[4][5] It is the largest non-metropolitan police force in England and Wales, covering 2,218 square miles (5,740 km2) and a population of 2.42 million people.

[2][6] Prior to the Municipal Corporations Act 1835 there were ancient ways of keeping law and order through Parish constables or quasi police bodies who conducted a wide range of duties.

NHPTs are typically conduct high-visibility patrols in their local areas, engaging with the community and solving issues affecting them.

ICR officers may be tasked to patrol high crime areas for an increased police presence or to conduct follow up investigations.

Instead of just responding to incidents, the unit uses a proactive approach by actively looking for criminals and catching them in the act, as well as patrolling areas based on intelligence.

The team works in a number of areas including Forced Method of Entry, targeted intelligence and specialist surveillance of criminals both covertly and overtly.

The unit was founded in 1982 when part-time daylight flights were routinely contracted and eight Sergeants were transferred from Traffic and Operations to ASU.

The alliance is recognised to have started unofficially in 1992, when Thames Valley would sell flying time to its nearby forces.

The Marine Support Unit carries out regular patrols of the Thames Valley and Hampshire's waterways, as well as covering special events including Henley Royal Regatta and Reading Festival.

[14] The unit is responsible for preventing equine crime, assisting in searches of rural areas, and mainly maintaining public order at demonstrations and sporting events, including the four football grounds in Thames Valley, as well as conducting deployments in Hampshire.

The POD is responsible for providing tactical support during spontaneous or pre-planned events that may result in public disorder.

This specialist department are responsible for guarding multiple fixed locations and protecting any visiting parties that require special attention.

They are located at the force headquarters in Kidlington, and separate teams within the Abingdon and Milton Keynes control rooms.

Upper Heyford Park serves as the force's Public Order Department base and training centre.

There are also several roads policing bases at strategic locations around the force at Abingdon, Bicester, Taplow, Amersham, Milton Keynes, and Three Mile Cross.

Male officers typically can wear a flat cap or traditional custodian helmet, while females are issued the bowler hat.

The custodian helmet was dropped for practicality and cost reasons in 2009, but was reintroduced in 2018 yet is only typically seen by officers conducting foot patrols.

In 2009 Thames Valley Police proposed to be the first force to introduce the use of baseball caps as a primary mode of headgear.

Officers the rank of inspector or above may wear white shirts, with the force badge worn on the left of their chest.

Formal dress comprises an open-necked tunic, with a white shirt or blouse and tie for both male and female officers.

Police vehicles contain a variety of equipment, which can include Arnold batons, shields, traffic cones, road signs, breathalysers, stingers, speed guns, ANPR cameras and more.

Special constables will achieve fit for independent patrol status, usually within one year, but this is dependent on the number of tours of duty.

In a report published by HM Inspectorate of Constabulary in July 2011,[21] the impact on the number of police officers and staff partly due to the reduction to Thames Valley Police's budget following the comprehensive spending review is as follows: March 2010 figures exclude 166 officers and 145 staff who were paid through the Thames Valley payroll system but were seconded to national and regional duties and were externally funded.

In its latest PEEL inspection, Thames Valley Police was rated as follows:[25] On 30 May 2007 at Thames Valley Police headquarters in Kidlington whilst teaching a half-day course on firearms, PC David Micklethwaite demonstrated a Magnum .44 revolver which he had mistakenly loaded with live rounds.

[citation needed] Thames Valley Police pleaded guilty to breaching regulations; they were fined £40,000 and £25,000 for legal costs.

However, concerns were raised that this represented "policing on the cheap" as candidates aged under 18 have a different wage scale and could cost £10,000 less per annum.

In 1982 the BBC broadcast a nine-part series by Roger Graef and Charles Stewart entitled Police, which showed a fly-on-the-wall account of Thames Valley's E Division based in Reading.

The series followed a select group of officers on duty, who as a result became too well known causing the Chief Constable to ask Sky to move their programme to another force.

More recently, Thames Valley Police has featured in Channel 4's Catching a Killer, which follows Major Crime Team officers as they investigate murders.

The museum's collections include items from the Great Train Robbery of 1963, uniforms, equipment, medals, photographs, scenes of crime evidence, and occurrence and charge books.