Glasgow Police Act 1800 Explained

Short Title:Glasgow City Extension and Improvement Act 1800
Type:Act
Parliament:Parliament of Great Britain
Long Title:An Act for extending the Royalty of the City of Glasgow over certain adjacent Lands; for paving, lighting, and cleansing the Streets; for regulating the Police, and appointing Officers and Watchmen; for dividing the City into Wards, and appointing Commissioners; and for raising Funds, and for giving certain Powers to the Magistrates and Council, and Town and Dean of Guild Courts, for the above and other Purposes.
Year:1800
Citation:39 & 40 Geo. 3. c. lxxxviii
Royal Assent:30 June 1800
Status:amended
Use New Uk-Leg:yes
Uk-Leg Title:Glasgow City Extension and Improvement Act 1800

The Glasgow Police Act 1800 was an act of Parliament passed by the Parliament of Great Britain, which established a professional police force for the city of Glasgow. Under the act, this police force was placed under the control of the Lord Provost, three magistrates and nine elected commissioners.[1] The force was supported financially by a rate levied by the City Council on houses and businesses; the lack of such a levy had frustrated the previous attempt at having a professional police presence in the city.[1]

The act was a forerunner of similar acts of Parliament establishing police forces in other Scottish cities and burghs, culminating in the Police (Scotland) Act 1850 (13 & 14 Vict. c. 33) and the General Police and Improvement (Scotland) Act 1862 (25 & 26 Vict. c. 101).[1]

As well as making provision for the establishment of a police force, the act also authorised the annexation of ninety-six acres of land surrounding the city.[2]

References

  1. Book: Joyce, Peter. Policing: Development and Contemporary Practice. 2009. SAGE Publications. 19–20.
  2. Book: Devine, Thomas Martun. Glasgow: Beginnings to 1830. 1995. Manchester University Press. 251–252.