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Cambridgeshire Constabulary History
The Old Headquarters site in Brampton
The origins of Cambridgeshire Constabulary date back to 1836, when the first police force in what is now the county's boundary was set up in the city of Cambridge. The Cambridge Borough Force employed just 30 police officers - a far cry from today! Outside the city, there was no organised policing in Cambridgeshire for 15 years until, in 1851, the Cambridgeshire County Force was established with a total of 70 police officers. The county boundary has changed much over the years, and areas which now form part of Cambridgeshire fared a little better in the 19th century. The Isle of Ely had its own Constabulary from 1841. It included four districts - Ely, Wisbech, Whittlesey and Chatteris, each of which were self-contained and independent from one another. Huntingdon had its own Parish Constables until 1857 when, because of an Act passed the previous year, a Police Committee was formed for Huntingdonshire and 40 police officers were appointed. The same Act prompted, in the north of the county, the introduction of the Liberty of Peterborough Constabulary in 1857. In 1874 the city of Peterborough was granted a Charter of Incorporation and the Council was then required to appoint a Watch Committee and a Police Force for the city. The two were eventually amalgamated in 1946 to form the Peterborough Combined Police Force. In 1965 the five police forces were voluntarily united to form the Mid-Anglia Constabulary, the headquarters of which was in Brampton. In 1973, following the re-organisation of county boundaries, Cambridgeshire Constabulary was born.
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