City of Glasgow Police

In the 17th century, Scottish cities used to hire watchmen to guard the streets at night, augmenting a force of unpaid citizen constables.

However, following formal enforcement action by the Advertising Standards Authority, the Metropolitan Police gave a written undertaking never to repeat this claim again.

The Bailies displayed vision and innovation in setting out their proposals insisting that the force would be run by a Watch Committee of elected citizens, known as Commissioners.

The force of eight would provide twenty-four-hour patrols (supplementing the Police Watchmen who were on static points throughout the night) to prevent crime and detect offenders.

On 29 September 1800, John Stenhouse, a city merchant, was appointed Master of Police and he set about organising and recruiting the force.

New uniforms were issued in 1849, which consisted of a better quality top hat, three-quarter length dress coats with standing collar and nine buttons.

Electric telegraph adopted for communication between offices and other police forces in 1861 and in 1878, a horse drawn van was introduced for conveying prisoners.

Due to the extension, a system of 14 cast iron Police Signal boxes was installed in the outlying areas.

As a result, the force employed 400 temporary Constables and increased the Special Constabulary to 3000 to guard strategic buildings and factories within the City.

In January 1919, thousands of striking shipyard and engineering workers marched on the Corporation Power Station in Eddington Street, Port Dundas.

By Friday night troops guarded vulnerable points in the city and on Monday 3 February, six tanks arrived (they remained, unused, in the Cattle Market).

In 1931, cuts in Government benefits lead to marches by the unemployed and riots in Glasgow Green, Saltmarket, and Jail Square.

[6] In 1939, on the outbreak of the Second World War, the Glasgow Police prepared and established the Air Raid Precautions Service.