Bodmin Borough Police
Bodmin Borough Police was the municipal police force for the Borough of Bodmin from 1836 to 1866. The force was founded under the auspices of the Municipal Corporations Act 1835 and answered directly to a Police Watch Committee.
Founding
The Borough of Bodmin was one of the 178 municipal boroughs, and was mandated by Act of Parliament to create an electable council and a Police Watch Committee responsible for overseeing a police force in the town. The new system directly replaced the Parish Constables that had policed the borough since time immemorial and brought paid, uniformed and accountable law enforcement for the first time.
Abolition
The creation of the Cornwall Constabulary in 1857 put pressure on smaller municipal police forces to merge with the county. The two-man force of Bodmin came under threat almost immediately, but it would take until 1866 for the Mayor of Bodmin and the Chairman of the Police Watch Committee to agree on the terms of amalgamation. After a public enquiry, the force was disbanded in January 1866 and policing of the borough was deferred to the county from thereon.
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