Глазго қалалық полициясы: 1800-1975 жылдар тарихы

Former police force of Glasgow, Scotland

The City of Glasgow Police or Glasgow City Police was the police covering the city and royal burgh of Glasgow, from 1800 to 1893, and the county of city of Glasgow, from 1893 to 1975. In the 17th century, Scottish cities used to hire watchmen to guard the streets at night, augmenting a force of unpaid citizen constables. On 30 June 1800 the authorities of Glasgow successfully petitioned the British Government to pass the Glasgow Police Act 1800 establishing the City of Glasgow Police. It served Glasgow from 1800 to 1975, when it was amalgamated into Strathclyde Police. It is sometimes described as the first modern style municipal police force, although due to the original Glasgow Police's small size and varied duties in 1779, they also fought fires, called the hours, and swept the streets, similar to the older city watchmen. This title was previously claimed by the London Metropolitan Police. However, following formal enforcement action by the Advertising Standards Authority, the Metropolitan Police gave a written undertaking never to repeat this claim again. Even "The Spectator" magazine gets this wrong an article by Dot Wordsworth claims that the "Marine Police force" in London was in 1798 the first force in Britain called police to keep law and order, and the magazine has for many years failed to correct this error.

On 29 September 1800, John Stenhouse, a city merchant, was appointed Master of Police and he set about organising and recruiting the force. He appointed three sergeants and six police constables, dividing them into sections of one sergeant and two police constables to each section. On 15 November, the Glasgow Police mustered in the Session House of the Laigh Kirk, Trongate, for the first time. There were three reliefs. One sergeant and two police officers were on duty in the Police Office for twenty four hours. The other section on patrol duty and the third section was entitled to rest for twenty four hours. The sixty eight watchmen were also there in their long brown coats with their personal numbers painted on their backs. Each carried a lantern and long stave. They would man fixed points within the City while the police officers patrolled to prevent crime. It was from these modest beginnings that the Glasgow Police embarked on more than 200 years of service to the City.

In 1819 Lieutenant Peter McKinlay was appointed as Criminal Officer, Glasgow's first Detective. In 1846 the Glasgow Police merged with the Gorbals, Calton and Anderston Burgh Police. As a result of this, Glasgow Police divided into four Divisions and now numbered 360 officers. New uniforms were issued in 1849, which consisted of a better quality top hat, three quarter length dress coats with standing collar and nine buttons. Electric telegraph adopted for communication between offices and other police forces in 1861 and in 1878, a horse drawn van was introduced for conveying prisoners. Due to the City of Glasgow Act 1891, the City boundaries were extended to the south, north and west sides of the city. Due to the extension, a system of 14 cast iron Police Signal boxes was installed in the outlying areas. By 1900, the City of Glasgow Police numbered 1355 officers and men.

The River Clyde Police were established in 1858 and were responsible for policing the Clyde up to the Tail of the Bank. They were merged into the Marine Police division of the City of Glasgow Police in 1866, and wore a small anchor on their collar. The cost of the division was borne by the Clyde Navigation Trust.