| The Police Gazette; or, Hue and Cry | |
| Type: | Newspaper |
| Owners: | College of Policing Home Office |
| Foundation: | 1772 |
| Ceased Publication: | 2017 |
| Headquarters: | London |
The Police Gazette, established in 1772 as The Quarterly Pursuit, and later named the Public Hue and Cry and other variants, was originally a weekly newspaper produced by the Home Office and the Metropolitan Police Service. Its primary purpose was to publish notices of wanted criminals with requests for information, and where appropriate to offer rewards.[1] [2] In later years it became a bi-monthly publication produced by the College of Policing in London until it ceased publication in 2017.
Initially titled The Quarterly Pursuit, the publication was repeatedly renamed, first to Public Hue and Cry. It became The Hue and Cry, and Police Gazette on 30 September 1797. It was renamed to Police Gazette; or, Hue and Cry on 18 January 1828. It became simply The Police Gazette on 1 April 1839.[3]
The title Hue and Cry alludes to the historical common law process, dating back to the 13th century, whereby bystanders were summoned to assist in the apprehension of criminals.
The Quarterly Pursuit was first issued by John Fielding, chief magistrate of the Bow Street Police Court, in 1772. It was distributed free until 1793, when the following announcement was made:
Responsibility for its original production rested with the Home Office. Editing was delegated to the Chief Clerk to Bow Street Magistrates' Court, notably John Alexander, who edited the Gazette from 1877 until 1895. Responsibility for the Police Gazette was transferred to the Metropolitan Police ("Scotland Yard") in 1883.
In more recent years, responsibility for publication transferred to the National Police Improvement Agency (NPIA), and then eventually to the College of Policing.
The purpose of the publication was stated on the front page in 1831 as follows:[4]
Historically, The Police Gazette was published as follows:
| Section | Frequency | Content | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Main Magazine | Weekly | crimes committed, information wanted | |
| Supplement A | Fortnightly | details of active travelling criminals. | |
| Supplement B | Weekly | particulars of convicts on licence, persons under police supervision and other wanted people. | |
| Supplement C | Fortnightly? | wanted aliens. | |
| Supplement D | Fortnightly, (alternating with Supplement A) | absentees and deserters from HM Forces. | |
| Supplement E | ? | photographs of active criminals. | |
| Supplement F | - | not issued? | |
| Supplement G | Daily | deaths of people who had previously appeared in the Police Gazette. |
The Police Gazette was circulated throughout the British Isles. Since an archive survives in New South Wales, Australia,[5] the Police Gazette may also have been circulated in countries governed by Britain around the world. However, local gazettes were printed by states in Australia (e.g., the Victoria Police Gazette, which began in 1853).
The Police Gazette recorded the history of crime; the role of the police; and major social events such as the penal transportation of criminals to Australia. The many references to personal names – of missing persons, criminals, army deserters and those deported and imprisoned – make it an important source for genealogy when census and marriage records prove insufficient.
The National Police Library holds all issues of The Police Gazette from the late 18th century to 2017. As more recent issues of this publication contain restricted information, only serving UK police can access recent issues via the library.
At least 61% of the total run of issues from 1772 to 1900 survives, archived by the initiative of local police forces, as well as by the British Library.
Many of the Supplements between 1914 and 1965 also survive.