The Oxford University Police, or Oxford University Constables (popularly known as
Bulldog
The Bulldog is a British breed of dog of mastiff type. It may also be known as the English Bulldog or British Bulldog. It is of medium size, a muscular, hefty dog with a wrinkled face and a distinctive pushed-in nose.[police
The police are a constituted body of persons empowered by a state, with the aim to enforce the law, to ensure the safety, health and possessions of citizens, and to prevent crime and civil disorder. Their lawful powers include arrest and t ...]
force of the
University of Oxford
, mottoeng = The Lord is my light
, established =
, endowment = £6.1 billion (including colleges) (2019)
, budget = £2.145 billion (2019–20)
, chancellor ...
between 1829 and 2003. They carried
warrant cards and were empowered to act as police officers within the University precincts and within areas of Oxford within four miles of any University building.
[p194-5, Bruce, Alastair and Calder, Julian, ''Keepers of the Kingdom'' (Cassell, 2002), ][University police branded 'too powerful'](_blank)
, ''Oxford Times'', 22 May 2002 As of 2001 the force existed as a
private constabulary (a non-
Home Office police force) with 40 sworn
constable
A constable is a person holding a particular office, most commonly in criminal law enforcement. The office of constable can vary significantly in different jurisdictions. A constable is commonly the rank of an officer within the police. Other peop ...
s. They were widely recognised for the
bowler hat
The bowler hat, also known as a billycock, bob hat, bombín (Spanish) or derby (United States), is a hard felt hat with a rounded crown, originally created by the London hat-makers Thomas and William Bowler in 1849. It has traditionally been worn ...
s which formed part of their uniform,
and formerly had the duty of patrolling outside the
Examination Schools
The Examination Schools of the University of Oxford are located at 75–81 High Street, Oxford, England. The building was designed by Sir Thomas Jackson (1835–1924), who also designed several other University buildings, such as much of Braseno ...
alongside the University
Proctor
Proctor (a variant of ''procurator'') is a person who takes charge of, or acts for, another.
The title is used in England and some other English-speaking countries in three principal contexts:
* In law, a proctor is a historical class of lawye ...
s, the officials responsible for discipline in the University. They were abolished by the University Council in 2003.
[Oration by the Senior Proctor](_blank)
, Oxford University Gazette, 27 March 2003
History
The power of the university to
attest constables was granted by the
Universities Act 1825
The Universities Act 1825 (Ch 97 6 Geo 4, long name ''An Act for the better Preservation of the Peace and good Order in the Universities of England'') is an Act of the Parliament of the United Kingdom which provides for officers of police constabl ...
,
Universities Act 1825
/ref> making the University Police among the oldest police forces in the United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom (UK) or Britain, is a country in Europe, off the north-western coast of the continental mainland. It comprises England, Scotland, Wales and North ...
. In 1829, the same year that the Metropolitan Police Service
The Metropolitan Police Service (MPS), formerly and still commonly known as the Metropolitan Police (and informally as the Met Police, the Met, Scotland Yard, or the Yard), is the territorial police force responsible for law enforcement and ...
was established by then-Home Secretary
The secretary of state for the Home Department, otherwise known as the home secretary, is a senior minister of the Crown in the Government of the United Kingdom. The home secretary leads the Home Office, and is responsible for all national ...
Sir Robert Peel
Sir Robert Peel, 2nd Baronet, (5 February 1788 – 2 July 1850) was a British Conservative statesman who served twice as Prime Minister of the United Kingdom (1834–1835 and 1841–1846) simultaneously serving as Chancellor of the Exchequer ...
, the Vice-Chancellor
A chancellor is a leader of a college or university, usually either the executive or ceremonial head of the university or of a university campus within a university system.
In most Commonwealth of Nations, Commonwealth and former Commonwealth n ...
of Oxford University signed the "Plan for the Establishment of an Efficient University Police", formalising the powers and duties of the university constables. They were supervised by the university proctor
Proctor (a variant of ''procurator'') is a person who takes charge of, or acts for, another.
The title is used in England and some other English-speaking countries in three principal contexts:
* In law, a proctor is a historical class of lawye ...
s, and had disciplinary powers over students.
Until the end of the Second World War
World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposin ...
, the constables were considered to be ''in loco parentis
The term ''in loco parentis'', Contemporary Latin, Latin for "in the place of a parent" refers to the legal responsibility of a person or organization to take on some of the functions and responsibilities of a parent.
Originally derived from ...
'' with regard to students of the university, giving them broad disciplinary powers to enforce university rules and regulations.
In 2002, a group of local traders in Oxford wrote to Evan Harris
Evan Leslie Harris (born 21 October 1965) is a British Liberal Democrat politician. He was the Member of Parliament (MP) for Oxford West and Abingdon from 1997 to 2010, losing his seat in the 2010 general election by 176 votes to Conservative ...
, a local Member of Parliament
A member of parliament (MP) is the representative in parliament of the people who live in their electoral district. In many countries with bicameral parliaments, this term refers only to members of the lower house since upper house members of ...
, requesting the removal of the police powers of the constables over citizens who were not members of the university. They argued that the constables were "not accountable to any public authority" and described their role as an "anachronism".
After a policy review by the University Council in 2003, the University Police was disbanded when it was decided that it would be too expensive to bring the force up to the required standard of training and implement a multi-tiered complaints procedure.
The circa 40 members of the force were redesignated "Proctors' Officers". In recognition of the force's "extraordinary role over almost 180 years" (according to the Senior Proctor), the constables were not merged with the University's Department of Security Services, but remained under the control of the Proctors. According to the Chancellor's 2003 annual report, these members can still carry out 95% of the duties without constabulary powers.
Thames Valley Police
Thames Valley Police is the territorial police force responsible for policing the Thames Valley, covering the counties of Berkshire, Buckinghamshire and Oxfordshire.
It the largest non-metropolitan police force in England and Wales, covering a ...
are the territorial police force A territorial police force is a police service that is responsible for an area defined by sub-national boundaries, distinguished from other police services which deal with the entire country or a type of crime. In countries organized as federations, ...
responsible for providing policing to Oxford, including the university.
See also
*Proctor
Proctor (a variant of ''procurator'') is a person who takes charge of, or acts for, another.
The title is used in England and some other English-speaking countries in three principal contexts:
* In law, a proctor is a historical class of lawye ...
*Law enforcement in the United Kingdom
Law enforcement in the United Kingdom is organised separately in each of the legal systems of the United Kingdom: England and Wales, Northern Ireland and Scotland. Most law enforcement is carried out by police officers serving in regional pol ...
*Cambridge University Constabulary
The Cambridge University Constabulary is a body of constables that patrol the precincts of the University of Cambridge. There are approximately 20 to 30 constables in the constabulary. The university constables are commonly known as 'bulldogs'. ...
*List of former police forces in the United Kingdom
Due to various Parliamentary Acts the numbers of law enforcement agencies in the United Kingdom has varied drastically since the Metropolitan Police Act of 1829 set up the first modern police force in London.
There are currently over 60 law enfo ...
*Campus police
Campus police or university police in the United States and Canada are sworn police or peace officers employed by a college or university to protect that private property of the campus and surrounding areas and the people who live, work, and v ...
References
External links
Images of Oxford University Police on Flickr
*
{{UK private and military police forces
1829 establishments in England
2003 disestablishments in England
Organizations established in 1829
Organizations disestablished in 2003
Defunct police forces of England
Police
The police are a constituted body of persons empowered by a state, with the aim to enforce the law, to ensure the safety, health and possessions of citizens, and to prevent crime and civil disorder. Their lawful powers include arrest and t ...
History of the University of Oxford
University police forces of the United Kingdom