In January 1852, the Magistrates for the County of Pembroke complained of the inefficiency of the policing arrangements for the towns of Pembroke and Pembroke Dock - particularly that in the Borough. The age, infirmity, habits and disposition of the present officers entirely prevented the accomplishment of a proper system of police that neither secured the fear nor the respect of the inhabitants. These conditions placed the magistrates in distressing positions of doubt and uncertainty. They requested the Mayor, in conjunction with the Town Council, to take into consideration the whole system of police in the Borough of Pembroke.

In consequence, the Mayor convened a public meeting of the ratepayers and inhabitants of the Borough of Pembroke for the purpose of amending or increasing the system of police for the Borough, which was numerously and respectably attended. The Mayor stated the Council of the Borough had established such a Police Force as their monetary resource warranted and that nothing further could be done except by the wish of the ratepayers. For the outlay, it was not in the Council's power to make a more efficient police. In order to establish what the law on the subject authorised, a day and night patrol with the accompanying superintendence, watch houses, etc., would be requisite and, this in its lowest strength would cost at least from £150 to £200 per annum. The Mayor was supportive of such an outlay, if the inhabitants wished to take on such an expense. The ward of Pembroke Dock was also represented and agreed, as had the Watch Committee the previous week, at the efficiency, for the money, of the current police of the ward. As nothing further could be done by the Council, and as the inhabitants did not feel inclined to be additionally oppressed by rates, a discussion arose as to the propriety of making the services of the County Policeman, stationed in the town, available within the Borough. Those present were in favour of such an arrangement and it was proposed to confer with the County Magistrates on the subject.

Serious discussions on this proposal took did not take place until January 1858, at the Pembrokeshire Epiphany Quarter Sessions, where the amalgamation of the Pembroke Borough Police into the County Police Force of Pembrokeshire was discussed:

It was further resolved that there should be a conference between the Police Committee and the authorities in Pembroke, to arrange the basis on which the agreement should be made. In the June Sessions, the County confirmed and ratified the amalgamation of the Police of the Borough of Pembroke and those of the County, subject to certain conditions.

As with many Town Councils of the time, the considerations for joining with their County for the purposes of policing were more financial and less about the security of the Borough. Although the County was ready to move forward, the Pembroke Town Council continued to debate their options through late 1858. On 31 August a special meeting was met. The Chief Constable of Pembrokeshire Police had submitted a memorandom to the Council stating the minimum rate of distribution of police required by government was one to every 1,000 inhabitants in boroughs and one to every 2,000 in counties. The Borough contained upwards of 10,000 inhabitants. Adopting the plan of joining the County would mean the County would find eight men if the Borough would find the rest. In several places, the County had agreed to similar terms. It was discussed if the Borough might be able to find eight men from their own rates - if they had nothing to do with the County - without any other expense under whatever circumstances. This touched off further discussion of the whole matter.

It was determined a rate, town and rural, would realise £70. The present police, including their clothing, cost £33 10s. each, so that a penny rate would keep two such Constables. But if the town alone were watched the rural inhabitants would not pay, and to watch the whole Borough by day and by night it would require at least eight men and a rate of 4d. in the pound to maintain them, and further the Constables at present were not able to lay anything by for superannuation, and if discharged, in their old age, they would become chargeable to the parish. If, therefore, they superannuated any police they would consider the decay at half a man a year, and they could not give less than £10 or £12 per man per year; but this had not been taken into account in previous rate calculations.

The government Inspector had said their lock-up, at present, was not in a fit state, to renovate and improve which would also involve considerable expense - an expense likewise omitted from previous calculations. Another item to be put down was stationery, and they would need men that could use it, as there were returns to be made periodically to the Secretary of State, etc., and it was not felt such men could be provided at £30 a year. The Act had now made it compulsory that such returns should be made. As such, it would require a four-penny rate to maintain the men if the board would defray all incidental expenses out of their own pocket, and do the work of inspection and make the returns themselves. Under such conditions, it was not felt it would be possible to watch the whole Borough by day and night for a less sum.

With respect to joining the County, if they required a 4 1/2d. rate to keep eight Borough Constables, to meet other expenses it would require a 6d. rate to set it going. The County was willing to give them eight men, including a Sergeant, for the 2d. rate then paid, and it required them to find the rest, and 5d. rate would enable them to do so, of which one-fourth would be returned. They believed they had a means by which the money could be made up. The last rate made was a 2d. rate, and produced in round numbers £140, which according to the terms offered would find eight men, and an Inspector would be stationed in the Borough; by adding to this 2d. rate another at 3d. and £210 would be produced, making a total of £350, while £260 would be the amount required to carry out the agreement, and would provide for more contingencies than previously.

The cost of each man was generally calculated at £70 but the Chief Constable of Pembrokeshire had said that the cost was under £60. As such, eight men would cost £480. A 5d. rate would find 10 men, with the County finding seven men for the 5d. rate that was presently paid, amounting to a £139 or £140 difference between this sum and the actual cost being paid by the County, and a threepenny rate, one-fourth of which would be returned, would find the remainder.

After much discussion, it was agreed it would be better for them to accede to the terms offered to them by the Chief Constable. The County were anxious to come to terms which would be mutually beneficial but was not desirous of grasping the power of the Police from the Borough. A 5d. rate, of which one fourth would be returned, would enable the Mayor to sign the agreement. They were called upon to have eleven men, the County would find seven, the Inspector would be stationed within the Borough and bring his Sergeant with him, which would make nine, and the Borough was called upon to find the other two. The meeting adjourned, agreeing to call upon the Chief Constable to embody the terms he had stated in the agreement, when a meeting could be held for signing the same and affixing the corporation seal.

Pembroke Borough Police were at last absorbed into the Pembrokeshire Police 10 January 1859. Seven Pembrokeshire Police Constables were appointed to be located in and acting for the Borough. A motion was brought forth by the County to provide an additional sum of £30 a year to the Chief Constable of Pembrokeshire, due to the additional duties imposed by his now having added to his former work the control of Pembroke Dock and Pembroke Borough Police but this was lost by a majority of one. The County Police had a great deal of trouble with the military and inhabitants of the Borough of Pembroke upon the commencement of the new police arrangements but, by October 1859, it had become much more orderly, the militia, in particular, were behaving as well.