Wandsworth Parks Police was the name given to the body of Constables run by Wandsworth Borough Council from 1984 to 2012, which was primarily concerned in patrolling parks and open spaces in the London Borough of Wandsworth to enforce by-laws and other enactments relating to parks and open spaces. The constabulary worked closely with the Metropolitan Police Service, with whom there was a history of mutual co-operation, the two forces often assisting each other with arrests, ASBOs, and other operational matters.
These Constables were first and foremost council officers and were referred to by Wandsworth Council as 'Parks Police Constables', or 'Constables'.
As each London Borough Council is independent, the police powers exercised by Wandsworth's Police Constables differed from those exercised by Constables from other London Boroughs. However, this was down to local policy and interpretation of the legislation that the constables attested under.
In April 2011 Wandsworth Council announced that it was proposing to take advantage of a Metropolitan Police Authority funding scheme that would result in the set up of a team of 16 police officers from the Metropolitan Police dedicated to policing the parks and open spaces of the borough. The council believed the move would save £800,000 a year as well as securing a team of officers some with higher levels of training and greater powers. Such a move meant the abolition of the Wandsworth Parks Police. There was opposition to this proposal. However, it went ahead on 1 April 2012, when the force was replaced by a Metropolitan Police Safter Parks Team.
Read more about Wandsworth Parks Police: Legal Status, Other Duties, Police Dog Section, Headquarters, See Also
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