After many complaints over a number of years over the crime ridden state of Lancashire, it was decided in 1839 that a combined county police force was required to police the county. The force was founded on 18 December 1839, with an original strength of 502 men. Captain John Woodford was appointed Chief Constable. Over the next 50 years, the police force saw many changes including the introduction of the police helmet and, during the 1860s, the force lost its first officer, PC Jump, who died after being shot by a group of men that he and a colleague were searching. By the end of the century the force had developed a detective department who were allowed to wear plain clothes. The first detective appointed was John Wallbank. In 1917, the force first allowed female officers although it was only in the 1950s that they were allowed uniforms, and not until the 1970s were they paid at the same rate as their male counterparts. In 1948 the force's dog section was established with many differing breeds being used, but by the 1950s it was established that the
German shepherd was the most suitable. In 1965, the force had an establishment of 3,784 officers and an actual strength of 3,454, making it the second largest police force (after the
Metropolitan Police) and the largest county force in Great Britain. The force then went through major changes in the 1970s, when the force was reduced to cover the new re-bordered Lancashire with the other areas coming under the jurisdiction of
Cumbria Constabulary,
Greater Manchester Police and
Merseyside Police. On 10 October 2007, the Home Office announced that Lancashire Constabulary had ranked joint first, with Surrey, out of 43 forces by Her Majesty's Inspectorate of Constabularies. All 43 police forces were assessed on seven areas - tackling crime, serious crime, protecting vulnerable people, satisfaction, neighbourhood policing, local priorities and resources and efficiency. responding to an emergency call
Proposed merger Under proposals made by the
home secretary on 6 February 2006, it was to be merged with
Cumbria Constabulary. These were accepted by both forces on 26 February, and the merger would have taken place on 1 April 2007. However, in July 2006, both Cumbria and Lancashire constabularies decided not to proceed with the merger because the government failed to remedy issues with the council tax precept which left both forces unable to proceed.
Chief constables • 18391856: John Woodford • 18561859: Thomas Walker Sheppard • 18591868: William P. Elgee • 18681876: Colonel Robert Bruce • 18771880: Charles Legge • 18801909: Henry Martin Moorsom • 19091912: Charles Villiers Ibbetson • 19121927: Sir
Philip Lane • 19271935:
Wilfred Trubshaw • 19351950: Archibald Frederick Hordern • 19501967: Sir
Eric St Johnston (
Chief Inspector of Constabulary, 1967–1970) • 19671972: William Palfrey • 19721977: Stanley Parr (dismissed for disreputable conduct) • 19781983: Albert Laugharne • 19831995: Robert Brian Johnson • 19952002:
Pauline Clare • 20022005:
Paul Stephenson • 20052017: Stephen Finnigan • 20172021: Andy Rhodes • 20212024: Chris Rowley • 2024–present: Sacha Hatchett
Officers killed in the line of duty The
Police Roll of Honour Trust and
Police Memorial Trust list and commemorate all British police officers killed in the line of duty. Since its establishment in 1984, the Police Memorial Trust has erected 50 memorials nationally to some of those officers. The following officers of Lancashire Constabulary are listed by the trust as having died attempting to prevent, stop or solve a crime: • PC Peter Burnett, 1990 (collapsed and died attempting to disperse rioters) • PC Ian Wain Woodward, 1987 (shot dead) • Acting Sergeant Walter Lacey, 1978 (collapsed and died attempting to arrest a suspect) • Superintendent
Gerry Richardson, 1971 (shot dead attempting to arrest a gunman who had shot a fellow officer; posthumously awarded the
George Cross) • PC Ernest Southern, 1962 (collapsed and died attending a street affray) • Detective Inspector James O'Donnell, 1958 (shot dead attempting to arrest a gunman who had shot two others; posthumously awarded the
Queen's Police Medal) • PC Sydney Arthur Tysoe, 1949 (died from injuries sustained during an arrest in 1940) • War Reserve Constable John Towers, 1943 (died from injuries sustained in an assault) • PC Stewart Mungo Whillis, 1907 (died from injuries sustained in an assault in 1901) • PC Nicholas Cock, 1876 (fatally shot arresting armed burglars) • PC William Jump, 1862 (shot dead attempting to arrest an armed gang)
Lancashire Police Museum Located in
Lancaster Castle, in the former site of
HMP Lancaster, Lancashire Police Museum is free to enter with sixteen galleries, each in former prison cells. Exhibits include police uniforms, radios, handcuffs, saddles and other evocative objects. == Divisions and collaborations ==