A professional police force was established in Bedfordshire in 1839, under the County Police Act 1839, replacing the earlier system of elected parish constables. It initially comprised a chief constable, who was based in Ampthill, 6 superintendents and 40 constables. Constables were paid 19 shillings a week, which was nearly twice the typical wage of an agricultural labourer in the county at that time. There was an independent Luton Borough Police from 1876 to 1947, and then from 1964 to 1966, when it amalgamated with Bedfordshire Constabulary, which was then known as the Bedfordshire and Luton Constabulary until 1974. In 1965, Bedfordshire Constabulary had an establishment of 497 and an actual strength of 430. On 11 June 2007 PC Jon Henry, was fatally stabbed whilst on duty in the town centre of Luton by a Nigerian immigrant, Tennyson Obih. Obih was convicted of his murder, along with the attempted murder and wounding with intent of two other men that he stabbed on the same morning.
Structure
Bedfordshire Police has collaborated in the formation of several specialist units with Hertfordshire Constabulary and Cambridgeshire Constabulary including Major Crime, Dogs, Firearms and Roads Policing. The force also leads regional units including Eastern RegionSpecial Operations Unit and Eastern Counter Terrorism Intelligence Unit with forces in Cambridgeshire, Hertfordshire, Norfolk, Suffolk and Essex. In June 2015, the force implemented a new operating model – which comprises north and south bases and aims to increase the number of warranted officers in local communities.
Initiatives and controversies
Bedfordshire Police publish results of cases on their official website, such as a drug gang who were jailed for 39 years. Bedfordshire Police's cadets have recently scooped a national award for their outstanding contribution to helping to reduce crime and creating a safer community. In 2014 Bedfordshire Police took the unprecedented move to allow cameras into the force 24/7 to film a fly-on-the-wall documentary capturing some of the issues faced by police officers today. The last series ended in June 2016 but more episodes are planned for the near future. In July 2015, Bedfordshire Police was the first force in the country to secure a Female Genital Mutilation protection order. The court order allowed officers to seize the passports of two young girls who it was thought were being taken to Africa. On 15 November 2016, Bedfordshire Police posted a tweet to support Islamophobia Awareness Month. The image accompanying the tweet showed a hand with raised finger - a symbol used by ISIS. The tweet was removed following complaints and Bedfordshire Police commented:
Resources
The force's 2016 to 2017 Budget was set at £101.483m. The workforce as of November 2015 consisted of:
Chief Officer - 3
Chief Superintendent - 3
Superintendent - 9
Chief Inspector - 24
Inspector - 57
Sergeant - 161
Constable - 837
Total - 1,093
Civilians - 896
CSOs - 105
As of 2017, Bedfordshire Police are considering not responding to some low level crimes due to funding restrictions. Kathryn Holloway stated that the force has made almost £35 million in cuts and would face further cuts of £11.4 million to £12.5 million over the coming four years “if things remain unchanged”.
Equipment
Like other UK police forces, Bedfordshire Police officers are not routinely armed. The force employs firearms officers to deal with firearms incidents in the area. However all officers are equipped with Hiatt Speedcuffs, PAVA incapacitant spray, Velcro fastwrap and leg restraints. Some officers are also equipped with the TASER X2 Conductive Energy Device with very few officers carrying the TASERX26 CED which is due to be phased out.
Governance
The first Bedfordshire Police and Crime Commissioner was Olly Martins, who was elected on 15 November 2012 and took office on 21 November 2012. The performance of the police and crime commissioner is scrutinised by the Bedfordshire Police and Crime Panel, made up of elected councillors from the local authorities in the police area, and two independent members. Before November 2012 the Bedfordshire Police Authority was the police governance. On 5 May 2016 Kathryn Holloway became the second Bedfordshire Police and Crime Commissioner after winning the vote against Olly Martins and other candidates. The Office of Police and Crime Commissioner's permanent Chief Executive Officer is Clare Kelly. The "Our Force" control strategy determines operational priorities, helping Bedfordshire Police to protect people and fight crime.
Chief Constables
1840–1871 : Captain Edward M. Boultbee
1871–1879 : Major Ashton Cromwell Warner
1880–1910 : Lieutenant-Colonel Frederick J. Josselyn
1910–1939 : Lt-Colonel Frank Augustus Douglas Stevens, CBE
