Police and Crime Commissioner, Lisa Townsend, is celebrating the 175th anniversary of Surrey Police with a series of special features and pictures on the history of the Force.
The Commissioner will be delving into the archives to highlight some of the key moments spanning nearly two centuries since Surrey Police was created which will be featured on the PCC’s website and social media channels.
Founded on January 1st, 1851, Surrey Police was originally named Surrey Constabulary until 1993 and originated with only seventy police officers and five superintendents. Over the decades, the evolution of a single unitary Force has developed whilst encountering growth, divide, mergers, re-structuring and boundary changes.
Murder of a clergyman
The establishment of Surrey Constabulary in 1851 came at a time of rising fear in the county where a group of violent criminals known as the ‘Isaacs Gang’ terrorised the areas of Surrey and Sussex throughout the 1840s. The murder of clergyman, Reverand Hollest at his home in Frimley in 1850 caused significant public alarm and has been viewed as the catalyst in bringing together formal organised policing in the county.
Adversity, courage and humanity
Lisa Townsend says: “I’m fascinated by the history of the Force and plan to share stories in which Surrey police have pioneered, alongside policing tales of adversity, courage and humanity.
“A great believer that ‘a picture tells a thousand words’, I’m going to post a ‘policing picture of the week’ over the next few months that’s been carefully selected from the archives. My first image is of PC Charles Carpenter that was taken in 1857 and is one of the first known photographs of a serving Surrey Constabulary officer. Blinded in one eye after being hit by a stone on the job, PC Carpenter served the villagers of Clandon and would have earnt a weekly wage of around 18 shillings, or 12p in today’s money.
A proud history
“The history of the Force is both fascinating and enriching. As the new year beckons, I want to say a huge thank you to all Surrey police officers and staff – both former and current – for their dedication and resolve. Without them, there wouldn’t be a history to be proud of”.
Today, Surrey Police has a workforce of around 4,000 officers and staff, serving 1.2 million residents of Surrey and an area of 642 square miles.