About

About

The information researched and the photographs displayed are part of a collection that has been gathered together by Bob and Matt Pooler since the late 1980's. Bob Pooler is a former police officer in the West Mercia Constabulary. He began his career at Stourbridge in 1968 and during his service of more than thirty years was stationed at Lye, Hagley, Kidderminster, Redditch, Evesham, Malvern, Worcester and Police Headquarters. He retired in 1998.

Brief History

The Worcestershire Constabulary was formed in December, 1839. It was one of the first County Police Forces to be created. There were already some Borough Forces in existence in the County and they provided policing of various standards in their localities; they were Bewdley, Droitwich and Evesham. Kidderminster and Worcester City also had their own forces. When the County Constabulary arrived it was responsible for policing the parts of the County not covered by those forces already in place.

The Worcestershire Constabulary initially comprised of 40 officers, of which a quarter were Superintendents and above. This meant that 30 men had to cover the County, day and night.

Dudley, although surrounded by Staffordshire, was in fact part of the County of Worcester and the Dudley authorities soon asked to be policed by the County’s officers. This union came at a price for the County force which it eventually found totally unacceptable and this led to Dudley forming its own police force in 1920. Dudley Borough Police existed until 1966.

Bewdley, Droitwich, Evesham and Kidderminster were eventually incorporated into the County force and both the County and Worcester City Police became part of West Mercia Constabulary in 1967.