatally injured in an accident when hit by a car while on point duty)
  • PC Christopher John MacDonald, 1978 (beaten and drowned by burglar)
  • PC Gerald Walker, 2003 (fatally injured when dragged by a stolen vehicle)
  • Sergeant Graham Saville, 2023 (fatally struck by a train while helping a distressed man on the track)[20]

Divisional structure

In April 2018, the force restructured under chief constable Craig Guildford, and moved to a local policing model. Response teams moved back in alignment with local authority areas and local council boundaries. The force was then split into two response divisions:

  • North (Bassetlaw, Newark & Sherwood, Mansfield, Ashfield, Gedling, City North)
  • South (City Central, City south, Broxtowe Borough, Rushcliffe Borough).

As part of the restructure, the organisation moved response teams back locally, increasing the number of response bases from nine to 20.

  • Bassetlaw
    • Harworth
    • Retford
    • Worksop
  • Newark & Sherwood
    • Newark
    • Ollerton
  • Mansfield
    • Mansfield
  • Ashfield
    • Kirkby
    • Hucknall
  • Gedling
    • Jubilee House - Arnold
  • Rushcliffe
    • West Bridgford
    • Cotgrave
  • Broxtowe
    • Eastwood
    • Beeston
  • Nottingham City
    • Oxclose Lane
    • Bulwell
    • Broxtowe
    • Radford Road
    • Byron House (City Centre)
    • St Anns
    • Clifton/Meadows

Each Division was managed by a Demand Management Inspector (DMI) who is responsible for demand on their area.

Custody suites

There are two custody suites across the force: Bridewell (70 cells) and Mansfield (30 cells)[21][22] Newark custody suite has recently closed, however is able to be reopened if there is operational need.

Neighbourhood policing

Each local authority area is covered by a Neighbourhood Policing Team (NPT). Each Neighbourhood policing team is run by a neighbourhood policing inspector, also referred to as the district commander.

  • Bassetlaw
  • Newark
  • Mansfield
  • Ashfield
  • Gedling
  • Rushcliffe
  • Broxtowe
  • Nottingham City North
  • Nottingham City West
  • Nottingham City Central
  • Nottingham City Centre
  • Nottingham City South

Operational Support

Operational support policing for the force between 2015 and May 2018 was provided by the East Midlands Operational Support Service (EMOpSS), a multi-force alliance which provides roads policing, police dogs, armed response and other specialist services over Nottinghamshire, Leicestershire, Lincolnshire and Northamptonshire.[23] In May 2018, Operational Support Policing withdrew from the regional collaboration and a new department was established. Air support for the force is provided by the National Police Air Service, who closed the former Nottinghamshire/Derbyshire Air Support Unit at Ripley in early 2015. Cover is now provided from further afield using the nearest available aircraft. This function was previously supplied to the force by a joint venture with Derbyshire Police, the North Midlands Helicopter Support Unit. In 2020, the air support has also been provided by a fixed-wing aircraft flying out of Doncaster-Sheffield airport.[24]

Dog theft

In March 2021, Nottinghamshire Police became the first police force in the United Kingdom to appoint a dedicated dog theft lead, following increased rates of dog abductions during the coronavirus pandemic. The inspector would take a leading role in investigating cases of dognapping, work with Nottinghamshire Police’s Dog Section to produce advice for owners on how to keep their pet safe, and develop a 'Canine Coalition’ with dog welfare organisations to work together to both tackle the scourge of dog theft locally, and lobby Government for tougher sentences for dognappers.[25]

On 15 March 2021, Chief Inspector Amy Styles-Jones was appointed to the role.[25]

PEEL inspection

His Majesty's Inspectorate of Constabulary and Fire & Rescue Services (HMICFRS) conducts a periodic police effectiveness, efficiency and legitimacy (PEEL) inspection of each police service's performance. In its latest PEEL inspection, Nottinghamshire Police was rated as follows:[26]

 OutstandingGoodAdequateRequires ImprovementInadequate
2021/22 rating
  • Investigating crime
  • Protecting vulnerable people
  • Preventing crime
  • Treatment of the public
  • Managing offenders
  • Responding to the public
  • Developing a positive workplace
  • Good use of resources
  • Recording data about crime

See also

Footnotes
  1. HMICFRS (28 April 2022). "About Nottinghamshire Police". HMICFRS. Retrieved 24 August 2022.
  2. Chief Constable Kate Meynell Nottinghamshire Police. Retrieved 21 December 2022
  3. "Chief Officer Team". Nottinghamshire Police. Retrieved 23 April 2017.
  4. "Nottinghamshire PCC". Nottinghamshire Police and Crime Commissioner. Archived from the original on 23 April 2013. Retrieved 16 February 2013.
  5. "Police workforce England and Wales statistics". GOV.UK. Retrieved 23 February 2023.
  6. "Estimates of the population for the UK, England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland - Office for National Statistics". www.ons.gov.uk. Retrieved 23 February 2023.
  7. "History". Nottinghamshire Police. Archived from the original on 7 December 2010. Retrieved 12 February 2011.
  8. The Thin Blue Line, Police Council for Great Britain Staff Side Claim for Undermanning Supplements, 1965
  9. "Police forces 'to be cut to 24". BBC News. BBC. 20 March 2006. Retrieved 12 February 2011.
  10. "Confusion over police merger plan". BBC News. BBC. 13 July 2006. Retrieved 12 February 2011.
  11. "Police bill government on mergers". BBC News. BBC. 21 July 2006. Retrieved 12 February 2011.
  12. "Positive result for police force". BBC News. BBC. 28 June 2006. Retrieved 12 February 2011.
  13. Fletcher, S. (16 July 2009). "Notts is third worst county for crime". Nottingham Post. Archived from the original on 5 May 2013. Retrieved 12 February 2011.
  14. Langford, Mark (11 March 2010). "Revealed: The Worst Police In The Country". Sky News Online. BSkyB. Retrieved 12 February 2011.
  15. "Our History". Nottinghamshire Police. Retrieved 16 June 2018.
  16. Nottinghamshire Archives Office C/QSM/1/46 7th April 1852
  17. "Captain John Henry Forrest". Hampshire Constabulary. Retrieved 16 June 2018.
  18. "History of Woodthorpe House". Sherwood Community Center. Retrieved 16 June 2018.
  19. "Police Roll Of Honour Trust". www.policememorial.org.uk. Retrieved 26 January 2020.
  20. "Nottinghamshire Police officer hit by train while helping man dies". BBC News. 29 August 2023. Retrieved 29 August 2023.
  21. "Response to Request under Freedom of Information Act 2000 000125/17" (PDF). Nottinghamshire Police. 9 January 2017. Retrieved 8 February 2018.
  22. "Response to Request Under the Freedom of Information Act 2000 002503/17". What Do They Know. 8 May 2017. Retrieved 8 February 2018.
  23. "East Midlands Operational Support Service (EMOpSS)". www.lincs.police.uk. Retrieved 20 May 2017.
  24. "Police Get four new fixed-wing 'eyes-in-the-sky'". UK Aviation News. 7 March 2020.
  25. Thompson, Tony (15 March 2021). "Nottinghamshire first force to appoint dog theft lead". Police Professional. Retrieved 17 March 2021.
  26. "PEEL 2021/22 Police effectiveness, efficiency and legitimacy: An inspection of Nottinghamshire Police" (PDF). Her Majesty's Inspectorate of Constabulary and Fire & Rescue Services. 28 April 2022. Retrieved 1 May 2022.
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