British Police History

Coventry Police

1836 - 1969

It was not until 7 March 1836 that the Coventry City Police Force was established, with a strength of 23 men under a Superintendent. Their police station was a small building in Market Place. Coventry was one of the first provincial cities to create a paid police force.

A new police station in St. Mary's Street was formally opened in 1899, when the new Chief Constable, Mr C.C. Charsley began his duties, in an appropriate manner, by personally arresting two thieves.

It was not until after the First World War that a mobile unit was attached to the city force - and the mounted section was made redundant. In 1938, women police were first attached to the force for outside duty, although the first two policewomen had been appointed in 1917. But it was not until 1947 that policewomen were put out on duty in uniform.

Coventry Police became part of Warwickshire and Coventry Constabulary on 1 October 1969.

Sources

Coventry Evening Telegraph, 25 June 1971 - The British Newspaper Archive

Special Constabulary Section Leader Brandon Moss, G.C.

In the great Air Raid on Coventry, November 1940, Special Constable Brandon Moss led a rescue party to free people trapped under a demolished house. When conditions became critical, he continued working alone, and succeeded in saving three people.

He then led a rescue party to another demolished building, and although the workers became exhausted after many hours, he continued on throughout the night, with falling beams and debris around him. For his bravery and fortitude he was awarded the George Cross. (Submitted by Ray Ricketts).

Coventry Police DCC Herbert Bassett

Herbert Bassett was born on 12 October 1874 at Brownsover, near Rugby, Warwickshire. He started work in the locomotive fitting shop of the London and North Western Railway in Rugby.

He then became a fireman, firstly on goods trains and then on express trains.

After nine years of railway work he decided to join the police and on a day off he visited Warwick to make enquiries. He was told by the Superintendent that he would be tired of the job within a month and refused to take him! Undaunted, in 1897, he applied to Coventry City Police and was accepted.

After two years of uniform street duty he was transferred to the detective department. He was promoted to Detective Sergeant in 1905 and Detective Inspector in 1908. He remained in charge of the detective department until March 1919 when he was promoted to Superintendent.

In 1932 he was appointed Deputy Chief Constable. He was awarded the OBE in January 1932.

Herbert Bassett died on 31 May 1933 at his home in Stoke aged 58 while still serving as Deputy Chief Constable. He was survived by his wife and one son.

Sources

Submitted by Robin Cain from The Coventry Evening Telegraph 31 May 1933 – The British Newspaper Archive

The Hillman Imp and Unit Beat Policing in Coventry

Under Chief Constable E W C Pendleton, Coventry City Police introduced the "Unit Beat Policing System" to Coventry on 1 April 1968. On 28 March, a fleet of twenty-six Hillman Imp cars, painted in an easily recognisable, distinctive blue and white colour scheme was received to be deployed 1 April to cover the city suburbs. The cars were assembled at the Rootes Plant at Linwood Scotland and supplied through the Bishopsgate Garage, Coventry. The engines for Hillman Imps were built and tested in Coventry at the Rootes' Stoke factory, which coincidentally employed six of the City's Special Constabulary, giving members of the Force the opportunity to have a hand in the production of the vehicles. Each car was fitted with the new reflective number plates manufactured by Cornercraft Limited, of Coventry. The cars were equipped with fire extinguishers, first-aid kits and luminous jackets and lamps.

The Hillman Imp was first selected as a Panda car in an experiment with six, along with six Vauxhall Vivas, delivered to Devon and Cornwall Constabulary in their Newton Abbot area in early 1967. Their use continued to grow and the delivery of the twenty-six cars to Coventry City Police in April 1968 brought the total number of Hillman Imps used for this work in Britain to over