The police

LAW AND ORDER in past times was maintained by constables appointed by the magistrates, usually farmers and yeomen who combined official duties with their normal work. In times of riot and civil disturbance, special constables could be recruited from various walks of life provided they were of respectable character, such as shopkeepers, clerks, tradesmen and even pensioners.

The County Police Act of 1839 paved the way for the establishment of county police forces and Bourne was part of Kesteven, one of the three divisions in Lincolnshire, whose first chief constable was Captain Philip Blundell Bicknell, who was appointed from over 100 applicants in 1856. A police force for Bourne was in place by 1857 with an officer and two constables who were soon arresting offenders for larcency and attending the May Statute Fair in the market place, normally marred by drunkenness and fighting and frequented by tricksters and pickpockets, but not a single case of disorderly conduct was reported that year.

The police strength increased as the town expanded and by 1861 a permanent headquarters had been established at the corner of Burghley Street and North Street complete with offices, cells and hostel accommodation for officers so enabling them to be available on 24-hour call to patrol the streets. There were then 16 officers and their presence was marked by a considerable decrease in crime and general lawlessness.

The police station in North Street continued in use until 1960 when it was replaced by a new building in West Street while the old premises were demolished to make way for new housing. Lincolnshire Police, as the force is now known, also employs a number of Community Support Officers, a new breed of police men and women with limited powers but more frequently seen on the streets.

In the past 150 years, modern policing methods have changed drastically through the introduction of mobile patrols, new technology, shorter working hours and fewer points of personal contact, with the result that the friendly neighbourhood constable of past times has all but disappeared.

Despite increased efficiency, there is public concern, particularly among the elderly who feel unsafe because petty crime frequently goes unchecked and that their environment and well-being is threatened by litter, graffiti, vandalism, yobs on the street corner and other anti-social behaviour that is not investigated. There is therefore, a frequent cry for a permanent return of the bobby on the beat who was such a familiar and reassuring sight in past times.

The police station today