Charles Rafter - Expansion of The Force

Expansion of The Force

When Rafter was appointed, there were 700 members of the Birmingham force, or one officer for every 654 people, manning fourteen police stations. The annual report of the inspectorate of constabulary that year criticized the Birmingham force for being under strength by 200 officers. In February 1901, Rafter convinced the watch committee to immediately recruit an additional 100 men with an additional annual incremental rise of 20 men for the ensuing six years. Upon his death the force numbered 1,587, or one officer for every 632 people, manning more than 64 stations.

Rafter managed the Birmingham police force during a period of transition. The city's boundaries were extended in 1911 to incorporate the outlying suburbs of Aston Manor, Erdington, Handsworth, Acocks Green, Yardley, King's Norton, and Northfield. The creation of Greater Birmingham, as it was known, trebled the city's acreage to 43,000 acres and increased its population from 523,000 to 840,000, creating new challenges for policing such a large urban area. Rafter formed a large branch of mounted officers attached to several of the outlying districts. Members of county police forces in these districts (214 men) were amalgamated with the Birmingham police. New police stations were built in Nechells, Bordesley Green, and Digbeth, among other districts; existing stations were substantially enlarged to accommodate the new intake of policemen; and the force invested heavily in subsidised housing for its officers. Upon Rafter's death, the gross capital debt on police stations and housing in the city was almost £400,000, a large proportion of which had been borrowed in 1924 to buy land in Steelhouse Lane for the development of a new central station, which was officially opened in December 1933. A citywide network of pillar-post telephones was also installed to facilitate greater communication between the police and members of the public. This was later augmented by a motor patrol fleet and a network of police boxes. In addition to its patrol duties the force's transport department in Duke Street was also responsible for the city's ambulances, prison vans, and mortuary.