Partick Burgh Police
1858 - 1912Mr William Cameron, Chief Constable of Partick
Mr. William Cameron, Chief Constable of Partick, was born on January 1st, 1849, in the parish of Cawdor, Nairnshire. He attended the Free Church School there till he was 11 years of age, when he went to Inverness Academy for one session.
He started life as an office boy, at which occupation he remained for a year. His parents made several attempts to apprentice him to a trade, but he preferred country to town life and took to farm work in the shires of Inverness, Nairn, and Moray until he married.
In 1873 he joined the Forfarshire Constabulary; in 1875 he removed to the Ayrshire Constabulary, and in 1879 was promoted to the rank of Sergeant. In 1881 he was appointed Office Lieutenant in the Burgh of Govan Force, and subsequently acted as Superintendent of this Force for seven months, only losing the permanent appointment by the casting vote of the chairman.
In 1888 he was appointed Superintendent of the Burgh of Broughty Ferry Police Force, and in April, 1892, received the appointment of Chief Constable of the Burgh of Partick.
Shortly after Mr. Cameron's appointment as head of the Partick Force, the Commissioners, on his recommendation unanimously agreed to have the old two-shift system of night and day duty altered to the present system of two day shifts and one night shift, thereby shortening the duty to nine hours each day. Mr. Cameron has also been successful in obtaining for his men, though not for himself (earning a salary of £260 a year), the highest scale of pay.
He has great faith in exercise for Policemen, and has formed a Police athletic club, and instituted annual Police sports, which, during the past two seasons, have been very successful. All the young members of the Force attend a gymnasium class.
Sources
- Police Review and Parade Gossip, January 25, 1895
