Wolverhampton Borough Police was a police service in the Borough of Wolverhampton from 1837–1966, when it was merged into the
West Midlands Constabulary.
The town's commissioners approved the formation of the police force on 3 August 1837. The original Superintendent was Richard Castle, who was appointed with the assistance of the Metropolitan Police, with a salary of five shillings and six pence per day. The force originally consisted of one sergeant and five police constables and was based in the old Town Hall, Garrick Street.
By the early 1900s officer numbers had increased to 109 men. The first female officers were employed in 1937 and were immediately attached to the Criminal Investigation Department. Numbers were increased once more following
World War II, with 215 men and 8 women being in post to meet the increased demand for policing.
The force continued to grow in size, with more than 300 police officers employed by the 1960s. Following a Royal Commission on the police in 1960, it was merged with
Dudley Borough Police and
Walsall Borough Police
Walsall Borough Police was a police force in the Borough of Walsall, then in Staffordshire, in England, from 1832–1966.
History
The force was created on 6 July 1832 with one superintendent and three constables. Following the Municipal ...
, and parts of the
Staffordshire Constabulary and
Worcestershire Constabulary, to become the
West Midlands Constabulary from 1 April 1966.
Home Office circular 67-1966 announcing the force's creation
/ref> Since a further merger in 1974, Wolverhampton has been served by the West Midlands Police.
Chief Constables
*1837–1842 - Richard Castle
*1848–1857 - Lt. Col. Gilbert Hogg
*1857–1878 - Capt. Henry Sergrave
*1878–1891 - Major Robert David Dewar Hay
*1891–1916 - Capt. Lindsay Robert Burnett
*1916–1929 - David Webster
*1930–1943 - Edwin Tilley
*1944–1966 - Norman W. Goodchild
References
{{Commons cat, Wolverhampton Borough Police
Defunct police forces of England
History of Wolverhampton
1837 establishments in England
1966 disestablishments in England
Antecedents of the West Midlands Police