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Dorset Constabulary The Dorset Constabulary has a strength of 180, comprising a Chief Constable, Deputy Chief Constable, 10 Superintendents, a Sergeant Major, 22 Sergeants and 145 Constables. Poole Borough is policed by the County by an agreement dated 1891. Weymouth Borough maintains a separate force. The Police Divisions are as follow :-
Portland Police - Police Sessions For Petty Sessional purposes Portland is in the Dorchester Petty Sessional Division but on Nov 1. 1901 Portland was formed into a Police Division with a Petty Sessional Court at Weymouth The district covers the whole of the Weymouth Union District taking in:
The officers in the Division include the Superintendent, two Sergeants and 13 Constables
 The Police station on the Castle Road has accommodation for the sergeant, one married constable, and three single constables. Two of the men are living on the Hill and the Superintendent and one of the men are living outside in the Underhill District. An enlargement of the station (nearly complete) will accommodate the superintendent and the whole of his staff. The new portion will include quarters for the superintendent, and six single men ; with six cells, stables coach house Etc., at a cost of about �8,000. Messrs Jesty and Baker are the contractors. Police Sessions County Petty Sessional Courts for Portland and district are held at Weymouth (Guildhall) on the second and last Wednesdays in each month. A petition has been presented to Quarter Sessions from the inhabitants of the Urban District for a separate Petty Sessional Court for Portland The New Portland Police Station (A progress report) These buildings, which are rapidly approaching completion, have been erected by Messrs Jesty & Baker, of Portland, from designs prepared by the County Surveyor, Mr. Walter J. Fletcher, F.R.I.B.A . They adjoin the old Police Station, and occupy a very conspicuous site overlooking the Victoria Gardens and the West Bay, and consist first of commodious residence for the Superintendent. Then come two houses for married constables. The most important block of buildings is that containing the single constables' quarters and their mess rooms, with special rooms attached for drying and cleaning uniforms, and the usual offices specially arranged in this case for constabulary purposes. In close proximity to the charge room a range of buildings containing six cells are placed, and these have been built on the most up-to-date principles - to paraphrase the hotel proprietor's announcement, "No pains nor expense have. been spared to render these places of temporary residence everything that can be desired" - officially or otherwise. A large exercising yard for prisoners is placed in the rear of the cells On the floor over the charge and mess rooms two large bedrooms are situated, and these, divided into cubicles, provide sleeping room for six single constables. These buildings, including the cells are warmed by hot water supplied by a special boiler placed in the basement under the site reserved for the future Justice Room. In constructing the buildings the first care has been to obtain the best. results from good materials and excellent workmanship. To build well and to build with good material is the truest economy especially where public money is concerned, and the inhabitants may be quite sure that their new Police Station will remain for generations as an example of what call be done by following these rules. Naturally enough, seeing that this is a stone district, the whole of the walls are of Portland stone, technically known as rock-faced, level-coursed work - the courses being of different heights to give pleasing variety, and it is ,justly claimed that, these walls, whether facing the public road or in the rear, may be accepted as a true type of that class of work and is an almost perfect specimen of its kind. The builders, Messrs. Jesty & Baker, are to be congratulated on their achievement considering the difficulties of the site, which necessitated the removal of a huge wedge of earth containing many thousand tons before a beginning could he made with the building. A further difficulty successfully overcome, after much anxious care, was the discovery of an unsuspected spring of water which had to he diverted before the deep foundations could be put in. At Mid-summer the County Police will take possession. We much regret that the long talked about and much needed Justice Room has not yet been built. The reason for this delay about a matter of most urgent importance to Portlanders has not transpired. Portland Made a Sub-Police District The Dorset Quarter Sessions have granted the petition of the Portland Urban District for a separate Police Court. The committee appointed to consider the Council's petition reported on April 5th, 1905, that. they had not dealt with the question of forming Portland into a separate division, as they considered the holding of sub-courts there would meet all requirements. They recommended that sub-courts be held at. Portland when the necessary accommodation is provided and that the sub-courts at Weymouth be then discontinued; that the following parishes form the new sub-division:
that the Clerk to the Justices for the division be instructed to make arrangements for issuing summonses at Portland; and that the Standing Joint Committee be required to provide the. necessary justice-room accommodation in Portland in connection with the Police-station, and to then determine their arrangement with the Corporation of Weymouth for the use of the Guildhall. The report of the Committee was adopted unanimously by the Court of Quarter Sessions. ^ back to top ^ |