History of Specials at City
Police
"The Special Constabulary were invaluable, as
always..."
"We couldn't have managed without the Specials."
These and many similarly veined appreciations have been paid to
the City of
London Special Constabulary following numerous special occasions
when the
Regular Police had need of extra help and support to maintain the
peace of
the Realm and to police momentous events during the centuries.
Special Constables Act
From Anglo-Saxon times there has been the principle of mutual
responsibility
for the preservation of the Peace. This was reinforced by an Act of
1673
that made any citizen liable to be empowered as a temporary police
officer
for any specific occasion, particularly when there was a threat of
general
disorder. The Special Constables' Act, passed in 1831, before
the
establishment of the current City of London Police, authorised
Justices to
nominate and appoint so many as they think fit of the
householders or other
persons in the neighbourhood, to act as Special Constables for
the
preservation of the peace, protection of inhabitants and the
security of
property.
Civil unrest
The City enrolled large numbers of Special Constables to counter
periods of
unrest in the nineteenth and early twentieth centuries. For example
22,653
were sworn as Specials to meet the Chartist threat of 1848. Many
were called
to meet the Clerkenwell troubles of 1867. A great many Specials
assisted the
regular police in the riots of 1887 in Trafalgar Square, a location
that in
the late twentieth century saw a repetition of violent disorder.
Specials
were called out in anticipation of trouble during a number of
widespread
strikes during the nineteenth and twentieth centuries.
Formation of the Police Reserve
In 1911 the City set about forming police reserves to cope, when
required,
with large scale civil disturbances. The First Reserve was to
consist of
Regular Police pensioners whilst the Second or Special Police
Reserve was to
consist of citizens "of suitable age, physical fitness, steady
habits and
trustworthy character" who were willing to undertake valuable
public service
as Special Constables. For the 1911 dock strike 1648 Specials
were sworn by
the City of London - but were stood down, after
inspection by the Lord
Mayor, as seen in the picture below, without ever being called upon
to
perform street duty.
The First World War
The outbreak of World War One necessitated the updating of the
1831 Act to
enable the Special Constabulary to meet the demands placed on it.
Some seven
and a half thousand Specials performed duty in the City during the
Great War
guarding vulnerable points, patrolling the streets and undertaking
services
which in the Second World War were to be covered by the Wardens and
Rescue
Services, the Home Guard and the Observer Corps. The Specials
performed
valuable service especially in connection with the many
Zeppelin, Gotha
and Giant air raids on the City.
Sleeping accommodation was provided to enable Specials to
perform regular
night duty in the City following their daytime work commitments.
The initial
issue of a duty armband and decorated truncheon was augmented by
the supply
of uniform in 1916.
A name change
Apart from duty at the Lord Mayor's Show, first undertaken by
the Specials
in 1914, and the 1926 General Strike when some 6,000 City Specials
were
called for duty, the inter-war period was relatively peaceful
and
undemanding of their services. The Force title was changed from
City of
London Police Reserve to the City of London Special Constabulary in
time for
George V's Silver Jubilee in 1935.
The Second World War
The Second World War, like the First, made immense demands on
the City
Specials particularly during the massive aerial bombardment of the
Blitz.
However, only one Special Constable was killed by enemy action
whilst on
duty. S.C. 155'D' Frank Collins lost his life when Cloak Lane
Police Station
was bombed on 8th March 1945. A number lost their lives having
transferred
to the armed forces including S.C. Andre Kempster who was awarded
a
posthumous George Cross in 1943.
The post-war years
The period since the 1939-45 War has seen monumental changes in
society and
the demands made on the police service. The training and expertise
of
members of the City of London Special Constabulary continues to
develop and
this is reflected in the number and type of duties performed in
supporting
the City Community and colleagues in the City of London Police.
Over the
years City of London Special Constabulary members have been awarded
numerous
commendations and state awards, including the Special Constabulary
Long
Service Medal and bars for further service.
Women specials
The first female Special Constables joined the Force in 1976 and
are a
significant part of the organisation. In 1994 the CLSC were issued
with
helmets with the letters SC on the badge. Their uniform and
equipment is now
being consistently upgraded to the same level as that of the
Regular City of
London Police.
The City of London Special Constabulary
today
The Special Constabulary have responded with alacrity to major
incidents in
recent times including terrorist bombings and train crashes. The
bombing
campaign on 7th July 2005 saw an excellent response that resulted
in the
award of the prestigious Home Office Ferrers Trophy to the whole of
the City
of London Special Constabulary.
For the volunteers of the City of London Special Constabulary
their greatest
reward is, perhaps, in seeing the Queen's Peace being preserved.
They
continue the ancient tradition of the freeman maintaining the Peace
for his
fellows, by assisting the Regular Police in the maintenance of law
and order
in the City of London.