Royal Falkland Islands Police
Encyclopedia
The Royal Falkland Islands Police is the territorial police force
responsible for law enforcement within the Falkland Islands
. The Force was established on 1 November 1846 with the appointment of Francis Parry as Chief Constable
. The Constables Ordinance 1846, which had been enacted by the colony's Legislative Council on 27 October of that year, created an organisation that has remained at the service of the public ever since. The current Chief Police Officer is Chief Superintendent
Gary Finchett, latterly of Cheshire Constabulary
. who is also the Director of Community Safety.
on 1 January 1992. This followed an inspection by the Deputy Inspector General of Dependent Territories Police and was granted in recognition of 146 years of loyal service to the Crown and of the professional standards achieved by the force in the ten years since its virtual destruction by the Argentine occupation of the Falkland Islands
in 1982.
(ACPO) guidelines.
The Royal Falkland Islands Police currently has an establishment of nine Constables, a number of Reserve Constables (similar to UK
Special Constable
s), three Sergeant
s, one operations, one training and one Detective Sergeant an Inspector
and a Chief Superintendent
who is the Director of Community Safety and Chief Police Officer. Two civilian police staff are employed one as Senior Clerk and the other as Licensing Officer. The Islands' Prison is contained within the police building and governed by the Chief Police Officer.
All Service Police serving with the Joint Service Police Support Unit (JSPSU) of British Forces Falkland Islands are sworn in as Royal Falkland Islands Police Reserve Constables and thus have civil as well as military policing powers on the islands.
An Island-wide service is provided with 24-hour cover. The control desk maintains a listening watch on marine and civilian emergency radio frequencies and is the terminus of the "999
" emergency telephone system.
Police equipment is purchased directly from suppliers or through the Devon and Cornwall Constabulary
with whom an affiliation has been formed since 1990. Officers do not ordinarily carry firearms however they are issued with, and trained in; Quickcuffs
, extendible "ASP" baton, the same as mainland British Police Forces
The transport fleet consists of one Land Rover 90
, Land Rover 110 for rural patrols, a major incident control vehicle and two Land Rover Discoveries
, as general patrol vehicles.
Communication is based on VHF FM radio and is encrypted. The use of a repeater greatly extends the range of coverage.
, which has remained the headquarters building since it was completed in 1873, is situated centrally in Stanley. The building, which has had several wooden extensions added over the years, was built of stone by the detachment of Royal Marines
that were stationed in the Colony at that time. The station took a direct hit from a British missile during the Falklands Conflict
on 11 June 1982 and was severely damaged. The fabric of the building was repaired but after 135 years of continual service it was totally refurbished in 2008. This was completed in 2009 with the new jail being opened by HRH Princess Anne on 24 March 2009 .
Territorial police force
The phrase Territorial Police Force varies in precise meaning according to the country to which it is related, generally distinguishing a force whose area of responsibility is defined by sub-national boundaries from others which deal with the entire country or a restricted range of...
responsible for law enforcement within the Falkland Islands
Falkland Islands
The Falkland Islands are an archipelago in the South Atlantic Ocean, located about from the coast of mainland South America. The archipelago consists of East Falkland, West Falkland and 776 lesser islands. The capital, Stanley, is on East Falkland...
. The Force was established on 1 November 1846 with the appointment of Francis Parry as Chief Constable
Chief Constable
Chief constable is the rank used by the chief police officer of every territorial police force in the United Kingdom except for the City of London Police and the Metropolitan Police, as well as the chief officers of the three 'special' national police forces, the British Transport Police, Ministry...
. The Constables Ordinance 1846, which had been enacted by the colony's Legislative Council on 27 October of that year, created an organisation that has remained at the service of the public ever since. The current Chief Police Officer is Chief Superintendent
Chief Superintendent
Chief superintendent is a senior rank in police forces organised on the British model.- United Kingdom :In the British police, a chief superintendent is senior to a superintendent and junior to an assistant chief constable .The highest rank below Chief Officer level, chief...
Gary Finchett, latterly of Cheshire Constabulary
Cheshire Constabulary
Cheshire Constabulary is the territorial police force responsible for policing the English unitary authorities of Cheshire East, Cheshire West and Chester, Halton and Warrington. The force is responsible for policing an area of with a population of roughly 1 million.The Chief Constable of the...
. who is also the Director of Community Safety.
History
The Falkland Islands Police Force was granted the "Royal" prefix by HM The QueenElizabeth II of the United Kingdom
Elizabeth II is the constitutional monarch of 16 sovereign states known as the Commonwealth realms: the United Kingdom, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, Jamaica, Barbados, the Bahamas, Grenada, Papua New Guinea, the Solomon Islands, Tuvalu, Saint Lucia, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, Belize,...
on 1 January 1992. This followed an inspection by the Deputy Inspector General of Dependent Territories Police and was granted in recognition of 146 years of loyal service to the Crown and of the professional standards achieved by the force in the ten years since its virtual destruction by the Argentine occupation of the Falkland Islands
1982 invasion of the Falkland Islands
On 2 April 1982, Argentine forces mounted amphibious landings of the Falkland Islands . The invasion involved an initial defence force organised by the Falkland Islands' Governor Sir Rex Hunt giving command to Major Mike Norman of the Royal Marines, the landing of Lieutenant-Commander Guillermo...
in 1982.
Duties
The Royal Falkland Islands Police uphold Falklands Islands law (a combination of local ordinances and adopted English Statute Law) and are governed by the Police Ordinance 2000. Codes of practice are published originating from the Criminal Justice Ordinance 1989. All equipment issued to officers and practices used comply with Home Office and Association of Chief Police OfficersAssociation of Chief Police Officers
The Association of Chief Police Officers , established in 1948, is a private limited company that leads the development of policing practice in England, Wales and Northern Ireland.ACPO provides a forum for chief police officers to share ideas and coordinates the strategic...
(ACPO) guidelines.
Forces and coverage
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
Special Constable
Special constable
A Special Constable is a law enforcement officer who is not a regular member of a police force. Some like the Royal Canadian Mounted Police carry the same law enforcement powers as regular members, but are employed in specific roles, such as explosive disposal technicians, court security, campus...
s), three Sergeant
Sergeant
Sergeant is a rank used in some form by most militaries, police forces, and other uniformed organizations around the world. Its origins are the Latin serviens, "one who serves", through the French term Sergent....
s, one operations, one training and one Detective Sergeant an Inspector
Inspector
Inspector is both a police rank and an administrative position, both used in a number of contexts. However, it is not an equivalent rank in each police force.- Australia :...
and a Chief Superintendent
Chief Superintendent
Chief superintendent is a senior rank in police forces organised on the British model.- United Kingdom :In the British police, a chief superintendent is senior to a superintendent and junior to an assistant chief constable .The highest rank below Chief Officer level, chief...
who is the Director of Community Safety and Chief Police Officer. Two civilian police staff are employed one as Senior Clerk and the other as Licensing Officer. The Islands' Prison is contained within the police building and governed by the Chief Police Officer.
All Service Police serving with the Joint Service Police Support Unit (JSPSU) of British Forces Falkland Islands are sworn in as Royal Falkland Islands Police Reserve Constables and thus have civil as well as military policing powers on the islands.
An Island-wide service is provided with 24-hour cover. The control desk maintains a listening watch on marine and civilian emergency radio frequencies and is the terminus of the "999
999 (emergency telephone number)
999 is an official emergency telephone number in a number of countries which allows the caller to contact emergency services for urgent assistance....
" emergency telephone system.
Police equipment is purchased directly from suppliers or through the Devon and Cornwall Constabulary
Devon and Cornwall Constabulary
Devon and Cornwall Police, formerly Devon and Cornwall Constabulary, is the territorial police force responsible for policing the counties of Devon and Cornwall in England and the unitary authorities of Plymouth, Torbay and the Isles of Scilly....
with whom an affiliation has been formed since 1990. Officers do not ordinarily carry firearms however they are issued with, and trained in; Quickcuffs
Hiatts Speedcuffs
Speedcuffs are a model of handcuff which were designed and produced by the now defunct UK based Hiatt & Company. They are now produced by Safariland. They are characterised by their rigid grip between the two ratchet cuffs, this replacing the older type which were linked by a chain...
, extendible "ASP" baton, the same as mainland British Police Forces
The transport fleet consists of one Land Rover 90
Land Rover
Land Rover is a British car manufacturer with its headquarters in Gaydon, Warwickshire, United Kingdom which specialises in four-wheel-drive vehicles. It is owned by the Indian company Tata Motors, forming part of their Jaguar Land Rover group...
, Land Rover 110 for rural patrols, a major incident control vehicle and two Land Rover Discoveries
Land Rover Discovery
The Discovery was introduced into the United Kingdom in 1989. The company code-named the vehicle "Project Jay". The new model was based on the chassis and drivetrain of the more upmarket Range Rover, but with a lower price aimed at a larger market segment and intended to compete with Japanese...
, as general patrol vehicles.
Communication is based on VHF FM radio and is encrypted. The use of a repeater greatly extends the range of coverage.
Headquarters
The police stationPolice station
A police station or station house is a building which serves to accommodate police officers and other members of staff. These buildings often contain offices and accommodation for personnel and vehicles, along with locker rooms, temporary holding cells and interview/interrogation rooms.- Facilities...
, which has remained the headquarters building since it was completed in 1873, is situated centrally in Stanley. The building, which has had several wooden extensions added over the years, was built of stone by the detachment of Royal Marines
Royal Marines
The Corps of Her Majesty's Royal Marines, commonly just referred to as the Royal Marines , are the marine corps and amphibious infantry of the United Kingdom and, along with the Royal Navy and Royal Fleet Auxiliary, form the Naval Service...
that were stationed in the Colony at that time. The station took a direct hit from a British missile during the Falklands Conflict
Falklands War
The Falklands War , also called the Falklands Conflict or Falklands Crisis, was fought in 1982 between Argentina and the United Kingdom over the disputed Falkland Islands and South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands...
on 11 June 1982 and was severely damaged. The fabric of the building was repaired but after 135 years of continual service it was totally refurbished in 2008. This was completed in 2009 with the new jail being opened by HRH Princess Anne on 24 March 2009 .