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Watch committee

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This is an old revision of this page, as edited by 92.11.29.201 (talk) at 09:41, 5 March 2016 (The Watch committee in many areas was not abolished until 1968, although they had much reduced power following the 1964 act. Their final end came with the decision in 1968 by the then Home Secretary Roy Jenkins to create new combined police forces.). The present address (URL) is a permanent link to this revision, which may differ significantly from the current revision.

"Sat on the Fence"; J. M. Staniforth. The Cardiff Watch Committee literally sits on the fence on the matter of deputising either a member of the Catholic church (represented by a bulldog) and a Protestant candidate (represented by a bull).

In England and Wales, watch committees were the local government bodies which oversaw policing from 1835 until, in some areas, 1968.

Establishment

The Municipal Corporations Act of 1835 required each borough to establish a "watch committee" and to appoint constables to 'preserve the peace'.

Disestablishment

From 1889 counties switched to using "standing joint committees" which also had magistrates among their members. For police forces working within a single borough, watch committees were retained.

The Police Act of 1964 replaced both sets of bodies with police authorities, comprising two-thirds elected members of county or borough councils, and one-third magistrates.

References

  • Municipal Corporations Act 1835
  • Police Act 1964
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