The Army Department Constabulary was a

security police Security police officers are employed by or for a governmental agency or corporations to provide security service security services to those properties. Security police protect facilities, properties, personnel, users, visitors and enforce cer ...

force 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 ...

formed as a result of the

Special Constables Act 1923 The Special Constables Act 1923 (13 and 14 Geo. V, c. 11; full title - ''An Act to make perpetual, subject to an amendment, the Special Constables Act, 1914; to provide for the employment of special constables in connection with Naval, Military an ...

. Originally, the Army used serving soldiers to guard its establishments and the only call for police was at places like the

Royal Arsenal The Royal Arsenal, Woolwich is an establishment on the south bank of the River Thames in Woolwich in south-east London, England, that was used for the manufacture of armaments and ammunition, proofing, and explosives research for the Britis ...

Woolwich Woolwich () is a district in southeast London, England, within the Royal Borough of Greenwich. The district's location on the River Thames led to its status as an important naval, military and industrial area; a role that was maintained throu ...

. A War Department Constabulary was formed in 1925 to replace the

Metropolitan Police 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 ...

at the Arsenal. It was renamed the Army Department Constabulary in 1964 when the

War Office The War Office was a department of the British Government responsible for the administration of the British Army between 1857 and 1964, when its functions were transferred to the new Ministry of Defence (MoD). This article contains text from ...

was replaced by the

Army Department The United States Department of the Army (DA) is one of the three military departments within the Department of Defense of the U.S. The Department of the Army is the federal government agency within which the United States Army (U.S.) is org ...

of the Ministry of Defence. In 1971 the

Ministry of Defence Police The Ministry of Defence Police (MDP) is a civilian special police force which is part of the United Kingdom's Ministry of Defence. The MDP's primary responsibilities are to provide armed security and counter terrorism services to designated hig ...

absorbed the ADC along with the

Air Force Department Constabulary The Air Force Department Constabulary (formerly the Air Ministry Constabulary) was a police force in the United Kingdom, responsible for policing the airfields and aerodromes under the control of the Air Ministry, later the Air Force Department. ...

and the

Admiralty Constabulary The Admiralty Constabulary was a police force in the United Kingdom formed under the Special Constables Act 1923 which existed from 1949 to 1971. History The Constabulary can trace its history back to 1686 when the Royal Navy needed an organisati ...

Sources

{{UK-law-enforcement-agency-stub Ministry of Defence Police Defunct police forces of the United Kingdom Civilian police forces of defense ministries