Birmingham City Police

Birmingham City Police was the police service responsible for general policing in the city of Birmingham in England before from 1839 to 1974. The force was established by a special Act of Parliament in 1839, and was amalgamated as of 1 April 1974 with the West Midlands Constabulary and parts of other forces to form the West Midlands Police as part of the omnibus Local Government Act 1972.

For the Birmingham Alabama Police, see Birmingham Police Department (Alabama).
Birmingham City Police
Hat badge of the type in use on the last day of the service
Agency overview
Formed20 November 1839 (1839-11-20)
Dissolved31 March 1974 (1974-03-31)
Superseding agencyWest Midlands Police
Jurisdictional structure
Operations jurisdictionBirmingham, England, UK
Legal jurisdictionEngland & Wales
General nature
Operational structure
Parent agencyHome Office

History
Birmingham Police Act 1839

Early history

In 1812, Joseph Chirm was the "Head Borough Constable".[1]

Birmingham town police

Following Chartist rioting in 1839, when one hundred police had to be brought from London, an Act of Parliament was passed on 26 August 1839 "for improving the Police in Birmingham". Birmingham was required to have at least 250 constables and 50 officers.[2] A commissioner was to be appointed by the Home Secretary and report to him.[2] The Birmingham force came into being on 20 November 1839 with 260 men. Francis Burgess, a local barrister, was appointed as the first police commissioner for Birmingham.[3] On 12 August 1842 a new Police Act transferred responsibility to the Birmingham Town Council and another removed doubts as to the authority of the council.[2]

Birmingham City Police

When Birmingham became a city in 1889 the town police became the Birmingham City Police.

World War I

571 officers from Birmingham City Police served in the military during World War I, of whom 50 were killed. All 571 are named on a memorial which is located in Lloyd House, the headquarters of the BCP's successor, the West Midlands Police, and on an accompanying website.[4]

Band
Appleby Matthews conducting a Birmingham Police Band recording session in 1921

The Birmingham City Police Band was, at one period, conducted by Appleby Matthews,[5] organist of the city's St. Philip's Cathedral and the first conductor of the City of Birmingham Orchestra (later the City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra). Members of the band would sometimes supplement the orchestras numbers.[6] Subsequently The band was conducted by Richard Wassell, with whom they performrd a number of BBC Radio broadcasts.

The City of Birmingham Orchestra held its first-ever rehearsal at 9.30am on 4 September 1920, in the band room at the Birmingham City Police's Steelhouse Lane station.[6]

Chief Constables

Chief Constables of Birmingham City Police included:[7]

References
  1. The trial and execution of William Booth Who was Executed at Stafford, on Saturday Aug. 15, 1812. For Counterfeiting Forged Bank of England Notes. 15 August 1812.
  2. Gill, Conrad (1952). History of Birmingham Volume I. Birmingham City Council, Geoffrey Cumberledge, Oxford University Press.
  3. "History of the Force". West Midlands Police. Retrieved 2014-04-22.
  4. "Police Memorial". West Midlands Police Military History Society. Retrieved 17 June 2017.
  5. "City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra". Sinfini Music. Retrieved 17 March 2014.
  6. Morley, Christopher (4 November 2010). "A glorious 90 years". The Birmingham Post. p. 4.
  7. "Birmingham City Police 1839 - 1974". West Midlands Police Museum. Retrieved 10 February 2014.


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