Hampshire and Isle of Wight Constabulary

The Hampshire and Isle of Wight Constabulary is the territorial police force for the counties of Hampshire and the Isle of Wight in South East England. This area includes big cities like Southampton, the largest city in South East England, and the naval city of Portsmouth. It also covers natural places such as the New Forest National Park and parts of the South Downs National Park, along with towns like Basingstoke, Eastleigh, Andover, Fareham, and Aldershot, and the historic city of Winchester.

The police force as we know it today started in 1967, but policing in Hampshire has a history going back to 1832. In late 2015, the force moved its main offices to Eastleigh, where they share a building with the Hampshire & Isle of Wight Fire and Rescue Service. At the same time, their operational headquarters were moved to Mottisfont Court in Winchester. The training center and control room are located in Netley, near Southampton, in buildings that used to be part of the former Netley Hospital.

History

The first police force in Hampshire was the Winchester City Police, starting in 1832. The Hampshire County Constabulary began in December 1839 after the County Police Act. It started with a chief constable and two superintendents, one in Winchester and one on the Isle of Wight, which was part of Hampshire at the time. The Isle of Wight got its own police force, the Isle of Wight Constabulary, in 1890 when it became an administrative county.

During the 1800s, Hampshire absorbed several smaller town police forces. The Isle of Wight also combined its town forces. Big cities like Winchester, Southampton, and Portsmouth kept their own police until later changes.

In 1943, during World War II, Hampshire joined with the Isle of Wight and Winchester City Police to form the Hampshire Joint Police Force. This lasted past the war and became permanent in 1948, called Hampshire Constabulary. In 1957, the name changed to Hampshire and Isle of Wight Constabulary. By 1964, Southampton and Portsmouth joined too. More changes happened in 1974.

In November 2022, the force was renamed Hampshire & Isle of Wight Constabulary.

The headquarters moved to Eastleigh and Winchester in 2015. Between 2013 and 2017, some police stations closed to save money. The force also joined with Thames Valley Police for some services.

Chief constables

1839–1842: Captain George Robbins

• 1842–1856: Captain William C. Harris
• 1856–1891: Captain John Henry Forrest
• 1891–1893: Captain Peregrine Henry Thomas Fellowes
• 1894–1928: Major St Andrew Bruce Warde
• 1928–1942: Major Ernest Radcliffe Cockburn
• 1942–1962: Sir Richard Dawnay Lemon
• 1962–1977: Sir Douglas Osmond
• 1977–1988: Sir John Duke
• 1988–1999: Sir John Hoddinott
• 1999–2008: Paul Kernaghan
• 2008–2013: Alex Marshall
• 2013–2016: Andy Marsh
• 2016–2023: Olivia Pinkney
• 2023–2025: Scott Chilton
• 2025–2025: Sam de Reya (Acting)
• 2025–present: Alexis Boon

Governance

The chief constable has help from a deputy and three assistants. An elected police and crime commissioner watches over the force for things like money and plans. The current Hampshire and Isle of Wight PCC is Donna Jones, from the Conservative Party, who was chosen again in May 2024.

Operational Commands (strands)

In 2016, Hampshire Constabulary changed how it organized its police work. It created four main groups, each led by a chief superintendent. It also combined six smaller local police areas into three bigger areas: Northern, Eastern, and Western.

These changes helped police teams respond faster to any incident by sending the nearest available unit. The main police work is split into four areas: handling information, planning and development, preventing crime and working with neighborhoods, and responding to calls and investigating crimes. There is also a special team that works with Thames Valley Police on joint operations.

One group focuses on using information to predict when and where police might be needed. Another works to stop crime before it happens and supports local communities. This includes special teams for safety and partnerships with local groups.

Most police officers are part of the team that answers emergency calls and patrols to prevent crime. They start their shifts at special hubs but can go anywhere in Hampshire to help. This team includes officers trained to drive quickly in emergencies and carry special safety devices.

The investigation team handles solving crimes and includes staff at four main police stations across the area. They have special units for serious crimes and also work on specific issues like online crime.

Joint Operations Unit (JOU)

The Joint Operations Unit shares resources with Thames Valley Police. This includes road policing units, training sections, firearms units, and dog units. An assistant chief constable oversees this joint unit for both forces.

The Roads Policing Unit watches over motorways and main roads in both areas. In Hampshire, this covers big roads like the M3, M27, M271, and M275, along with parts of the A3, A27, A31, A34, and A303. Their job is to help in emergencies and stop bad actions on the roads.

The Dog Support Unit uses trained dogs for many tasks. These dogs can search for hidden items or find people in trouble, like those trapped in broken buildings.

The Marine Unit helps keep the coastline safe, covering 253 miles (407 km) of water around the two counties. It works with groups like the UK Border Agency and HM Coastguard.

The Mutual Aid Support Team has officers trained for bigger or more intense situations, like large public events that might get out of hand.

There are also many other support units that help with planning, major incidents, and solving serious crimes.

Uniform, equipment and vehicles

Main article: Police uniforms and equipment in the United Kingdom

Police officers in Hampshire and the Isle of Wight wear uniforms similar to other police forces in the United Kingdom. When on duty, officers wear a black T-shirt with the word 'Police' on the sleeves and black uniform trousers. They also wear a special vest for safety and carry tools to help keep people safe, like radios, handcuffs, and a spray that stops people from coming closer.

Vehicles and livery

The police use many different vehicles for different jobs. In the past, they used cars made in the United Kingdom, but in 1965 they started using cars from another country, which caused some people to be upset.

The police cars used to have a special red and white paint design, but since 2005, they have used a yellow and blue design on all their cars.

Aircraft

The police get help from airplanes and helicopters from a special group that supports police across the country. In the past, they had their own airplanes, but now they work with other police forces to share this help.

Strength and recruitment

As of March 2017, the Hampshire and Isle of Wight Constabulary had 2,896 police officers, 364 special constables, 304 designated officers, 385 police community support officers, and 1,421 police staff. In 2010, the numbers were higher, with 3,748 police officers, 337 PCSOs, and 2,424 police staff. Since 2010, the force has seen a reduction of 23% in its workforce, which is more than the national average of 15%. This change has led to some concerns about funding from the central government.

Performance

Her Majesty's Inspectorate of Constabulary

Previous inspection results by Her Majesty's Inspectorate of Constabulary are shown below:

In November 2014, a report found that Hampshire Constabulary did not record 40% of incidents as crimes, which was one of the worst performances in the country at that time. A later inspection in 2018 showed improvement, with 91.3% of reported crimes being recorded correctly.

Independent Office for Police Conduct

The Professional Standards department looks into most complaints made against police officers. Details of these complaints are shared with the Independent Office for Police Conduct, a group that oversees how complaints against police are handled across England and Wales. The IOPC can manage or supervise investigations into complaints and may conduct them themselves in serious cases. It also sets standards for investigating complaints and serves as an appeals body for people unhappy with how their complaint was handled.

Between April 2011 and December 2011, the number of complaints against officers of Hampshire Constabulary had gone down from the previous year. During this time, Hampshire had a complaints rate of 181 per 1,000 employees, which was slightly higher than the national average.

Stonewall Workplace Equality Index

The Stonewall Workplace Equality Index is an annual survey of UK employers done by the LGBT rights charity Stonewall. Hampshire Constabulary performed well in this index from 2006 to 2013, often placing in the top positions. In 2009 and 2010, it was second place in the Top Employer category. By 2017, it was still in the top 100 at 65th place. However, from 2020 onward, the Constabulary no longer appeared in the Stonewall Workplace Equality Index.

In popular culture

Crime writer Graham Hurley used his knowledge of Hampshire Constabulary, especially the police team in Portsmouth, for his novels. These stories, set in Portsmouth, follow a fictional detective and show the city's everyday problems and crimes.

Ruth Rendell set her crime novels in a made-up town. Though the books say the town is in Sussex, the TV show was filmed in Romsey. The main character often wears a Hampshire Constabulary badge and tie. The real Hampshire Constabulary allowed the use of their logo and helped with items for the show.

A former detective from Hampshire wrote a book called Welcome to the Farce under the name Detective Miggins. In it, he called the police force 'Bullshire'.

The BBC One show Real Rescues showed the daily work of Hampshire Constabulary in 69 episodes over three years. It started in October 2007.

Another show, The Force, followed Hampshire detectives solving three serious crimes. One episode looked at a murder near Basingstoke, another showed work on serious cases in Portsmouth, and the last looked again at a fire that damaged a building in Portsmouth.

Controversies

Social media arrest

In July 2022, the police force faced criticism for arresting a man who shared an image online. The image included symbols that some people find offensive. Later, the force decided to stop some of its training programs about certain topics.