York Minster Police is a small, specialised cathedral constabulary responsible for security in

York Minster The Cathedral and Metropolitical Church of Saint Peter in York, commonly known as York Minster, is the cathedral of York, North Yorkshire, England, and is one of the largest of its kind in Northern Europe. The minster is the seat of the Arch ...

and its precincts in

York York is a cathedral city with Roman origins, sited at the confluence of the rivers Ouse and Foss in North Yorkshire, England. It is the historic county town of Yorkshire. The city has many historic buildings and other structures, such as a ...

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 European mainland, continental mainland. It comprises England, Scotlan ...

History

The

Liberty Liberty is the ability to do as one pleases, or a right or immunity enjoyed by prescription or by grant (i.e. privilege). It is a synonym for the word freedom. In modern politics, liberty is understood as the state of being free within society fr ...

of St Peter and Peter Prison was formed in 1106, and appointed its own officers (including constables) quite separately from the rest of the city of

. Following the Minster fire in 1829, the Chapter of the cathedral ordered that "Henceforward a watchman/constable shall be employed to keep watch every night in and about the cathedral''", and bemoaned the lack of one previously. The Liberty was abolished in 1839, as a result of which any constables appointed for the Liberty would have been transferred to the new

municipal borough Municipal boroughs were a type of local government district which existed in England and Wales between 1835 and 1974, in Northern Ireland from 1840 to 1973 and in the Republic of Ireland from 1840 to 2002. Broadly similar structures existed in S ...

of the city of York, and as the liberty ceased to exist it could no longer appoint constables. It is then that the first record is available of the employment of Thomas Marshall as a watchman, which lasted until 1854 at the salary of forty-one pounds and twelve shillings per year. The title of "Minster Police" was first recorded in 1855, when William Gladin replaced Marshall. Gladin lived at 2 Precentor's Court, adjacent to the Minster.

Present day

There are now eight officers, and one Inspector, of the Minster Police. In addition to their policing role, the officers are the custodians of over 380 sets of keys, provide information and directions to tourists, oversee fire safety, and security for the movement of cash around the Minster. The local

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, ...

North Yorkshire Police North Yorkshire Police is the territorial police force covering the non-metropolitan county of North Yorkshire and the unitary authority of York in northern England. As of September 2018 the force had a strength of 1,357 police officers, 127 ...

retains primacy of policing throughout the county including York Minster, being responsible for the investigation of all crime and leading on all major or serious incidents.

Powers

In February 2017 it was reported that the Minster Police would be "given back powers of arrest after 80 years" by ITV News. A former territorial experienced police officer was brought in to update the constables on their power and training and the Minster Police "can deal with situations appropriately at the right level". A ceremony was reported to take place in the Spring to mark this change. The BBC News website reported that: "Powers were returned to the force following the signing of a memorandum of understanding between the Chapter of York and the Chief Constable of North Yorkshire olice The memorandum recognises that although security provision inside the minster and its precinct remain the responsibility of cathedral constables,

will be responsible for investigating all crime. Any arrested people are handed over to North Yorkshire Police for transport and processing and the force will be responsible for the submission of prosecution files. The Minster Police constabulary is thought to be the oldest continuing police service in the country". All officers have completed the Level 3 Certificate in Cathedral Constable Attestation.

Uniform and equipment

The uniform consists of white and blue shirts, black ties (for men), black and white cravats (for ladies) black pull-over jumpers, yellow high-visibility jackets, black boots and a peaked cap with blue and white

Sillitoe tartan Sillitoe tartan is the nickname given to the distinctive black and white chequered pattern, correctly known as ''dicing'', which was originally associated with the police in Scotland. It later gained widespread use in the rest of the United Ki ...

or "dicing" as a cap-band. Female officers also wear this peaked cap, as opposed to the bowler cap which is worn by many British and Overseas Territories female officers. Officers can also wear a stab vest with "YORK MINSTER POLICE" written on the back, to easily identify them as such. Rank slides are worn on the shoulders of the shirt, jumper and vest. They wear numerals on their epaulettes together with the Minster's crest of crossed keys surmounted by a crown and "YORK MINSTER POLICE" wording. There is also a dark blue police tunic to be worn over the shirt, for more formal occasions or day-to-day policing. If the constable has been awarded any decorations (medals) then their ribbons should be worn on the left breast of the tunic. Officers carry radios (walkie-talkies) and can use earpieces.

Ranks

Numbers

The force is one of only seven cathedral forces in the world and the Minster Police includes three female

Constables 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 ...

. The Minster Police comprises eight Cathedral Constables, one Police Sergeant and a Head of Security (who also doubles as the Police Inspector) There is also one unsworn Police Warden.

References

External links

York Minster Police

A photograph of the Police on Flickr
* Cathedral Constables Website - York Minster Police section

{{UK private and military police forces Police forces of England Church law enforcement agencies

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 th ...