Royal Gibraltar Police

From Freepedia

The Royal Gibraltar Police (RGP) is, along with the Gibraltar Customs, the principal civilian law enforcement agency in the British overseas territory of Gibraltar.

It was formed as the Gibraltar Police on 25 June, 1830, upon Gibraltar being declared a crown colony. The force's creation came shortly after the establishment of London's Metropolitan Police in 1829. The RGP was the first police service formed outside of the United Kingdom, and remains the second oldest British police force in existence.

The police force was granted the "Royal" accolade by Queen Elizabeth II in 1992.

From it's inception, up until 1999 when St John's Ambulance Brigade took over, the Gibraltar Police provided the territory's only emergency ambulance service, using officers seconded from the Operations Division. Also until the early 1990's the RGP acted as Immigration Officers at all entry points.

The force, locally referred to as the RGP currently numbers over 220 officers, who are divided into a number of units. These include CID, Drug Squad, Special Branch, Firearms Unit, Scene of Crime Examiners, Traffic Department, Marine Section, and Operations Division.

The current Headquarters is at New Mole House Police Station, Rosia Road, Gibraltar. There is also a substation at 120 Irish Town, which was the previous HQ.

The current (2005) Commissioner of Police is Joseph Ullger QPM.

References

Gibraltar.gov.uk - Judiciary and Law. Accessed 23 October, 2005