The Hampshire and Isle of Wight Constabulary is the territorial police force responsible for policing the counties of Hampshire and the Isle of Wight in South East England.Hampshire Constabulary, 2012 Retrieved 27 April 2012
The force area includes Southampton, the largest city in South East England, and the naval city of Portsmouth. It also covers the New Forest National Park, sections of the South Downs National Park, large towns such as Basingstoke, Eastleigh, Andover, Fareham and Aldershot, and the historic city of Winchester. The constabulary, as it is currently constituted, dates from 1967, but modern policing in Hampshire can be traced back to 1832.
In late 2015, the force moved its strategic headquarters to Eastleigh, into a building now shared with Hampshire & Isle of Wight Fire and Rescue Service. At the same time, the force moved its Operational Headquarters to Mottisfont Court in Winchester. The Support & Training Headquarters and control room are located in Netley, near Southampton, in buildings of the former Netley Hospital.
History The first fully constituted police force formed in Hampshire was the Winchester City Police, founded in 1832.Williams, Clifford (2012) '111 years policing Winchester' The Hampshire County Constabulary was established seven years later in December 1839Hampshire Constabulary History Society Retrieved 2 May 2012 as a result of the passing of the County Police Act that year. Initially the force had a chief constable and two superintendents: one was based in Winchester, and the second based on the Isle of Wight (then part of Hampshire).Weeke History Retrieved 27 April 2012 The first separate police force on the island was formed in 1837 when the Newport Borough Police was established. A separate Isle of Wight Constabulary was not formed until 1890 when the island was the granted administrative county status.
During the 19th century, Hampshire County Constabulary absorbed various borough forces; including Basingstoke Borough Police (1836–1889), Romsey Borough Police (1836–1865), Lymington Borough Police (1836–1852) and Andover Borough Police (1836–1846). The Isle of Wight Constabulary likewise absorbed the borough forces of Newport and Ryde. Winchester, Southampton and Portsmouth continued to have independent police forces. In 1914 the Special Constabulary started to perform regular duties 'for the continuous preservation of order during the war'. Prior to this Special Constables were only called up to assist at major events and riots.Dixon (2006)
In 1943, as part of the Defence (Amalgamation of Police Forces) Regulations 1942, Hampshire County Constabulary was amalgamated with the Isle of Wight and Winchester City Police forces to form the Hampshire Joint Police Force. The two city forces, Southampton City Police and Portsmouth City Police, remained independent. Although this arrangement was originally intended only as a wartime measure, it continued after hostilities ended. In 1948, the merger was made permanent, with Hampshire Joint Police Force being renamed Hampshire Constabulary.
The name was changed once again in 1957, to Hampshire and Isle of Wight Constabulary.Hampshire Constabulary General Orders no 26 1957 available in Hampshire Record office. The Police Act 1964 led to the amalgamation of the city forces (Southampton and Portsmouth) into the Hampshire force. This created a force named Hampshire Constabulary. The last major changes to the police area were in 1974, when the Local Government Act changed a number of local government areas, and the responsibility for policing Christchurch was transferred to Dorset Police.
In November 2022, the force was renamed Hampshire & Isle of Wight Constabulary by Police and Crime Commissioner Donna Jones.
The names of forces that have policed the counties of Hampshire and the Isle of Wight since the nineteenth century are illustrated below:
In 1965, the force had an establishment of 1,346 and an actual strength of 1,137.The Thin Blue Line, Police Council for Great Britain Staff Side Claim for Undermanning Supplements, 1965
The headquarters moved to their current locations in Eastleigh (Strategic HQ) and Winchester (Operational HQ) in 2015. The previous facility in Winchester, close to Winchester Prison sat on the site of the first county headquarters, built in 1847.
Between 2013 and 2017, a number of police stations were closed and sold, while others had their public facilities closed. The need to reduce costs also led to the formation of a Joint Operations Unit with Thames Valley Police which, during the course of 2012, saw the amalgamation of Roads Policing Units, Training, Firearms and Dog Units of the two forces. The IT departments of the forces merged in early 2011. In April 2015, Hampshire Constabulary announced a "new-look policing model", beginning a major reorganisation.
Significant events 1893 Chief Constable Peregrine Fellowes, a former Assistant Adjutant General of Australia, who had been in office for less than two years, is fatally injured in Romsey Road, Winchester outside police headquarters when, together with other officers, he attempts to stop a runaway horse and trap. Crushed against a wall he dies several days later from his injuries and is later buried in the Fellowes family plot at Westhill Cemetery, Winchester.History of Yorkshire Aircraft, 2012 Retrieved 2 May 2012 1914 In Andover, the imprisonment of a mother and daughter sparks rioting involving crowds of up to two thousand people. Local officers seek the assistance of the fire brigade who are pelted with stones and retreat to their station. The arrival of mounted officers from Basingstoke fails to quell the disturbances and only after three days do extra officers drafted in from other stations bring the disorder to an end.Andover Fire Brigade History, 2012 Retrieved 2 May 2012 1915 Southampton Police appoint two women police- they were not attested but served in uniform. Miss Annette Tate was one of them.Frontline Magazine of Hampshire Constabulary Issue 181 November 2013A History of Women Policing Hampshire and the Isle of Wight 1915-2016 by Clifford Williams (2016) 1929 Hampshire Constabulary acquires its first motorised patrol vehicle a BSA motorcycle combination.Hampshire Constabulary History Society Retrieved 2 May 2012 1943 Winchester City Police and Isle of Wight Constabulary forced to amalgamate with Hampshire as a war time measure. The amalgamation became permanent in 1947.111 years policing Winchester by Clifford Williams (2012) 1944 Women Inspector appointed: Miss P Yates.Constabulary General Orders 30 June 1944 (Hampshire Record Office) 1957 On 1 April, the name of the force changed from Hampshire Constabulary to Hampshire and Isle of Wight Constabulary. 1970 The Isle of Wight Festival takes place at Afton Down attracting huge crowds, estimates varying from five to six hundred thousand, who witness what would be the last UK performance by Jimi Hendrix he is to die less than three weeks later.Isle of Wight Festival History, 2012 Retrieved 2 May 2012 Despite the great numbers of people the atmosphere is relaxed and with only 500 officers to police the event the Chief Constable, Sir Douglas Osmond, dons casual clothes and sits with the crowds.UK Rock Festivals, 2012 Retrieved 2 May 2012 He reports to the subsequent public enquiry that the press seem unhappy that it had been so peaceful. 1972 A car bomb, containing approximately 130 kg of explosive, detonates outside the officer's mess at the 16th Parachute Brigade Headquarters in Aldershot. Seven civilians die and nineteen others are seriously injured. The Official Irish Republican Army claim responsibility for the blast the following day. A major criminal enquiry, led personally by Detective Chief Superintendent Cyril Holdaway, then head of the force's CID, succeeds in identifying the bombers and the three are sentenced at Winchester Crown Court later the same year. Retrieved 2 May 2012Get Hampshire, 2012 Retrieved 2 May 2012 1982 Havant Policing Scheme, pioneered by then Chief Constable John Duke, emphasises the need for linking communication technology with beat officers.Neyroud, Peter. "Community Policing", Policing (2007) 1(2):127-129 1985 The force aircraft, an Optica, crashes on the outskirts of Ringwood killing the crew PC Gerry Spencer (pilot) and DC Malcolm Wiltshire (observer)., paras 6 & 10 1987 Introduction of tape recording of interviews with suspects to replace hand written interview notes. One of the first forces in the country to introduce tape recorded interviews. Rolled out across Hampshire over a year.The News Portsmouth 9 September 1987 page 5 1988 Introduction of new hand held PFX radio system with four control centres. Hampshire became the first force to leave the Home Office radio communications scheme.Police review Vol 96 no 4943 Jan 1988 'A new era in police radio'. 2006 On 15 May, Hampshire Constabulary launches the new single, non-emergency telephone number (SNEN), 101, as an alternative to 999. It is intended for reporting less serious or anti-social offences.Frontline (Force newspaper), June 2006. 2011 On 22 May, the force seeks assistance from Marwell Wildlife Park, near Winchester when it receives reports of the sighting of what is believed to be a white tiger seen in undergrowth in the Hedge End area of Southampton. The tiger turns out to be a life-size cuddly toy. 2014 Hampshire Constabulary in international news after obtaining a European arrest warrant leading to the arrest in Spain of the parents of Ashya King (who had removed their seriously ill son from a Southampton hospital in order to get treatment abroad).The Guardian 3 September 2014 'Ashya King's parents: we told hospital we would take our son abroad Parents of boy with brain tumour say hospital knew 'from the beginning' of their intention to seek alternative treatment' 2017 In September, the constabulary sent officers to the British Virgin Islands to help maintain law and order and assist with relief efforts following the devastation caused by Hurricane Irma. 2021 In January, the constabulary dismissed five officers after secret recordings were made of racism and sexism in a crime unit at Basingstoke.Five police officers have been dismissed after covert recording equipment uncovered a "toxic" culture at an organised crime unit where abhorrent racist, sexist and homophobic language was the "stock in trade" reported The Times 8 January 2021. 2021 In February, the constabulary dismissed Chief Specials Officer Tom Haye for gross misconduct after he had used the term "pikey" in a private message to a 'friend'. 2025 Chief Constable Scott Chilton retires with immediate effect, having been served notice he was under investigation by the Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC) into alleged gross misconduct. The investigation is into past relationships that Chilton had - one alleged to be with a junior officer and another said to have happened after he became Chief Constable in 2023.
Chief constables 18391842: Captain George Robbins 18421856: Captain William C. Harris 18561891: Captain John Henry Forrest 18911893: Captain Peregrine Henry Thomas Fellowes (killed on duty) 18941928: Major St Andrew Bruce Warde 19281942: Major Ernest Radcliffe Cockburn 19421962: Sir Richard Dawnay Lemon 19621977: Sir Douglas Osmond 19771988: Sir John Duke 19881999: Sir John Hoddinott 19992008: Paul Kernaghan 20082013: Alex Marshall 20132016: Andy Marsh 20162023: Olivia Pinkney 20232025: Scott Chilton 20252025: Sam de Reya (Acting) 2025present: Alexis Boon
Governance
The chief constable is supported by a deputy chief constable and three assistant chief constables.
The force is overseen by an elected police and crime commissioner (PCC) on non-operational matters (i.e. budget and priorities). The current Hampshire and Isle of Wight PCC is Donna Jones, of the Conservative Party, who was re-elected in May 2024.
Organisation and operations